A Pastel Guide to Venice Beach

Coming from the West Coast, I’ve been lucky to have been able to see a lot of California from a very young age. My family was constantly taking road trips down the coast in search of the sun when it seemed like the rain in Vancouver would never quit, and over the years I caught glimpses of San Diego, San Francisco, endless tiny surf towns, and so much more. There will always be a special place in my heart for Big Sur, for Beverly Hills, and of course for Anaheim (the home of Disneyland), but in the end my adult favourite has turned out to be Venice Beach.

There’s a certain degree of whimsy and magic to Venice Beach that’s hard to describe. Built to mirror Venice, Italy, canals with little boats run between beautiful pastel houses with cactus gardens in the front yard. On the main streets like Abbott Kinney stylish babes wander the streets with ice cream cones and overpriced sneakers, and down on the boardwalk surfers and skaters fill the massive sidewalk. It’s the perfect combination of relaxed and exciting, stylish and fun, and oh, there is so much colour around every corner!

Scroll down for our favourite spots…