Marina del Rey Things to Do

Marina Del Rey is noted for having over 6,000 boats harbored in the waters. There are over 30 restaurants in the marina and hotels right on the water as well. But, to get the full flavor of the area and to feel part of the action of a working marina, then go the Fisherman's Village off Fiji Way. Look for the Lighthouse to get to the center of the village. Many boats are tied up in front and the entire marina is seen from the dock area.

There are several restaurants, Shanghai Red's, El Torito Mexican Restaurant , and Anglers Choice Seafood worth trying out. A few tourist shops, not much, but you came for the view and it does not disappoint. Watch the power and sail boats glide by right in front of you. Boat rentals, boat tours, and dinning on the water are also available at the dock. Hornblowers Tours offers many cruising options to enjoy while in the marina. All in all , a nice way to spend a few hours in LA.

Yes! Believe it or not, you can have beautiful uncrowded beaches in the middle of summer in a large city like Los Angeles. You just have to know where to go. The inconvenience of no parking and the fact that there is no bike path makes Marina a great place to check out the beach. This picture was taken in the middle of summer. i think August, and you can see that the place is practically empty. By the way, this beach gets an A+ for cleanliness according to the healthebay.org. A non-profit advocacy group monitoring the health of Santa Monica Bay.

Marina del Rey has nice uncrowded beaches because yoiu can't really park there and it's inconvenient to get to. Also the beaches are pretty clean and regularly get an A+ or A rating from the non profit monitoring group, HealTheBay. You can check out the beach report card and more info about beaches in the area at their website.

The Los Angeles Times features water temp and boat/surf reports on the weather pages.

Music under the stars and by the water -- what could be more perfect for a Summer evening. . . and best of all, it's free! Once again, Burton Chace Park is the venue to Classical Thursday and Pops Saturday concerts in Marina del Rey. Sponsored by the L.A. County Department of Beaches & Habors and the L.A. County Supervisors, these free concerts begin at 7:00pm, waterside in the Park. They last about 2 hours and feature a diversity of talent. Bring a picnic dinner, low beach chairs or a blanket, and a sweater or jacket -- it can get cold by the water. The schedule for '09 is:

Classical Thursdays --
July 9 -- Featuring the Sourthern California Master Chorale with Frank Fetta and The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony.
July 23 -- Four brilliant vocalist winners of the Loren Zachary Vocal Competions will be featured opera soloists with Frank Fetta and The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony.
August 6 --Frank Fetta and The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony will perform works by Debussy and Copeland, and the winner of the 2008 Jose Iturbi Competition, Rufus Choic will be the featured piano soloist.
August 20 --Frank Fetta and The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony welcome musical legends Cleo Laine and John Dankworth for a never-to-be forgotten concert of jazz and pop classics.

Pops Saturdays --
July 18 -- Tony Award-winner singer Christine Andreas sings the music of Broadway with piano accompaniment.
August 1 -- The Four Aces, one of America's most celebrated singing groups appear in concert with their band.
August 15 -- John Davidson, award winning star of Broadway, feature films and well known T.V. personality makes his debut appearance at these concerts.
August 29-- Sue Raney, the "singer's singer" appears with her band and does tribute to Doris Day.

Each concert promises to be a night of magical music to remember.

Marina del Rey was one of the few places you were able to see a July 4th Fireworks display for free, but due to the government budget cuts there will be no traditional fireworks for 2011. But there will still be plenty to do in this popular seaside community. Hotels, restuarants, retailers and local attractions will be open, parks and beaches are popular and it's a great day to get out on the water for fishing, boating and cruising.

There is nothing like being on the calm blue waters of the marina, and in the early Springtime with so much of the rest of the US still underwraps it's especially enjoyable. You can get so close you can touch it -- that's what kayaking is all about. Set your own pace, enjoy the wild life, look at the other boats from the water and the neighborhoods from the water. It's easy -- and safe -- for even the most timid of us adventurers. If you've never done it before, the L.A. County offers their Outdoor Adventures Harbor Kayaking, 2-hour classes, once a month from March thru November at a bargin price of $30 for adults and $25 for kids 10 to 18. Includes all equipment -- single or double kayaks, paddles and lifejackets, plus class size is limited to 15 participants. This is a great activity to do with the family -- enjoy the fresh air, the mild sunshine and the serenity of the water for a couple of hours.

Later in the spring and thru summer, other groups offer kayaking lessions. Among them is the UCLA Aquatics Center at the end of Fiji Way and Kayaks4Kids, a non-profit organization that offers lessons at Marina (Mother's) Beach.

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Spring is a perfect time for birdwatching in and around the Marina. The Los Angeles Department of Beach and Harbors, offers a birdwatching experience, in it's Outdoor Adventures Program, in the various sites of the Marina and Ballona Wetlands.

The tour starts at the Burton Chace Park Community Room with a brief lecture on the history of the areas to be visited, and an overview of the Ballona Wetlands. Then the group will be driven in a 12-passenger van to the various sites. You will get the opportunity to observe various bird species compete for resources in the shoreline and vegetation habitats. Best of all, you will also be taken to some of the Great Blue Heron and the Black Crowned Night Heron nesting sites.

The Ballona Wetlands, just south of the Marina, is home to hundreds of birds that make the annual migratory trip on the Pacific Flight path. Here you may see waterfowl, familiar to most like the American Coot -- a duck-like bird -- to the white-face Ibis, the Snowy Egret or even the Great Blue Heron. The Wetlands is also home to thousands of native plants and shrubbs as well as small mammals.

One of the sites usually included, is the area next to the Grand Canal, in the Marina Peninsula neighborhood. There, a walking path next to the Grand Canal makes a great place to observe waterfowl dive for small fish. In the same area, at the southern end, there is an observation platform. And at the northern end, there is a footbridge, modeled after the "Venetian Bridges" of Italy.

For this year, 2009, the tours are scheduled for the last Thursdays of the month starting in March. They are either in the morning or afternoons. You must pre-register by calling 310/ 628-2135 to be sure there is room on the van for your party.

This place was originaly created to provide the public an area to embark on a lot of water sport activities or even a sunset harbor dinner cruises. In this place you can...

1. Rent a your very own two-man sailboat so you can put your navigational expertise to a test :-)))
2. Get on one of their fishing boats that will take you out on the open ocean on an either half-day or full day trips. Summertime is actually the best times to go because the bigger sportfish are travelling through the Catalina channel to feed (license is required).
3. Kayaking/Rowing. I'm not too sure if they still rent these crafts but a simple call to the Chamber of Commerce should tell you if they still do.
4. Sunset dinner cruises. You have to give yourself as much time as possible to make your reservation. You'll be on a triple deck ship that will cruise the Harbor while you dine, drink, and dance.