Thalia Street Beach

What it’s like

Thalia Street Beach lies below Coast Highway at the end of Thalia Street, about 0.6 mile south of Main Beach in a straight line. The Coastal Commission files it as the south end of a run of stairway beaches that starts at Sleepy Hollow Lane.

The city lists Thalia as a marine protected area with a surfing area and a skimboarding area. Its beach page names surfing, body surfing and body boarding as the popular activities and puts the surfing at the south end, south of the surf flag. The city’s beach information page names Thalia as one of four beaches where surfing is allowed. The others are Agate Street, Brooks Street and Rockpile.

The bottom is rock. The city describes the whole area as a rock reef with one patch of sandy bottom. When the surf is large, that sandy patch becomes the strongest rip in town, and the city says the current often runs 200 yards out to sea.

The sand moves with the seasons. The city rebuilt the stairway so its lowest steps sit deeper in the sand, which keeps the beach reachable when winter pulls the sand back.

Getting there and parking

You reach the beach by the stairway at the end of Thalia Street. The city replaced the whole stairway in a project a local news report described as finished in April 2018. The new stairs are wider, sized for beach chairs, bags and surfboards. The work added overlook points, a seating area with benches, a double bike rack, new lighting and drought-tolerant landscaping.

There is no beach lot. The Coastal Commission lists on-street parking for the stretch from Sleepy Hollow Lane to Thalia Street and shows no fee. The city says some areas have three-hour meters and others have very limited neighborhood parking. The city’s parking page lists enforcement from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its lot list gives 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the off-season through June 2027, so check the meter. The city’s parking app shows open spaces. The parking guide covers permits and the summer lots.

The off-season Coastal Route trolley is free, runs along Coast Highway and comes every 20 to 30 minutes. The getting around guide has the details.

The next stairway south is at Anita Street, about 400 feet down the coast; the city is rebuilding it and expects to finish in December 2026. Cleo Street has its own stairs about 700 feet to the north, and the Coastal Commission lists stairs at St. Ann’s Drive between the two. The Coastal Commission lists no restrooms at these stairs. The city sends beachgoers to Main Beach for restrooms and outdoor showers.

Tide pools and reserve rules

The Coastal Commission lists tide pools and wildlife viewing along this stretch. Tide pools show at low tide, and the city advises checking a tide chart first. It also advises waterproof shoes, because the rocks are sharp and hard to walk on in flip flops.

Thalia sits inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve, which runs from Abalone Point south to Goff Island. State rules make it unlawful to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource there, and fishing is not allowed. The city’s Thalia page repeats the rule: do not take, collect or disturb marine life, and do not take rocks or shells.

The city’s Good Tide Pooler Rules come down to four habits: never collect, never pick up or touch an animal, walk gently and never turn rocks over.

Good to know

Beaches close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The city bans alcohol on its beaches, even for adults 21 and over, and it bans smoking and fires. It also notes that not every beach has a lifeguard at all times.

The sections on either side have their own stairs: Anita Street Beach to the south and Cleo Street Beach to the north. For homes and figures near this stretch, see The Village.