Newport Beach, California-Vacation Activities

Sunsets are often breathtakingly beautiful, with prime viewing from the beach. Use the fire rings in front our our units for a beach barbecue or nighttime campfires - don't forget to make s'mores! Beach volleyball courts and free public tennis courts are located along the Peninsula.

Balboa Island is just a ferry ride away. There are beaches, secluded sand coves.  Watch all of the boats going in and out of the harbor from the Beach or have a terrific family picnic beach. If you are not into quiet beaches with pastoral views, you can always head off to the waves and some surfing.

On the Land…
Right outside your front door, you can bicycle, rollerblade, or walk along the oceanfront boardwalk, which runs most of the length of Balboa Peninsula and connects the two piers. Bicycles and rollerblades can be rented at a number of shops See On the Land - Bicycles, etc. Another great place to bicycle or walk is around the Back Bay Ecological Reserve, where you can observe up close a wide assortment of wildlife and migrating birds. The Back Bay is also reachable by kayak, canoe or car. You can also walk all the way around Balboa Island along the sidewalk at the water's edge. This walk takes about an hour and is a wonderful way to see the harbor and the Island's homes and cottages. Be sure to take a window-shopping detour up Marine Avenue, Balboa Island's main street.

Head to the Balboa Fun Zone. Ride the Ferris wheel, bumper cars, and carousel. Other diversions include laser tag, a trampoline bungee, and arcades. Next to the Fun Zone is the Balboa Pavilion, the main landmark on Balboa Peninsula, which was built in 1905 as an electric railway terminus and Victorian bathhouse. It now houses a seafood restaurant, which offers sweeping views of the harbor .  Don't forget to stop by the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum in its new home.

Walk to the end of either the Balboa Pier or the Newport Pier and see what the fishermen have caught. You can stop at Ruby's for a milkshake from the take-out window.  Near the Newport Pier, the Newport Dory Fishing Fleet returns from the sea every morning to sell their catch on the beach. Pelicans seem always to be on hand to scoop up any dropped fish.

On the Water…
Newport Beach is known for its love of the water. Newport Beach boasts one of the world's largest and most beautiful small-boat harbors, with over 9,000 pleasure craft.  No matter what your speed, there are boats for everyone!

There are many excellent cruise choices See On the Water - In the Harbor. The Balboa Fun Zone is the departure point for narrated tour boat cruises of the bay, on which you will see movie star homes, cute harbor seals, incredibly luxurious yachts, and some of the most expensive real estate in the world. The cruise stays within the calm harbor waters and takes about an hour. 

Enjoy a day trip to Catalina Island.  See On the Water - Sportfishing and Whale Watching. For you romantics, gondoliers will steer your private gondola through some of the narrower canals in the bay, or you may prefer a dinner cruise aboard John Wayne's yacht, the Wild Goose. See On the Water - In the Harbor.  Adventurous spirits can experience the thrill of parasailing, board a deep-sea sport-fishing boat, or try a whale-watching tour.