Venice Beach and Boardwalk

People-watching is the raison d'être at Venice Beach, which effectively continues from the southern end of Santa Monica Beach without a break. Jump into the flow of the winding Venice Boardwalk, where you can skate or cycle, watch or play volleyball or basketball, and check out the pumped-up gym obsessives who work out at Muscle Beach. Surfers may want to opt out of the less than pristine waters with inconsistent waves. For a completely different side of Venice, take a stroll through the idyllic Venice Canals (centered around Venice Boulevard and Dell Avenue). Street parking is usually jammed, but there are several beachside lots.

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