Woods Cove

What it’s like

Woods Cove is a cove beach and the neighborhood around it. The Coastal Commission places the cove west of Coast Highway between Pearl Street and Diamond Street. Stairs reach the sand at the end of Diamond Street, and a second set starts one block north off Ocean Way. Moss Point has its own stairs at the end of Moss Street, about 0.13 mile away in a straight line, and Ruby Street Park gives blufftop views from the end of Ruby Street. The commission lists on-street parking at all three. Its record for the cove shows a sandy beach with a rocky shore and a bluff, no fee and no restrooms. The Woods Cove beach page and the Moss Street beach page cover access and parking.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists Woods Cove Beach among the beaches inside the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve. Taking marine life there is unlawful.

Older beach cottages stand next to newer contemporary houses. Listings on realatrends.com show addresses on Ocean Way, Diamond Street, Moss Street, Agate and Pearl Street, and inland of Coast Highway on Glenneyre and Catalina Street. The home types in the area’s MLS records include single-family houses, condos, duplexes and triplexes.

Getting around

The Coastal Route trolley is free and runs on Coast Highway between North Laguna and Heisler Park, downtown and South Laguna. On the off-season schedule, which covers September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027, it comes every 20 to 30 minutes. Laguna Local, the city’s free on-demand shared ride, lists stops on Coast Highway at Diamond Street and at Moss Street, plus Glenneyre Street at Pearl and at Diamond. You book by app, online or through transit dispatch.

Main Beach, in the Village, lies about 1.4 miles north of Woods Cove in a straight line. The Village page covers that end of town. Realatrends.com’s rentals guide notes that many older cottages along the coast have limited or street parking. The parking guide covers city permits and the getting around guide covers the trolley.

Things to know before you buy or rent

Work near the shore has extra steps. Shoreline and bluff protective devices go to a public design review hearing, and development that is subject to design review, or exempt from it, may still need a coastal development permit. Major remodels and any improvement taller than 15 feet also go to a public hearing, while smaller work can go through a zone clearance.

Some Woods Cove homes are condos or sit in multi-unit buildings, so the association matters. The Fire Department’s map page looks up whether an address falls in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Condominiums in that zone fall under the same sale inspection as houses, and the HOA or management company may be responsible for any corrections. Ask for the association’s rules and dues before you offer.

The city no longer allows new short-term lodging, meaning stays of 30 days or less, in its R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential districts. Existing permitted units are legal nonconforming, and the use runs with the land. The short-term rentals guide covers the rules. A rental of more than 30 days falls outside the definition.

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