Christmas Cove

What it’s like

Christmas Cove sits at the north end of the shoreline below the Montage Laguna Beach resort. Orange Coast magazine calls it a small beach near Blue Lagoon and the Montage. A visitor guide lists the Montage coves from north to south as Christmas Cove, Goff Cove, Middle Man Cove and Treasure Island Beach, so this is the first one you reach from the north.

The name comes from the surf. According to Orange Coast, a temporary sand bar and surf break first formed here over the holidays during the 1982 and 1983 El Niño years. Local kids with two weeks off and a new surf spot began calling the beach Christmas Cove. The name became official after a lifeguard tower went up on the sand. Certain weather and ocean conditions around Christmas build the sand bar, and the break returns from time to time.

The magazine’s account dates from 2014 and was updated in 2025, so check current conditions before you plan around the break.

Getting there and parking

A visitor guide describes the route to Christmas Cove as a ramp that starts at the north end of the bluff walkway below the Montage. The Coastal Commission’s access file has no separate entry for the cove. It lists ramps to the beach at Treasure Island Park, at Coast Highway and Wesley Drive, so use that listing for access details.

Park in one of the paid city lots beside the resort. Lot 8 is the garage at the southwest corner of Coast Highway and Wesley Drive, with 39 spaces. Lot 7 is the surface lot between the Montage and the highway, with 31 spaces. You enter it from the resort driveway at 30801 Coast Highway. The parking guide explains how the city lots and permits work.

From the lots, walk north along the bluff to the ramp. Restrooms stand along the bluff path near the hotel. The free Coastal Route trolley runs from North Laguna through downtown to South Laguna, so check the city’s trolley page for a stop near Wesley Drive.

Beaches north of Aliso Creek close between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Rules and safety

Christmas Cove lies inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. California Fish and Wildlife describes the reserve as the shoreline from Abalone Point south to Goff Island, and the visitor guide places Christmas Cove north of Goff Cove.

The rule on the sand and rocks: it is unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource. Fishing is not allowed in the reserve. Swimming, wading, boating, diving and surfing stay allowed unless a sign says otherwise.

Surf conditions change here with the sand bar. The Department of Marine Safety answers questions about tides and surf, so ask before you enter the water.

On beaches where dogs are allowed, the city requires a leash of 6 feet or shorter. From June 15 to September 10, dogs are allowed only before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. The Coastal Commission’s file has no dog information for the cove, so read the signs at the ramp.

Good to know

Victoria Beach lies less than half a mile north in a straight line, and Aliso Beach lies less than a mile south. Both have their own access points and listings.