Surfs Up: Living the Dream with a Malibu Beachfront Cottage

Following a four-day adventure along the central California coast, we concluded our road trip by indulging in a stay at a beachfront cottage in Malibu. Situated approximately 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles, Malibu has earned its reputation as a haven for Hollywood celebrities, executives, and opulent estates. While our cozy beach cottage didn't fall within the million-dollar bracket, it offered breathtaking views. The living room provided a vantage point to admire the waves crashing just a stone's throw away from our back deck.

Stairs from the back deck led down to the beach which was only available during low tide.

With unobstructed beach views in both directions.

While we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, that first night it did take a while to get use to hearing the surf under the cottage floor. During high tide the waves were breaking almost directly beneath the deck causing the surf to surge forward and batter the pilings the house is built on.

The next morning we ventured under the house to check things out.

This photo was taken directly below the living room of the house.

Sand erosion of several feet occurred due to the wave action the previous night, reaching halfway along the house.

I guess waves eroding sand under your Malibu beach cottage is a common occurrence. So time for coffee and breakfast on the deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It wasn't ice coffee but that didn't matter today.

Following a leisurely breakfast, we packed our gear and set off for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. The 6.45 mile Backbone Trail to Sandstone Peak and Mishe Mowka Trail Loop was spectacular and in sharp contrast to the brown desert environment we usually hike. For more information on this hike, click here.

After a post hike shower we took off in the car to grab a late lunch/early dinner at Neptune's Net. This famous Malibu restaurant has been churning out food, beer, and good times since 1956 and has been featured in countless television and movie productions including Point Break, Fast and Furious, and Iron Man 3.

We took in the beach views while enjoying the seafood and drinks.

On the way back to the Airbnb, we stopped at several spots to walk along the beach. This first spot we stopped at looked appealing, but given today's hike, we decided against venturing down and back on this steep trail.

Instead we drove into a neighborhood and looked for a public access opening. One of the main challenges with Malibu’s beaches is that even when beaches are public, access points can be limited or poorly marked like this entrance to Broad Beach.

Gate leading to public access of Malibu beach

In California, by law, all beaches up to the mean high tide line are public property, meaning that the wet sand area is generally accessible to the public. Private property owners, especially along Malibu’s exclusive beaches, often own the dry sand areas above the high tide line, which can limit access. So we were unsure where the public access area in relation to these homes. Do they own the land up to the walls or does their property extend down to the dry sand area?

Some owners have resorted to building walls and security fences around their properties. This owner chose to maintain their privacy by raising their home on pilings and allowing people to walk under the home. It must feel strange to have people walking underneath your home but with these views they probably don’t care.

Everyone loves having beach access from their decks but with climate change and rising sea levels, these people who live on a rock outcropping may be the smart ones.

There have been legal disputes between homeowners and public access advocates, with some homeowners trying to block access or mark beaches as private, even when public access should be allowed. In response, organizations like the California Coastal Commission and Access for All have fought to ensure public access is maintained. In summary, while Malibu has both public and private beaches, all beachgoers are entitled to use the wet sand area up to the high tide line.

While we were driving around looking for a beach access point, we saw a home for sale which appeared rather small and unimpressive from the street. Dave looked up the home on Zillow and discovered it was selling for more than $19 million dollars.

This picture take from the ocean side explains the asking price. This 5 level, 4974 sq ft home built in 2008 sits on 1/3 of an acres and has 6 bedrooms and 7 baths. Among the amenities include; gym; formal dining area opening to an oversized flagstone deck with wood burning fireplace; entertaining level with state of the art home theater; the lowest level features a huge media room, wet bar and partially covered ocean-view deck with an infinity pool and spa that leads directly to the beach. To top it off, the home has an elevator that serves all levels.

This photo taken of the side view of a similarly built '5-tiered home' illustrates how these monstrous homes are built into the bluff.

Our second day started off with another relaxing breakfast on the deck but with no hiking plans today, we spent the entire morning glued to our deck chairs.

Later that morning, we took advantage of low tide and explored a small tidal pool on the way to Malibu Pier.

Some of the rocks closer to the water were covered in black mussels. Although these shell fish are native to the Mediterranean coastline, they are found around the world due to unintentional transport by ocean vessels.

Despite their plant-like appearance, these anemones in the tidal pools are actually sea creatures. They typically anchor themselves to a rocky surface and stay in the same spot for their entire lifespan. However, if necessary, they can detach themselves and drift with the current to a new location. Some species can even swim using their tentacles. Similar to jellyfish, anemones have stinging tentacles that they use to capture and consume their prey.

The Malibu Pier, originally built in 1905, was once used to support local commercial shipping, but today, it’s a popular spot for fishing, dining, and enjoying ocean views.

The pier provides an excellent opportunity to watch the brown pelicans dive bomb for food. The brown pelican and its close cousin, the Peruvian pelican, are the only pelican species in the world that plunge dive. All other pelican species feed by sitting on the surface of the water and grabbing food.

These huge birds, with 6-foot wing span, circle high then dive headfirst from heights up to 60 feet, plunging under water to catch fish. But it's not a belly flop dive. Pelicans make a series of last-second body adjustments to keep themselves alive when they hit the sea. These adjustments not only protect their fragile bodies from damage, but also kill their momentum. Immediately after impact, they open their bill, which causes its large, stretchy throat pouch to open like a parachute and fill with water snaring lunch in the process.

After dinner, we drove along the coast and stopped to watch kite surfers.

Then we made our way down to a beach near Point Dume to catch the last sunset of this trip.

What a way to end our California coastal road trip.