Dana Point:
The last town south, has been called a 'marina development in search of a soul.' Overlooking the harbour stands a monument to 19th-century author Richard Henry Dana, who gave his name to the area and described it in Two Years Before the Mast. Activities generally centre on yachting and Dana Point's beautiful harbour. Nautical themes are everywhere, particularly the streets named for old-fashioned shipboard lights -- a hodgepodge that includes Street of the Amber Lantern, Street of the Violet Lantern, Street of the Golden Lantern, and so on. Bordering the harbour is Doheny State Beach, which wrote the book on seaside park and camping facilities.
Laguna Beach,:
Laguna beach whose geography is marked by bold elevated headlands, coastal bluffs, pocket coves, and a very inviting beach, is known as an artists' enclave. Their legacy remains with the annual Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters as well as a proliferation of galleries mingling with boutiques along the town's streets. In warm weather, Laguna Beach has an overwhelming Mediterranean-island ambience, which makes everyone feel beautifully, idly rich.
Mission San Juan Capistrano :
The 7th of the 21 California coastal missions, Mission San Juan Capistrano is continually being restored. The mix of old ruins and working buildings is home to small museum collections and various adobe rooms that are as quaint as they are interesting. The intimate Mission chapel with its ornate baroque altar is still used for religious services, and the Mission complex is the centre of the community, hosting performing arts, children's programs, and other cultural events year-round.
This mission is best known for its swallows, which are said to return to nest each year at their favourite sanctuary. According to legend, the birds wing their way back to the mission annually on March 19, St. Joseph's Day, arriving at dawn; they are said to take flight again on October 23, after bidding the mission farewell. In reality, you'll probably see the well-fed birds here any day of the week, winter or summer.
Other Activities:
On beach side of Pacific Coast Highway but not next to the highway making this a tranquil place to stay!
