Victoria Beach

Victoria Beach sits at the southern end of Laguna Beach and is one of the more interesting stretches of coast in Orange County — partly for the beach itself, which is wide and relatively uncrowded compared to more central Laguna, and partly for the Pirate Tower, a 1926 stone turret that rises from the sand at the north end of the beach. The tower was built for private access from a clifftop estate and has no functional purpose now, but makes an unusual landmark.

The beach is accessible by public staircase from the Dumond Drive parking area. Low tide reveals rock pools at the south end worth exploring. Parking is very limited; the beach tends to be less crowded than central Laguna precisely because getting there requires some effort.

things to do sight
A story
The Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach was built in 1926 by Harold Kendrick, a wealthy resident who wanted private beach access from his clifftop property and had the money and inclination to build a staircase tower in the style of a medieval turret. He never explained the design choice. After Kendrick died, the property changed hands repeatedly and the tower became public. Legends about its piratical past are entirely fictional — it is just an eccentric rich man's private staircase.