Beach volleyball in Laguna Beach

Where the courts are

The city lists four sand volleyball courts at Main Beach, the beach where Broadway and Ocean Avenue meet Coast Highway. Its beach page says there are several courts on the sand, and its parks list puts the same four courts at Main Beach Park, at Broadway and Coast Highway. A boardwalk runs the length of the beach, and restrooms and showers stand at both ends. No other city beach lists sand volleyball courts. The Coastal Commission places Main Beach at the west end of Broadway Street, with a fee for parking. The Coastal Commission’s access guide also flags volleyball at Camel Point Beach Access #1 in South Laguna, which the city does not list, and that access runs through a gate, so check before you plan around it.

How play works

The city takes no reservations for general use of its beaches and parks, according to its municipal code, so you play on the spot.

Bringing a net of your own is a different matter. City code says no one may install or maintain a volleyball net or court on any beach or public park unless the city manager or a designee has approved it, and an approved net must be moved when Marine Safety, police or other city staff ask. The same section requires approval for any table longer than six feet or wider than three feet. The beach rules page lists the other shade and equipment limits.

The city lists ADA-accessible stairs at Main Beach, and restrooms and showers at both ends of the sand. It calls the surf large and sometimes dangerous, with numerous rip currents, so check conditions with Marine Safety at (949) 497-0310 before anyone goes in the water after a ball.

Beaches north of Aliso Creek close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., according to Visit Laguna Beach. Main Beach is a marine protected area where taking or collecting marine life is prohibited, and the city says fishing is not allowed.

The Laguna Open

The Laguna Open is a pro tournament at Main Beach, which the city put on in 2026 in partnership with the AVP and Laguna Beach locals. The 2026 edition, the 71st annual, ran September 18 to 20. The AVP bills it as the world’s longest-running beach volleyball tournament, streams the matches live and lists a volunteer registration form on its event page. The AVP listed the 2026 event as free to the public.

The city’s 2026 schedule shows how the weekend runs. Qualifying rounds were on Friday, the main draw on Saturday, and men’s and women’s quarterfinals, semifinals and finals on Sunday. At 2 p.m. Sunday the “Battle of the Beaches” matched Victoria Beach, Three Arch Bay, Emerald Bay and Main Beach. The city said the 2026 Laguna Open was free to all and suggested bringing a beach chair. It also says the city hosts a series of other annual beach volleyball tournaments at Main Beach. The city posts each year’s schedule on its volleyball tournaments page, and as of October 28, 2026, that page listed only the 2026 weekend. The events guide covers the rest of the calendar.

Indoor volleyball

The city’s Community & Recreation Center, at 30516 South Coast Highway, lists an indoor gymnasium with full court and half court volleyball and says facility reservations are available. Phone (949) 715-8620. The recreation and community centers guide lists the center’s drop-in sessions.

Parking and getting there

Main Beach has paid parking. In the off-season, which the city dates September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027, its lots list enforcement from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Lot 1, the Broadway Lot at 234 Broadway, has 25 spaces, and Lot 2, the Peppertree Lot at 322 Forest Avenue, has 36. The parking guide covers permits and the summer park-and-ride, and the free Coastal Route trolley stops downtown.

Other things at the same beach

Main Beach Park also has two half basketball courts and a playground. For other free ways to spend a day, see the free things to do page, and for a day with children, see with children.