sand castles, frisbees and sand throwing ...

I wanted to share with you an amazing place that is suitable to take young children to the beach. If you are travelling to Los Angeles and you are looking for a beach side experience for young children where there are no or little waves, perhaps you may wish to visit the Belmore Shore area south of Long Beach. Just pack your lunch, grab a sand bucket and shovel and visit this great shore. Sometimes when traveling with little ones giving them a place to run free (where they can scoop, throw sand, build sand castles and pour water to their hearts content) is a treasured place!

Let me tell you about a hidden gem that not many tourists know about. Almatos beach at Belmont shore is that magical place … sshhh! During summer, the beach is busy with local kids attending camps and enjoying the waterways.

A few years ago we were taken by locals to this beach and we loved it. There were people everywhere enjoying paddle boarding, kayaking, sailing and swimming in the calm water. My kids loved it as it was full of fun holiday activities. It seemed to be the place local kids went to water side camps. There was even a life guard on a wooden life guard seat watching over our children. So Californian! Apparently at this beach, you'll find lifeguards on duty in the summer, looking out for the little ones. We thought it was the funniest sight seeing a life guard sitting on a life guard chair (like a taller tennis umpires chair, but stylish) on such a quiet and protected wave less beach.

We loved this beach because it is was so quiet and safe we could let the kids run and jump, make noise away from the car and hotel. We allowed them to discover taking photographs with the camera and appreciated the results. They spent hours digging in the sand with a bucket and spade and frolicking in the water. It was intimate and located in a protected bay away from the beachside waves.

Even with older children or no children at all, it is a great beach area to visit, to share a picnic lunch and enjoy the views. What I personally enjoyed was looking at the homes along the beach. The suburb features Spanish-style homes from the 1920s and 1930s which have enormous charm and character. There are contemporary style bungalows also that you can just enjoy looking at either across the water or by walking passed.

Access to this beach is hard to find. There is street parking, but it can be a challenge. When we visited we drove around streets until we found parking. It reminded us of trying to find parking around Tamarama or Bronte in Sydney. We eventually found a spot, parking our car on the street near Bay Shore Avenue, and then walked across to the beach on the canal. It was difficult trying to find a place to park, but as Aussies we knew it would be worth it and preservered. You need to be careful of the equivalent of the ‘brown bombers’, so check the parking restrictions before you leave your car.

If you want to explore a little further, at the southern end of Belmont Shore Pacific Ocean side there is a beach that lies just inside the Long Beach breakwater. This beach has no surf, however, is popular with boats, wind surfers and kayakers. You can also enjoy the cement beach path on a bike, roller skates, or merely stroll along and enjoying watching the activities happening. Beach Cruisin’ is fun with kids!

Close by you can also ride the Naples gondolas. Many families ride the gondolas around the bay, rowed by a gondolier who will also sing for you.

Over all it's a great place to spend time at the beach if you just need a down day, a rest day from the manic theme park schedule!