Lagunita

What it’s like

Lagunita lies west of Coast Highway, between Dumond Drive to the north and Blue Lagoon to the south, and Lagunita Drive serves its 64 single-family lots. A 2003 Coastal Commission staff report describes it as a private, locked-gate community whose lots slope from Coast Highway down to the sand. The beach in front of it is Victoria Beach.

Realatrends.com’s pages describe styles that range from classic coastal cottages to contemporary designs, with oceanfront estates among the homes. Listed addresses sit on Lagunita Drive.

The Coastal Commission’s report notes public access to Victoria Beach from Dumond Drive, next to the community, and from a public stairway at Victoria Drive, and the commission’s access list shows limited on-street parking there. It lists Treasure Island Beach about 0.4 mile south in a straight line, seaward of the Montage resort at Coast Highway and Wesley Drive, with a parking structure on Wesley Drive that charges a fee, restrooms, tide pools and disabled access. Treasure Island Park, a landscaped blufftop park with ramps to the beach, adjoins it. See the Victoria Beach page and the Treasure Island beach page.

The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve runs along the coast from Abalone Point south to Goff Island. Lagunita lies on that stretch, north of the island. Taking marine resources there is unlawful. Next door are the neighborhoods of Victoria Beach and Blue Lagoon.

Getting around

Coast Highway carries the Coastal Route trolley, which is free and runs between North Laguna and Heisler Park, downtown and South Laguna. It comes every 20 to 30 minutes on the off-season schedule, which covers September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027. Laguna Local, the city’s free on-demand shared ride, lists stops to the south at Montage Resort Drive, on Coast Highway at Wesley Drive by Treasure Island Park, and at Lang Park on Wesley Drive. You book by app, online or through transit dispatch.

Main Beach, in the Village, lies about 2.2 miles north in a straight line. The getting around guide covers the routes and fares, and the parking guide covers permits and lots.

Things to know before you buy or rent

A lot on the water brings the city’s shoreline rules into any project. Design review sends several kinds of work to a public hearing: shoreline and bluff protective devices, development in an environmentally sensitive area, pools and spas more than 3 feet above grade, retaining walls over 5 feet in exposed height and any improvement taller than 15 feet. Development that is subject to design review, or exempt from it, may still need a coastal development permit. Ask the city’s planners which approvals a project needs before you plan work.

Lagunita has its own zone in the city code, the Lagunita Zone, written for single-family dwellings. The city allows new short-term lodging, meaning stays of 30 days or less, only in certain commercial zones and downtown districts, and it no longer allows the use in its R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts. Existing permitted units there are legal nonconforming, and the use runs with the land. Check an address’s permit history before you count on rental income. The short-term rentals guide covers the rules.

The water provider depends on location. The Laguna Beach County Water District supplies most of the city, and the South Coast Water District supplies South Laguna. Confirm which one serves an address.

Under the Lagunita Zone rules, the Lagunita Community Association reviews a project before the city’s design review and sends the city a letter of comment. Ask the association for its rules and dues before you offer.

Laguna Beach Unified School District operates the public schools in town. For school names and locations, see the schools guide. Realatrends.com’s Lagunita guide lists the homes for sale now and the most recent sales.