This peaceful beach retreat has a casual elegance and calm about it that is unmistakable. Quietly nestled just above the eclectic and charming village of Laguna Beach with access to gorgeous beaches, art galleries, well-curated museums, fabulous restaurants, nightly live music and year-round festivals.
The home is a cross between mid-century modern and industrial chic with views of both the ocean and the mountains. It is a gated three-bedroom, three full bath property with a raised "treehouse" deck, finished garage and entertainment room that sleeps an additional 4 guests. Amenities include free street parking, weekly maid and gardening service, on property washer/dryer, gourmet chef’s kitchen, beverage refrigerator, air conditioning and heating, gourmet grill, fire pit, deck heater, paella burner and pans, wooden-burning fire place, Alexa speaker, lightning-fast fiber optic Wifi with Eero boosters, large-screen TV in the garage (additional TV in the master), AppleTV with streaming services for both televisions, beach gear, Brazilian hammock, spice garden and security system.
When renting the home, guests will have access to everything from the finished garage to the “treehouse.” The garage has a comfy cork floor, large screen tv with all AppleTV and all the streaming services, an X Box One with multiple games, two work stations and 2 chaises longues that break out to sleep 4 people.
In the privacy of the backyard there is a raised deck or “treehouse” with both mountain and ocean views, fire pit table, heater, lounges chairs and couches, dinning table, 12 metal bistro chairs for extra seating, chef’s grill, paella burner with large and small pans all underneath the umbrella of a gorgeous Chinese elm that sprouts up through the middle of the deck creating a natural canopy.
Guests are welcome to use the Wifi (Frontier ultra-fast fiber optic connections) and there are two televisions on property, one in the master and one in the finished garage.
There are fresh spices just outside the gourmet kitchen as well as spices in the drawer to the left of the stove and condiments in the fridge for guest use.
The shed in the backyard has all things beach: chairs, umbrellas, rafts, toys, towels, and boogie and surf boards.
Just down hill is the high school and guest are welcome to use the pool, tennis courts and track at their leisure. A $2 charge per guest per day is collected at the pool.
Basic House Schedule:
Mondays, Maria Elena, the maid and house manager, will come from 10 am to 3 pm. She will take care of the house and finished garage including bed linens and towels, watering the plants and refurbishing the fountain. Only organic cleaning agents are used in the home.
Tuesday: Santiago, the gardener, comes around 10 am.
Wednesday/Thursday: Trash day is early Thursday. Put trash out Wednesday night, wheels to the curb to the right of the driveway.
Things to do in Laguna Beach:
Saturdays: Farmers' Market on PCH (HWY 1) and Broadway. Maybe walk to Zinc or Anastacia cafes for breakfast and then on to the market across the street.
Cocktail at The Deck. Great views of the ocean and interesting characters. Dinner and a show! They have beach front bungalows right on the ocean with bar and food service (Rental Fee is $700/day with guaranteed food & beverage minimum of $1,500). Well worth it.
Walk further south to Surf and Sand Hotel for dinner. Tables outside on the ocean. Very cool. The food is excellent. Can sit fire side and enjoy a cocktail in the evenings. There are several around the hotel.
Sundays: Brunch at Ramos House. It is in San Juan Capistrano just south and west of Laguna. SJC is home to one of the 18 Jesuit missions that line the coast of Cali. The one in SJC is said to have swallows that flock to it every Feb 19th, a kind of miracle thing. I’ve never seen it in the 16 years I've lived here but makes a great story. So, on Sunday, go to Ramos House, put in your reservation and walk over to visit the mission and basilica. Or go over to the petting zoo. Ramos House is in a house that is part of the first colonization in Cali. John Q. Has been the owner for the last 25 years. He just sold to a former manager, so likely still very good. You select one large and one small plate with a Mimosa or Bloody Mary for $35. A bargain.
Other favorites: Sapphire, open-air dinning south of my place on PCH about 12 blocks. Visit the cheese shop and bookstore in the same square. The fifth-generation Greeter of Laguna, Michael, stands on the that corner welcoming all. Fun to see him dance to his own tune.
AhbA in South Laguna has amazing food and spirits with a casual, hipster vibe. Speakeasy next door not to be missed.
The Seahorse: a local favorite, casual, young crowd with a simple but delicious menu.
Slice: relatively inexpensive, personal pizzas. Wine and beer cube on the wall.
Thai Bros: The best Thai food I have had outside of Thailand.
Definitely lunch at the Montage, the nicest resort in Southern Cali. Valet parking only for $25. Mosaic restaurant is outside with ocean views. If you elect to do a spa treatment at the Montage, you have access to the private pool and all the spa and gym amenities for the day (must be 16 years of age). Well worth it. (Treatments start at $165). The grounds there are public and after lunch you can stroll the grounds, beautiful gardens, and then down to the beach. While you are there you may as well visit Victoria Beach, also public, but few people know about it. It is to the south of the resort, just next door around that big rock in the water. Across the highway from the Montage is The Ranch hotel and resort if you golf.
Venture south on PCH to San Clemente (always stay right along the ocean). Del Mar is the main street in the downtown. Super charming. Casa Romantica was the first home built there, sparking the settlement that would become the town of San Clemente. Today it is a museum.
After you visit the museum, wander down to the pier and watch the Brazilian surfers. They surf left of the pier. There are two restaurants there with great views and bar-style seafood and cocktails. Better food might be found at Nick’s just up the hill on Del Mar. The fried asparagus is a must.
Beachcomber is a restaurant just north of Laguna. Park at the state park on the East side of PCH and every 5 minutes a trolley takes you over to the restaurant and the adorable Crystal Cove Cottages. They were built by agricultural workers that worked for the Irvine family and have a wonderful history and museum. The Shake Shack just above the cottages on the ocean side of PCH is the best place to see the sunset as well as the best shakes and burgers in town (serves breakfast as well). Typically, not a lot of parking available, so Ubering there and back might be best.
Husky Boys is family-owned and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Has fab burgers as well, just no view. North Laguna on the East side of PCH.
Laguna Art Museum, on the West side of PCH in North Laguna. Small museum that draws in incredible world-renown artists.
Pageant of the Masters (they recreate famous paintings live, not to be missed) and Sawdust are two art exhibitions on Broadway street (summer months only).
Crescent Bay is my favorite beach and Heisler Park (two blocks North of main Beach) are both walkable from the house. You can catch plein air painters and lawn bowlers doing their thing most days.
The Waldorf hotel is a beautiful property in Dana Point jut south of Laguna with a spectacular golf course, beach club restaurant as well as Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak restaurant. Fun to have a cocktail and sit by the outside fire pits.
The City Trolley passes right in front of the house several times a day and is free. The trolley stop is two houses down the hill. Visit the City of Laguna Beach's website to check the schedule times.
The Laguna Beach High School pool is just down the hill on Park Avenue and guest are welcome to use the pool, tennis courts and track at their leisure. A $2 charge per guest per day is collected at the pool. No need to show I.D. Hours of operation canoe found on the high schools website.
Disney, LA, San Diego, Lego Land, Sea World, Universal Studios… all within an hour of Laguna.
If you go to LA, the Getty museums are free and stunning. One of the largest private art collections in the world. The Richard Meier buildings are reason enough to go there. Excellent restaurants as well.
For shopping I recommend the outlet malls in Carlsbad.
