Sunsets, Seafood, and Killer Waves at the West’s Best Surf Towns

For the Hip Glamazon: Waikiki Beach, HI

One of the world capitals of surfing, this renowned Honolulu neighborhood also offers unparalleled dining, shopping, and day excursions. But your vacation doesn’t have to be go-go-go! Center it around being a beach bum and you won’t have missed anything while you’re bronzing, surfing, paddleboarding, and floating on your back like a sea otter in Waikiki’s gentle ocean.

Surfing Pro Tip. Famous surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku cut his first waves at Waikiki, and you can too. Ty Gurney Surf School offers private and semi-private lessons with a max of two students per instructor, and tows all students out to waves so you can catch more of them. The Romantic Sunset Surf Package is perfect for honeymooners. Try surfing from an outrigger canoe if you want a unique experience. If you’re craving a stronger break (or even just want to watch some top surfers), head up north to Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline, where the Vans Triple Crown brings pros every year.

Off-Board Activities. The question in Waikiki is really what not to do. Choose your adventure: work up a sweat hiking the advanced Mau’umae Trail, or instead take it easy at Diamond Head. Soak up your proximity to the Pacific Rim with Japanese mochi donuts at MoDo and udon at Marugame, or shop for diamonds at Bulgari. Take in a free hula performance at Kuhio Beach, or invest a couple hours at the Bishop Museum perusing the largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts. Nurse a Big Swell IPA at classic tourist fave Duke’s Barefoot Bar or slide into a barstool at the hip Hideout bar, sipping on a lilikoi (a.k.a. passionfruit) version of the Pisco sour. Come fall, taste the work of dozens of chefs at Honolulu’s Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. In the evening, hang your hat at The Surfjack, a boutique hotel with an Instagrammable “Wish You Were Here” pool, free bikes to ride to the beach just a few blocks away, and Ed Kenney’s locally-sourcing late-night cafe, Mahina and Suns. If you get a moment, hail a Lyft out to Kaka’ako for a self-guided street art walking tour.

For the Nature Lover: Tofino, B.C.

This sleepy district of under 2,000 people on the west coast of Vancouver Island is also one of the best and most serene surf towns for relaxing and enjoying a glass of wine and some briny oysters on the dock. Clashes of the titans like the Rip Curl Pro Tofino, the O’Neill Coldwater Surf Classic, and the Queen of the Peak, as well as a variety of lively festivals like the Lantern Festival, the Clayoquot Oyster Festival, and the Tofino Food and Wine Festival, make this island district well worth visiting. Visitors can take breathtaking tours to see gray whales, humpback whales, black bears, blue herons, and harbor seals.

Surfing Pro Tip. At the Long Beach Lodge Surf Club Adventure Centre on Cox Bay Beach, you can take surf lessons, rent wetsuits and boards, or take a boat trip out to see otters and whales. Plunk down $20 and you get to use the hot pool, sauna, fitness room, and hot showers for the day. Surfing not your thing? Rent boogie boards, skimboards, soft boards, or stand-up paddleboards. Afterwards, grab a cappuccino at their coffee shop to warm up.

Off-Board Activities. During your visit, start your morning at Rhino Coffee House with a foamy cappuccino and the famous “Bro-Nut,” a fried egg BLT on a savory donut, before heading to the breaks. In the waning dusk, sink your toes into the sand at beach restaurants like Shelter, where you can devour Cortes Island Thai-style mussels with smoked bacon, truffle fries, and crispy lemon and dill calamari while admiring the sunset. If you can’t afford the haute plates at The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn, or just don’t want to wash all the sand off your shins, beloved taco truck Tacofino proffers tuna tacos. Cap the evening with a Humpback Vodka cocktail at Wolf in the Fog. 

For the Low-Key Hippie: Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz has long been the ultimate hippie university town, with its beautiful Santa Cruz mountain range and classic wooden boardwalk (as seen in Jordan Peele film Us) featuring the classic 70-foot-tall wooden rollercoaster, The Giant Dipper. However, with proximity to Silicon Valley, a techie influx has put a new spin on the town’s old grooves. Still, a chill surfer vibe abides even at more upscale spots.

Surfing Pro Tip. A wide range of surfers, from kids to octogenarians, hit the waves in Santa Cruz. Head to Cowell’s Beach, a friendly break where a beginner can get some time with one of the many surf schools, including Club Ed and Surf School Santa Cruz. More experienced riders can head up to Steamer Lane to catch bigger waves. Stay at the Dream Inn, a quintessential beach hotel with a pool and a seafood restaurant named after wetsuit inventor Jack O’Neill, where staff can offer advice and book lessons for you.

Off-Board Activities. Check out Bantam to nosh on the best pizza in town, including a nettle, oyster mushroom, chili, and fiscalini cheddar disc that will hit the spot after a morning of surfing. If more casual yet healthy vibes are your style, head east to Charlie Hong Kong, a counter-service spot doling out big bowls of pad Thai, peanut noodles, and veggies in black bean sauce that you can devour on the heated patio. Come early evening, roll over to Stockwell Cellars, an airy oak barrel tasting room on Fair Avenue near Highway 1, where you can sample the local Chardonnays and orange wines while also imbibing some live music from owner Eric Stockwell’s handmade metal and wood tables and chairs. The next morning on your way out, stop by River Cafe, a female-owned spot pumping out good music and organic, locally-sourced eggs and panini in equal doses. From reggae on the speakers to a Sunday jazz brunch, you’ll want to while away an hour here.

For the Beach Bum: Huntington Beach, CA

It’s not called Surf City U.S.A. for nada. This town is, like most Orange County beaches, in the upper 60s year-round, making for that perfectly peachy, beachy life. It’s about enjoying and not rushing at Huntington, where a long brunch line, no matter how exclusive, can’t entice you as much as fish tacos on the beach or a bonfire with some s’mores. In HB, the modus operandi is: don’t take your surfing too seriously; enjoy it with a zen attitude and the perfect wave will come to you when the time is right (and you’ve practiced enough!).

Surfing Pro Tip. Take a class at Banzai, a friendly local school that specializes in everything from beginners to experienced surfers looking to up their game. From corporate group lessons to summer surf camps for kids, Banzai is a friendly entree into Huntington’s surfing scene. If you already know what you’re doing, enjoy the classic breaks and the bigger waves in winter, including some hollow waves from time to time. It can be crowded right at the pier, so head to Sunset, Seal Beach, or Bolsa Chica if other surfers are harshing your mellow. 

Off-Board Activities. Cruise on over to the International Surfing Museum to learn about some historic “famers” or down to the pier for the annual Surfin’ Sundays music series. Hit the Huntington Beach Bike Path on a regular or e-bike, or go retro on some rollerblades. Jog along the boardwalk at dawn or ride a few morning waves, then head to the surfer-owned Sugar Shack Cafe on Main Street to wolf down some mondo protein-packed breakfast specials and Peggi’s raisin bread French toast while sitting shoulder to shoulder with other ravenous riders. Hop over to Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve to see ospreys, ibises, and a host of other birds, and spend Tuesday evenings strolling the open-air street market and farmers market.

For the Luxury Yogi: Malibu, CA

Malibu is an inspiration for surfers around the world for good reason—it lives up to its name, Chumash for “the surf sounds loudly.” From numerous surfing spots to plenty of boutiques and cafes, Malibu is a place where it’s not unusual to see a model look-alike crossing the street barefoot with surfboard in hand. After the tragic Woolsey Fire in 2018, the city has rebounded vivaciously, with tourism making a strong comeback already in 2019. With a dozen stellar beaches in its domain, the town’s resurgence was inevitable, but it’s great to see Malibu as popular as it ever was.

For the Daytripper: Pacifica, CA