Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach: Pirate Tower, Parking & Tips

Years ago, the boys and I decided to have a sunset picnic at Victoria Beach, and it ended up being such a special evening. The beach, the tower and the sunset made it feel almost magical.

Victoria Beach at a Glance

Address: 2713 Victoria Drive, Laguna Beach
Parking: Street parking only
Bathrooms: No public restrooms
Lifeguards: No permanent lifeguard station
Best known for: Pirate Tower, rocky shoreline, tide pools and sunsets
Good for kids? Yes, but there are stairs, rocks and stronger surf

How to Get to Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach

Victoria Beach is located on Victoria Drive, off of Pacific Coast Highway. The entrance is not the easiest to spot. It is surrounded by gated homes and private beach mansions. So here is a photo of the entrance you need to look for. A small steep staircase on the beach side of Victoria Drive.

Victoria Beach Address

The address to the stairway entrance is 2713 Victoria Drive, Laguna Beach.

Where to Park for Victoria Beach

And parking? Parking at Victoria Beach can be tricky. There is no dedicated beach parking lot, so you'll need to look for street parking along Victoria Drive or nearby streets. Some visitors also park along Pacific Coast Highway and walk down. Be sure to watch for posted signs and avoid blocking driveways.

Luckily, my husband dropped us off at the entrance, and went off to search for parking on his own.

What to Expect

Once you've parked and found the entrance, you will have to walk down multiple flights of stairs to the beach. It's not a horrible hike down...but it's also not the easiest especially if you have a baby or toddlers.

However, the walkway and stairs are paved and nicely kept...so that's a plus! 

When you reach the bottom, you will see a small white sand beach. It gets crowded at times, especially during the day. But it wasn't too crowded the evening we visited.

P.S. There isn't bathroom access or lifeguards at Victoria Beach.

How to Find the Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach

To get to the "castle", you need to head to the right and walk around the cliff to the North. This is where you will see the Pirates Tower..or Rapunzel's Castle...or whatever you want to call it.

A fantastic rustic castle-looking rocket structure nestled up to one of the Laguna Beach cliffs.

So what is the deal with this tower?

This structure, is a 60-foot castle-inspired tower that was built in the 1920's along with the house at the top of the bluff. The tower has a staircase inside that was used to get down to the beach.

It's made of poured concrete, and has an ocean stone foundation. The cone-shaped roof is made of shingles. there are several narrow window openings in the tower wall that allow light to pass through to the wooden spiral stairway inside.

What is the history of this so called Pirate Tower?

The home located above the tower is known as the "Norman House", and it and the tower are landmarks of Laguna Beach. They were built for the wealthy, California State Senator William Edward Brown and his family as a summer home. Many Americans who spent time in France during WWI were inspired by the chateaus and castles. Many of them built homes during the 1920s that would emulate these chateaus and castles. The Norman House is one of the few remaining examples of this on the oceanfront of Southern California.

Just a few yards south of the tower, you will see a circular concrete structure that was once a seaside pool. It's now filled with sand, but you can still see the basic outline where the pool once was. Kids can run and play here as the waves crash around it.

This is the view from the tower looking to the south. If you look closely, you can see the circular pool structure.

Exploring Victoria Beach is always a lot of fun. Not just the tower, but also the beach, circular pools and tide pools.

Is Victoria Beach Dangerous?

Just like any beach, the ocean can be dangerous. Not only do you have to worry about that at Victoria Beach, there are also a lot of rocks around the area. The tide was in on the evening we visit, so the water was kind of rough. I had to keep a close eye on all the boys to make sure they were safe from the water. But that didn't stop us from having fun

Tips for Visiting Victoria Beach

• Go earlier if you want an easier time finding parking
• Check the tide before you go
• Wear good shoes for the stairs and rocks
• Bring only what you want to carry back up the stairs
• There are no public restrooms at the beach
• Stay aware of the surf around the rocks and old pool area
• Sunset is beautiful here, but remember you still have to climb back up afterward

If your kids love exploring the rocks, check out my guide to the best family-friendly tide pools in Orange County.

I highly recommend visiting Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach. It's always a treat to check out the different hidden gems we have in Orange County as well as the beauty of our beaches. Victoria Beach will not disappoint.

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