Terranea Resort, Los Angeles, CA
By: Paul Benevich
Terranea Resort is my “staycation” day destination. When I want the amenities and beauty of a coastal day vacation close to home, this is my choice. What I love about Terranea is how welcoming the resort is to guests not staying at the resort. The resort welcomes the general public and appears to treat everyone with the same high-level service, and for this reason, I bring almost all my out-of-state friends and family to this wonderful place when they visit Los Angeles. Plus, the resort is extremely dog friendly. I can attest to this as in one of my first visits to Terranea, my previous dog did an epic boot-scoot across the entire hotel lobby carpet (much to my horror); but I was relieved when both guests and staff applauded upon her completion.
There are few places in Southern California that one can experience such beauty with magnificent ocean vistas and scenic rocky coastal cliffs. The back-drop of the ocean just a few feet away with its ever-changing blues and greens, along with the view of Catalina Island just 22 miles away, are pure eye candy.
Terranea Resort location
Terranea is located just 16.9 miles south of Los Angeles Airport, so it is convenient to visit.
History of the area
The Palos Verdes Peninsula, which is where Terranea Resort is located, used to be part of the Channel Islands millions of years ago. Over the years it fused to the mainland coast, bringing a unique collection of rocks and plant species that can only be found along this coast.
In 1954, this site became home to Marineland of the Pacific, a seaside animal park, which was the world’s largest Oceanarium when it opened. Since Marineland, Hollywood also found this location to be of interest, and this was the backdrop to the series Sea Hunt starring Lloyd Bridges. This series ran from 1958-1961. Other Hollywood productions that filmed in this area include: Pirates of the Caribbean, The Aviator, Charlie’s Angels, This Is 40, and Savages.
When you visit, make sure you stop for lunch or a sunset dinner at Nelson’s. The food is ok, but if you can get one of the outside picnic benches, there are few better outdoor dining locations. Nelson’s is not about the food; it’s all about the dining ambiance.
Whale of a time
I would say about 70% of my dining excursions at Nelson’s also seem to come with a whale sighting or a large pod of dolphins. There is a bell at the restaurant and patrons are encouraged to ring it when they spot one of our largest mammal friends. In fact, the annual whale migrations take place right off the coast between Terranea and Catalina Island that increases the chance of spotting a spout.
Some Walking Trails
Terranea is a 102-acre estate and has a wonderful coastal trail that hugs the Ocean. The resort has installed plenty of benches to allow visitors to sit down and consume their cocktails and get a front row seat to the coastal view or one of our West Coast patented sunsets.
While visiting for the day
You don’t have to be a hotel guest to participate in some of the local adventures. Feel free to stop at Pointe Discovery at the hotel entrance to schedule a guided kayak or standup paddle board tour along the scenic coast or even take an archery lesson. My wife and I had the opportunity to do the kayak tour a few years ago. We were amazed at how clear the water is and how many fish we were able to see as we floated over the kelp beds.
Golf
The Links at Terranea features a Par 3 to 9-hole golf course. I played it once late last year with my dad and sister. It’s a beautiful setting for a course and might be the reason I lost so many ballsâș In my opinion, the price is reasonable for a resort like Terranea between $50-$65 per round. After our round of golf, we treated ourselves to some drinks and apps on the outside terrace lobby bar at the hotel resort with its spectacular view of Catalina Island.
Restaurants
There are eight dining locations: Click here for more info on dining at Terranea Resort.
I have eaten only at
Bashi,
Nelson’s,
The Lobby Bar & Grill and
Sea Bean. Bashi has wonderful Japanese food and great sushi. At Nelson’s and
The Lobby Bar & Grill, the food is ok, but the ambiance with the wonderful views makes the experience. Sea Bean is my go-to pastry, ice cream, and chocolate desert place.
Paid parking is $15 for both golf and valet parking. Before you get to the valet, you can park on the left-hand-side of Terranea Way along the hill, for free, if you can find parking.
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