In the South Bay, it becomes apparent that L.A. County is utterly spoiled with gorgeous shoreline: Some of the prettiest oceanfront in Southern California is in the picturesque beach towns of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. Visitors are drawn to the scenery, laid-back attitude and active lifestyle, which includes swimming, sailing and beach volleyball, plus cycling and in-line skating along the beachfront path called the Strand. Quaint San Pedro, on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is Cruise Central. Long Beach is well known for its regal longtime resident: the permanently berthed, historic Queen Mary.

Manhattan Beach
The Manhattan Beach populace seems armed with both discretionary income and a fun-focused life philosophy; stars such as L.A. Laker Luke Walton call this ritzy community home.

Most of the action is downtown, along Manhattan Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Popular restaurants include Café Pierre (317 Manhattan Beach Blvd.). Boutiques reflect the intersection of beach lifestyle and luxury tastes. Manhattan Beach Brewing Co. is steps from the sand.

The Metlox plaza, on the site of the former Metlox Pottery factory, offers an array of shopping and dining. Fresh Produce and True Religion boutiques, Trilogy Spa and Petros Greek Cuisine are draws. Find hip Zinc Lounge at the Shade Hotel, adjacent.

The picturesque Manhattan Beach Pier, which extends 928 feet into the ocean, is at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. At pier's end is the octagonal Roundhouse Aquarium; check out the shovelnose guitarfish! Beach volleyball is practically a religion here, and the beachfront on both sides of the pier is lined with nets. High-caliber volleyball tournaments and championships return every summer.

North of downtown on Highland Avenue, clubs and eateries such as Upper Manhattan Lounge offer a slice of South Bay life. Manhattan Village at Sepulveda Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue offers Macy's and shops including Diane's Swimwear.

The city of El Segundo is north of Manhattan Beach; Plaza El Segundo, at Sepulveda Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue, is a breezy outdoor shopping center with casual dining options and shops such as Anthropologie, MAC Cosmetics and Toy Jungle.

Hermosa Beach
To the south, Manhattan Avenue jogs west and becomes Hermosa Avenue, leading to lively Hermosa Beach. The intersection of Pier and Hermosa avenues is the dining and entertainment epicenter; west of Hermosa Avenue, Pier Avenue becomes Pier Plaza, a pedestrian promenade.

Pier Plaza is essentially one big block party. Locals hang out on the patios of Hennessey's Tavern and Sangria. Scantily clad fitness buffs on the Strand weave in and out on bicycles, on in-line skates and on foot. If you need wheels, rentals are available in the vicinity.

The Comedy & Magic Club (1018 Hermosa Ave., 310.372.1193) offers top-notch entertainment; Jay Leno often makes Sunday night appearances to test material for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Redondo Beach
In the early 20th century, visitors went to Redondo Beach for its offshore gambling aboard ships reached by water taxis and for dancing in big-band ballrooms. The ambience has changed, yet the city—at the southern end of Santa Monica Bay, below the breathtaking cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula—is just as visitor-friendly.

As Sepulveda Boulevard enters Redondo Beach, it changes its name to Pacific Coast Highway. Near the intersection of PCH and Palos Verdes Boulevard is a collection of shops, galleries and restaurants including Chez Melange and Gina Lee's Bistro, two of the South Bay's finest.

Redondo's most famous landmark is the Redondo Beach Pier, where Torrance Boulevard meets the ocean. An attraction for more than a century, the pier has souvenir shops and eateries selling everything from T-shirts and fishing bait to shrimp and seashells.

King Harbor has four marinas. The Redondo Beach Marina, north of the pier, offers boat rentals, harbor cruises, parasailing, whale-watching charters January through March and a Venetian gondola ride around the harbor.

To the south, the beautiful, manicured Trump National Golf Club—the only Trump golf course open to the public—is in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Inland, off the 405 Freeway at Avalon Boulevard in Carson, pro soccer teams the L.A. Galaxy and Chivas U.S.A. call the Home Depot Center home, as does L.A. Riptide, one of the inaugural teams of the Major League Lacrosse.

San Pedro
San Pedro, with its funky-meets-blue-collar vibe and seafaring history, is the antidote to Big City Syndrome. Few chain stores taint downtown, which boasts the Warner Grand Theater, an art deco movie palace.

The Cruise Ship Promenade is a boardwalk by the ocean liners at the Port of Los Angeles. Attractions include the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and Ports O' Call Village, a New England–style waterfront village of shops and restaurants connected by cobblestone streets. Get out on the water: Sport-fishing tours, dining cruises and narrated harbor tours of the WorldPort L.A.—the largest working port in the nation and a massive feat of engineering—depart frequently. Catalina Express offers ferries to Catalina Island, 26 miles away.

A trolley runs to Cabrillo Beach, great for swimming, scuba diving and windsurfing, and to the educational Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

The ornate, pagoda-styled Korean Bell of Friendship, given to the United States by South Korea in 1976, is on a bluff-top park at the southernmost point of Gaffey Street, above Point Fermin park. The setting has been used in films including The Usual Suspects.

Long Beach
The harborside city of Long Beach, 25 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, is a gem for both cultural and business travelers. Downtown Long Beach (at the end of the 710 Freeway) and Long Beach Airport offer free public WiFi zones.

The Long Beach Performing Arts Center, adjacent to the convention center downtown, hosts Broadway musicals, theater and rock concerts. Shop and dine at the Pike at Rainbow Harbor. Pet live sharks at the outstanding Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific nearby. Exhibits at the Long Beach Museum of Art focus on California–based art movements and craft and folk arts.

Long Beach is the permanent home of the Queen Mary, which made its maiden voyage in 1936; on board are shops, a lounge and Sir Winston's restaurant. You can tour the mighty ship—it's bigger than the Titanic was—or the historic Russian Foxtrot Submarine, adjacent.

East of downtown, pedestrians stroll along East 2nd Street in the upscale Belmont Shore neighborhood, browsing through eclectic boutiques and taking a meal at any of the numerous restaurants, such as hip Bono's. A stretch of East 4th Street, east of St. Louis Avenue, is known as Retro Row for its wealth of cool vintage clothing and furniture shops such as Replay and Xcape.

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