Cleo Street Beach

Cleo Street may be Main Beach-adjacent, but it feels far quieter. On any given morning you’re likely to see a half-dozen couples walking hand in hand while sipping coffees from the Orange Inn. If the swell is right, you might also spot a surfer or two, paddling for a wave at the north end of the beach, where Cleo and Sleepy Hollow meet.

But the most notable Cleo Street fans are SCUBA divers, who wade straight into the sea before swimming out to the Foss 125 Barge (often called the Cleo Street Barge). This wreck, which foundered in 1958, is submerged in only 55-feet of water and is easily accessible from shore. Any diver looking should be thrilled to explore the site – as it’s both well preserved and wrapped in coral growth. Falling within the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve, the sea life on display near the wreck seems to be steadily increasing in both size and number.
 
Access here is easy via the Cleo Street steps, though parking often proves more of a challenge. If you don’t score one of the few spots on Cleo Street, you’ll have to park along Pacific Coast Highway, right in the thick of a popular retail district.

FAMOUS FOR:

Wetsuit-wearing divers wading right into the ocean and disappearing for an hour as they venture off to explore Foss 125.

BEST BEACH FOR:

Aquatic explorers and coffee-sipping romantics.

DOG RULES:

Dogs must be on a leash that is 6’ or shorter, at all times.

• June 15 – September 10
  • Dogs allowed BEFORE 9am and AFTER 6pm
• September 11 – June 14
  • Dogs allowed during regular beach hours