El Porto Beach

The entire beach in the City of Manhattan Beach is actually referred to as 2 beaches. Manhattan Beach is the Southern beach front from 38th Street to 1st Street. El Porto Beach is the Northern beach front from 38th Street (location of El Porto Surf School aka Campsurf) in the South up to 45th Street - where the El Porto parking lot entrance is off of Vista Del Mar. El Porto was a beach community which ran the length of the area from 45th Street to 38th Street which Manhattan Beach annexed as part of the city in 1980. I have also heard\read the dividing line for El Porto and Manhattan beaches as Rosecrans Avenue (1 street South of 38th).

El Porto Beach
El Porto Beach Lifeguard at 42nd Street

 

El Porto is the beach on the North end of the Manhattan Beach coast with the biggest parking lot adjacent to the sand. The parking is metered only with a 5 hour maximum limit. About half of the meters take credit or debit cards or cash (dollars or coins), but the others still are coins ONLY. The current cost is $.25 for 10 minutes, or $1.50 per hour.

El Porto Beach
El Porto Beach

El Porto Beach is also the location for the Surf Food Stand, one of the only locations that sells food at the beach. There are tables and chairs with umbrellas to sit at and enjoy your meal beachside.

El Porto Beach - Food Stand
El Porto Beach - Surf Food Stand

 

El Porto beach is also a premier surfing destination. The waves at El Porto are usually good even when they are bad elsewhere along the Southern California coast. Campsurf offers private lessons to learn to surf as well as surf camps to teach groups how to surf. They also offer stand up paddleboard lessons. The beach is located close to the Chevron and Hyperion plants, but the water and air are both clean as is the beautiful, soft white sand.

El Porto Beach

 

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