Hollywood Beach and Silver Strand form a broad peninsula of sand between Channel Islands Harbor and the open Pacific — one of the finest stretches of uncrowded beach in Southern California. The wide, flat sand extends for miles, and the absence of major hotel development behind it means you get a proper beach without the resort atmosphere that has overtaken much of the LA County coast.
Hollywood Beach has a quiet residential character; Silver Strand is more open. Both are exposed enough to generate good surf conditions for board sports, and the water here is notably cleaner than the beaches closer to Los Angeles. The harbor entrance at the north end and the breakwater at the south make for good walking, with views of the Channel Islands on clear days.