There are California beach towns built around the ocean, and then there are places where the ocean seems to dictate the entire rhythm of daily life. Huntington Beach belongs firmly in the latter category. Surfboards travel down sidewalks under sun-browned arms, bikes outnumber cars along the Strand, and the Pacific is less scenic backdrop and more communal living room.
Known internationally as Surf City USA, this corner of Orange County has long been associated with competitive surfing and classic Southern California beach culture. But spend a weekend here and another version of the city emerges: sunset cruises through quiet waterfront neighborhoods, restaurants overlooking the Pacific, sprawling wetlands, rooftop cocktails, Tuesday night street markets and enough wellness programming to turn a surf weekend into a genuine reset.
Disclosure: Millennial Magazine was hosted by Paséa Hotel & Spa during this visit. As always, editorial coverage and opinions remain independent.
How to Spend a Weekend in Huntington Beach
1. Stay Beachside at Paséa Hotel & Spa
For a weekend built around the coast, location matters. Paséa Hotel sits along Pacific Coast Highway directly across from the sand and adjacent to Pacific City, putting the pier, downtown, restaurants and beach path within easy reach.
Rather than approaching Paséa as a destination that requires staying on property all weekend, consider it a polished base camp. Ocean-view rooms, a pool, the Balinese-inspired Aarna Spa and multiple restaurants make returning between adventures particularly easy. The hotel also provides beach chairs, umbrellas, towels and transportation among its resort amenities.
The result is the right balance for a short escape: enough resort infrastructure to make the weekend feel restorative without separating you from the city you came to explore.
2. Start the Morning at Java Point and Stay for the Surf Culture
Skip the anonymous coffee run and head to Java Point, tucked inside Huntington Surf & Sport directly across from the pier. The café serves coffee and breakfast surrounded by surfboards, wetsuits and the visual history of a city that has built much of its identity around wave riding.
Whether or not Java Point ultimately earns your personal title of “best coffee in town,” the setting makes it one of the most culturally specific ways to start the day.
Outside, pause at the Surfers’ Hall of Fame and Duke Kahanamoku statue before heading toward the water. Surfing here stretches back more than a century: George Freeth gave surfing demonstrations at the pier in 1914, while Duke Kahanamoku later helped popularize the sport throughout Southern California.
That history still feels surprisingly present. Longboards tucked into trucks, dawn patrol sessions and surfers gathering around the pier aren’t staged nostalgia. They’re simply part of the morning commute in Surf City USA.
3. Walk the Famous Pier
Some landmarks are famous largely because tourism brochures insist they are. The Huntington Beach Pier actually deserves the detour.
Extending 1,856 feet over the Pacific, the pier has long functioned as the city’s front porch: fishermen on one side, surfers working the breaks below, volleyball games on the sand and cyclists streaming past on shore.
Walk out far enough to turn around and look back toward the coastline. From this perspective, the scale of the beach becomes apparent, and so does the relationship between surfing and the city that grew around it.
If you want to go deeper into the culture, add the International Surfing Museum to the weekend. In 2026, the museum introduced its WSL50 exhibition commemorating 50 years of professional surfing.
4. Trade the Car for an Bike
One of the easiest ways to understand Huntington Beach geographically is from two wheels.
A flat paved beach path runs for roughly 10 miles along the coastline, making an e-bike particularly useful if you’d rather explore than exercise. The route links the busier downtown waterfront with quieter stretches north toward Bolsa Chica, allowing the scenery to shift from pier crowds and volleyball courts to broad sections of sand and protected wetlands.
Local outfitter Fatbike HB offers guided e-bike experiences ranging from approximately 90 minutes to three hours, with routes that can head north toward Sunset Beach or south toward Newport.
Pro Tip: ride in the morning, when the pathway is cooler and the city is still waking up.
5. Take Wine Onto the Water at Sunset
One of the weekend’s most unexpectedly atmospheric experiences happens away from the open ocean.
Head north toward Sunset Beach and board a private cruise through Huntington Harbour, a waterfront community of channels, islands, docks and homes tucked behind the coastline. Sunset Beach is the adjacent coastal neighborhood; the waterways themselves belong to Huntington Harbour.
Private operators offer captained sunset charters departing from the harbor, including wine-and-charcuterie options and BYOB cruises timed around golden hour.
There’s something wonderfully cinematic about sipping wine while moving quietly between waterfront homes as the evening light drops. It’s a softer counterpoint to the energy around the pier, and proof that the local relationship with the water extends well beyond surfing.
6. Eat at Lōrea, Then Go Upstairs to Treehouse on PCH
Paséa’s two primary dining concepts are worth including even if you’re not staying overnight.
Lōrea occupies the ground floor with ocean views, a breezy patio and a menu centered on locally sourced ingredients. It works especially well for a slow lunch or early dinner when the marine layer lifts and the coastline begins turning gold.
Upstairs, Treehouse on PCH shifts the mood toward cocktails, shareable bites and rooftop views. Paséa positions it as its rooftop bar and lounge, and the setting makes it an easy sunset stop before heading downtown.
Together, the two work less as “hotel restaurants” and more like a part of the city’s increasingly polished oceanfront dining scene.
7. Make Jolie & The Belle the Date-Night Reservation
For a proper night out, Jolie & The Belle hits the sweet spot between coastal and dressed-up.
Jolie occupies the main dining room, serving seasonal American cooking, while The Belle moves upstairs to the rooftop. Both overlook the Pacific from PCH near the pier. The restaurant currently serves dinner throughout the week, with The Belle operating on select weekend days.
This is where you trade flip-flops for something sharper, order a cocktail and remember that beach-town dining doesn’t have to mean fish tacos eaten in a swimsuit.
8. If You’re Here Tuesday, Don’t Miss Surf City Nights
A weekend itinerary might technically end Sunday, but travelers with flexibility should consider extending into Tuesday.
That’s when downtown transforms for Surf City Nights, a weekly street fair and certified farmers market that closes several blocks of Main Street to traffic. Produce stands mix with local artisans, food vendors and live musicians while residents walk and bike into downtown for the evening. The current schedule runs 5 to 9 p.m. from March through November and 5 to 8 p.m. during the winter season, weather permitting.
It is also one of the simplest ways to see Huntington Beach behaving like a hometown rather than a destination.
9. Build in a Few Hours at Aarna Spa
There is an argument for doing nothing on vacation, and Aarna Spa makes a persuasive one.
Paséa’s Balinese-inspired spa includes massages, facials, body treatments, saunas, relaxation areas and an outdoor spa garden. Day passes are currently offered Monday through Thursday, while the Aarna Oasis monthly membership includes spa access, treatment credits, fitness access and additional discounts.
For Orange County locals, that membership is particularly interesting because it reframes a hotel spa as an ongoing wellness club rather than an occasional vacation indulgence.
One note: during our visit, we also learned about monthly complimentary express facial programming. Check the events page to confirm the latest schedule directly with Aarna before planning a visit around it.
10. Go North for Bolsa Chica’s Wilder Side
Continue north and the landscape changes dramatically at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.
The protected wetland encompasses roughly 1,300 acres with about five miles of trails and habitat used by nearly 200 resident and migratory bird species. It is one of the area’s best reminders that the Southern California coast is an ecosystem before it is an aesthetic.
Across PCH, Bolsa Chica State Beach offers another version of coastal culture. SeaLegs at the Beach runs seasonal programming that includes live music and weekend events; schedules change throughout the year, so check the current calendar before heading north specifically for a show. Its 2026 season includes Saturday live music as well as recurring Sunday programming.
11. Bring the Dog, Seriously!
Few Southern California beach cities embrace dogs quite like this one.
Huntington Dog Beach stretches approximately 1.5 miles between Seapoint Avenue and Goldenwest Street, giving dogs room to run through the surf, play in the sand, and, in suitably Californian fashion, occasionally paddle out alongside surfers.
Even if you’re traveling without a four-legged companion, the scene is entertaining enough to warrant a ride-by on the beach path.
12. End the Weekend Around a Fire Pit
If surfing represents the daytime mythology of Surf City USA, the beach bonfire may be its after-dark equivalent.
More than 500 public fire pits are spread among City Beach, State Beach and Bolsa Chica, with many offered on a first-come basis and some reservable through designated picnic areas.
Grab dinner, a sweatshirt and the obligatory marshmallows and make this the final appointment of the weekend. The Pacific doesn’t need much styling at sunset.
The Weekend Edit
What makes Huntington Beach work as a getaway isn’t any single attraction. It’s the ability to move easily between different versions of coastal California: coffee inside a surf shop, a longboard session beneath the pier, an e-bike ride beside the Pacific, wetlands filled with migratory birds, rooftop dinner and wine drifting through the harbour at sunset.
Come expecting the beach. Stay for the culture that has formed around it.
FAQ
Why is Huntington Beach called Surf City USA?
The city’s modern surf identity traces back more than a century. George Freeth surfed at the pier in 1914, Duke Kahanamoku later helped popularize the sport in Southern California, and the city became a major center for surf competitions and surf businesses.
Is Paséa Hotel close to the pier?
Yes. Paséa sits on Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific City and within easy reach of the pier, downtown and beachfront bike path.
Can you bike along the beach?
Yes. A paved multi-use beach trail runs for roughly 10 miles along the coast, and visitors can rent traditional bicycles or e-bikes.
What happens in downtown on Tuesday nights?
Surf City Nights closes the first several blocks of Main Street for a certified farmers market and street fair featuring produce, artisan vendors and live entertainment.
Where can visitors see live music near the beach?
Seasonal venues at Bolsa Chica, including SeaLegs at the Beach, regularly host live entertainment. Programming changes, so check the current event calendar before visiting.
Is Huntington Dog Beach actually large?
Yes. The designated dog-friendly shoreline runs approximately 1.5 miles between Seapoint Avenue and Goldenwest Street.
What’s one experience visitors often overlook?
A sunset boat ride through Huntington Harbour. The calm channels and waterfront homes near Sunset Beach reveal a quieter side of the destination that feels completely removed from the bustle around the pier.
