Torrance Beach is the southernmost end of the long South Bay sand crescent that runs from Santa Monica through Manhattan and Hermosa down to the cliffs of Palos Verdes. It is wider than the Hermosa beaches further north, less crowded, and edged by a low bluff with picnic tables rather than the strand of beachfront houses you get up the coast.
The Strand bike path ends here, so the beach is a natural finishing point for a long bike ride from Santa Monica. There is decent surfing at the south end where the beach runs into the Palos Verdes peninsula, and a small but pleasant pier-less promenade at the top of the bluff. Free parking is on residential streets above — paid lots fill quickly on summer weekends.