25 Things to Do in Santa Monica: A Local’s Guide for 2026

Every “things to do in Santa Monica” list on the internet starts with the Pier and Third Street Promenade. And sure, they exist. But if you actually live here, your Santa Monica looks completely different. This is the local’s version — 25 things we actually do, organized by how much effort they require.

Zero-Effort Wins

1. Sunset at Palisades Park. Walk the cliffside path above PCH between 6:30 and 7:30pm. Free, no reservation, better than any bar in town. Bring a jacket — the marine layer doesn’t care about your plans.

2. Wednesday Farmers Market. Arizona Avenue between 2nd and 4th. The best farmers market in Los Angeles, and we’re not being hyperbolic. Go between 9 and 10am before the stroller traffic peaks. The stone fruit in summer will ruin all other stone fruit for you forever.

3. Read a book at Tongva Park. The rolling-hills park across from City Hall is the most underrated six acres in Santa Monica. Bring a blanket, find a nook between the berms, disappear for two hours.

4. Walk the beach south of the Pier. Most tourists stay north. Walk south toward Venice and the crowds vanish within five minutes. The volleyball courts between Bay Street and Ocean Park are where locals play.

5. Coffee at Dogtown. Main Street’s best coffee shop, in a neighborhood that has too many good coffee shops. Sit outside. Watch dogs. That’s the whole plan.

“The best things to do in Santa Monica are mostly free, mostly outside, and mostly ignored by anyone who came here on a tour bus.”

Active Adventures

6. Bike the Marvin Braude path. The beachfront bike path runs 22 miles from Pacific Palisades to Torrance. Rent a bike from any of the shops on Main Street and ride south to Manhattan Beach for lunch. The stretch through Marina del Rey is the best part.

7. Surf lesson at the south side. The break at Bay Street is gentle enough for beginners. Aqua Surf School runs morning lessons that include board and wetsuit. You’ll stand up. Probably.

8. Temescal Canyon hike. A 3-mile loop with a waterfall and ocean views, twelve minutes from downtown SM. The best hike within striking distance of the city. Start before 9am.

9. Swim at the Annenberg Beach House pool. A public pool steps from the sand with ocean views, built into the site of a 1920s estate. Day passes are $10. It feels like a private club for the price of a latte.

10. Volleyball at East Beach. The courts north of the Pier run pickup games most evenings. Show up, ask next, and expect to get destroyed by regulars who have been playing here for thirty years.

Food & Drink

11. Brunch at Huckleberry. The green eggs and ham. The pastry case. The line that moves faster than it looks. Still the best brunch in town.

12. Tacos at Tallula’s. The brick-and-mortar taco spot on Wilshire does al pastor that rivals anything on the Eastside. The salsa bar has six options and all of them are correct.

13. Happy hour at Elephante. The rooftop on Second Street runs half-price aperol spritzes from 4–6pm. The view is the same one people pay $22 for later. Come early, stay through sunset.

14. Dinner at Holy Basil. The Westside’s best Thai restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd. The boat noodle poached beef is the move. No reservations — go at 5:30 or 8:30.

15. Ice cream at Wanderlust. The Montana Avenue scoop shop uses local dairy and seasonal flavors. The salted caramel is permanent for a reason. The lemon olive oil is the sleeper pick.

16. Pizza at Milo & Olive. The egg pizza from the wood-fired oven during brunch. Or the mushroom pizza at dinner. There is no wrong time to eat pizza here.

Culture & Entertainment

17. Aero Theatre on Montana. The American Cinematheque’s Westside outpost shows repertory and independent films in a beautifully restored art deco theater. Check their calendar — the double features are always worth it.

18. Free concerts at the Pier. The Twilight Concert Series runs Thursday evenings in summer. Free, all ages, sunset over the Pacific behind the stage. It’s the best free event in LA and it happens every week.

19. Browse Hennessey + Ingalls. The architecture and art bookstore on Wilshire has been here since 1963. Even if you’re not buying, it’s worth an hour of browsing.

20. LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries. Technically on the Miracle Mile, but we’re claiming it. The brand-new Peter Zumthor building opened this month and it’s worth the drive down Wilshire.

Hidden Gems

21. Chess Park. The outdoor chess tables at the south end of the Promenade draw regulars daily. Sit down, play a stranger, lose gracefully.

22. The Camera Obscura. Inside the Senior Center at Palisades Park. A working camera obscura projects a live 360-degree image of the beach onto a white disc. Free, bizarre, and genuinely fascinating. Most locals don’t know it exists.

23. Bergamot Station galleries. The art gallery complex on Michigan Avenue houses a dozen contemporary galleries in converted warehouses. Free admission, rotating exhibitions, and enough art to fill a Saturday afternoon.

24. Heroes Golf Course. A 9-hole par-3 on the VA campus in Brentwood. $12 to play. No tee times, no pretension, just a quiet round in the eucalyptus trees.

25. Night swim at the Pier. Not literally — but walking the Pier after 9pm, when the crowds thin and the lights reflect off the water, is one of the most underrated experiences in Santa Monica. The Ferris wheel runs until midnight on weekends. Ride it once. It’s worth it.