Malibu may have recently been threatened by the raging wildfires that ate up much of the southern California hillsides, but you’ll soon find that the city has retained the qualities that make it a desirable place to visit while touring through LA on your next vacation.
There is a quality to Malibu that makes it mysterious and appealing. Most people call it the beach, but there’s more than that. This is the home of Malibu Barbie, the Chevy Malibu, and the Go Karts of Malibu Grand Prix. This is the land of celebrities and movie stars. So much has been made of Malibu as a world class destination on so little evidence that most travelers feel the need to check it out for themselves to see what all the fuss is about.
It turns out that all the fuss is about the beach. Malibu is one endless stretch of sand next to the water and the beach has a different feel to it here than on the LA and Orange County beaches where the houses come right down to the water and the streets run right into the sand.
In Malibu you feel separated from the city on the beach. Instead of a grid of houses behind you, there are a few dozen mansions tucked neatly into the best viewpoints on the hills. Instead of a steady parade of people descending on the sand there are a few dozen surfers in the water (on most days), a few volleyball games going on and some families walking by near the water.
Granted, there is more to Malibu than the surf culture, although not a lot more. The most popular roadside business on the Pacific Coast Highway that runs through town is a surfboard rental palace and even the restaurants share parking lots with public beaches.
But enough about the beach. Malibu is also home to a great number of natural disasters. For such a desirable place to live, Malibu is awfully treacherous. The recent wildfires notwithstanding, there are mudslides whenever it rains for a few weeks in a row and houses go slip-sliding down the hill into the ocean. Luckily for the celebrities, entertainment moguls and TV producers who live in this 27 mile long narrow strip of ideal real-estate, most can afford to rebuild.