Long Beach City Beach is the city's main urban strand, running along the waterfront east of downtown toward Belmont Shore. The offshore breakwater keeps the surf gentle, which makes it less dramatic than wilder Southern California beaches but useful for walking, cycling, volleyball, and a low-key day near the water.
Come for the long promenade and the sense of the city opening onto the Pacific. It pairs naturally with the bluff parks, Belmont Shore, or the museums nearby. Swimmers should check local water-quality advisories, but for a sunset walk it is one of Long Beach's easiest pleasures.