Dana Point is built around the water. The harbour is the centre — whale-watching boats, sport fishing trips, paddleboard rentals, and the ferry to Catalina Island all leave from here. The Ocean Institute on the harbour breakwater is the town's best museum and a credible place to spend half a day. North of town, Salt Creek Beach and the Strand are the most rewarding stretches of sand; south of the harbour, Doheny State Beach has the longshore break that made Dana Point famous before the harbour was built. The bluff-top trails at the Headlands give some of the best coastal views in Orange County.