California’s famed Highway 1 goes by different names depending on the part of the state you’re in. Ask an Orange County surfer where “The One” is, as an Angeleno might say, and you’ll get a brief addled look. “Coast Highway?” Yeah, that one. Regardless of its proper name, it pays to keep your eyes peeled while navigating its twists and turns.

Half-hidden gems like Ruby’s Shake Shack (7703 East Coast Hwy, 949-464-0100), an abrupt detour off the highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, reward the quick-footed. The laid-back pit stop, with blue benches and a communal picnic table arranged to maximize a breathtaking coastal view of the 2,971-acre Crystal Cove State Park, marks a stunningly untouched part of the otherwise glitzy and telegenic (locals would say too telegenic) Orange County. The grounds of the white clapboard establishment host a mature royal palm, which looks fairly anemic during California’s dry season. And since it never rains in Southern California, as the song goes, the tree often looks anemic. But never mind, because $11 gets you a tuna salad sandwich, a chai spice shake and a seat on the patio.

Though Mediterranean-style McMansions with bell towers and hooded chimneys may line the bluff above this local jaunt, an authentic stretch of California exists just below. Down on the beach, a charming jumble of spectacularly situated Crystal Cove Beach Cottages (800-444-PARK, crystalcovebeachcottages.org)—a federally listed historic district—faces the roiling Pacific. Thirteen of the 46 shingled, rustic cottages became available for rent just last year.

Private owners had long maintained the cottages and protected this valuable land, including the cliff-backed beach, with its walking and biking trails, from development. But in 1979 the state of California assumed stewardship of the area. Prices are low for both the cottages (rates start at $115 a night, and they sleep from 4-9 people) and the single rooms shared within a cottage (rates from $60). Accommodations are in such demand that they release reservations bit by bit, on the first of the month. All the cottages feature vernacular architectural touches like beaded paneling; No. 33 boasts an outdoor seating area complete with pink-and-white–striped lounge chairs.

Crystal Cove is an excellent base for exploring nearby attractions like Balboa Island, where Marine Avenue is lined with chow houses that offer live music, and ice-cream shops like Dad’s (318 Marine Ave, 949-673-8686) and Sugar N Spice (310 Marine Ave, 949-673-8907), which engage in a friendly competition for the best frozen banana (Sugar N Spice has been at it for 62 years).

The area’s most popular events include the screenings and galas of the Newport Beach Film Festival, held every spring; the Fourth of July festival, complete with carnival games and face painting; and September’s Taste of Newport, when live music abounds and 300 restaurants cater to foodies. Weekend warriors might opt for a kayak tour of Balboa Harbor, led by China Cove Kayak Adventures (949-632-4694), and then get pampered at the spa at the superluxe Island Hotel (690 Newport Center Dr, 949-760-4992), where the one-hour O.C. Facial Drench ($140) creates that SoCal glow, thanks to an infusion of antioxidants and vitamin C. Of course, waxing, pedicures and deep-tissue massages are also available.

Now, with the introduction of the Beachcomber Café (15 Crystal Cove, 949-376-6900), the first restaurant to open on this part of the coast in 40 years, you can dine right on the 3.5-mile–long Crystal Cove beach. For breakfast, delicious beignets and macadamia-and-coconut pancakes are served on Fiestaware. Five o’clock brings the nightly ritual of a bugler blowing reveille and the lowering of an eclectic string of flags in front of the restaurant. Which means one thing: It’s martini time at the Beachcomber. Time to slurp up your chai spice shake and head down to the beach. Been somewhere great recently?

Tell us where to go at travel@timeoutny.com.

THE TAB

Two nights, two people
Flight $500
Hotel 340
Car rental 100 (with gas)
+ Meals 180

TOTAL $1,120

By plane: Though John Wayne Airport is closer (a 10–15 minute drive), you might do better by flying American Airlines to LAX, 50 minutes away (traffic permitting), or JetBlue to Long Beach Airport, 30–40 minutes away. Catch the first flight out on a Friday and the red-eye return on Sunday night to enjoy three full days.

Travel time 6hrs