Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is an affluent neighborhood on the West Side of Los Angeles in Southern California, adjacent to Santa Monica. The district is a primarily residential area with expensive houses amongst the hills offering incredible ocean views.

Get in

By car

The town is accessible via the Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1; often abbreviated "PCH"), or by traveling along famed Sunset Boulevard, which acts as an east-west pass-through and terminates on the western boundary of the town itself. Temescal Canyon Blvd. originates at PCH and permits a northerly approach into the middle of town.

By bus

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus #9 goes along Sunset Blvd. via Chautauqua Blvd., going through the heart of Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica.

LA Metro bus 2 also travels along Sunset Blvd. all the way to PCH, and then loops back on Temescal Canyon Blvd. traversing much of the town.

By bicycle

You will be competing for space along the same access routes for vehicular traffic. Unless you are a capable urban cyclist, travel along Sunset Blvd. and PCH is not advised. Temescal Canyon Blvd. presents a long, steep grade, and you would do well to make sure your braking system is in tip-top shape should you double back!

By foot

Foot traffic from the coastline is common, especially during good weather. Both the west entrance into town via Sunset Blvd. and the uphill north entrance along Temescal Canyon Blvd. have uninterrupted sidewalks. The east entrance does not have clearly-marked walkways for at least 200 yards (180 meters) measured from the east border of town--walking along either side of Sunset Blvd. is very dangerous and ill-advised.

See

The Getty Villa

• 1 Eames House (Case Study House No. 8), 203 Chautauqua Blvd. The Eames House is a landmark of mid-20th century modern architecture that was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, and today serves as a pilgrimage site for nearly 20,000 visitors a year. It was constructed in 1949 by husband-and-wife design pioneers Charles and Ray Eames, and commissioned by Arts & Architecture magazine as part of a program challenging architects to design progressive, but modest, homes in Southern California. In 2004 the non-profit Eames Foundation was created, and today operates the historic house as a museum. Reservations are required to visit, and there is no public parking; street parking is available on Corona del Mar, which then requires a five minute walk up a shared private driveway. $10 per person for exterior visits, private interior tours $275+ (reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance). (updated Aug 2020)

• 2 J. Paul Getty Villa, 17895 Pacific Coast Highway, ☏ +1-310-440-7300. W-M 10AM-5PM, closed Tuesdays. An extension of the world-famous Getty Center in West Los Angeles, the Getty Villa is a separate location built in the style of an ancient Roman villa that features statues and other cultural artifacts from Greece and Rome. You can visit both the Villa and the Getty Center in the same day (Wednesday through Sunday) and pay the parking fee only once (save your ticket stub), but don't expect to have any time left over for other activities. Admission is free but advance, timed tickets are required for each individual. Parking is $15.  
• 3 Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Temple, 17190 Sunset Blvd., ☏ +1 310-454-4114. The Lake Shrine Temple's 10-acre site has lush gardens and a large, natural spring-fed lake which is framed by natural hillsides, and is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including swans, ducks, koi, water turtles, and lotus flowers. A highlight of this spiritual sanctuary is the Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Memorial, where a portion of Gandhi's ashes is enshrined. (updated Jun 2015)
• 4 Will Rogers State Historic Park, 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd, ☏ +1 310-230-2017. (updated Feb 2023)

Do

• 1 Riviera Country Club, 1250 Capri Dr. The Riviera Country Club is an exclusive private club that first opened in 1926 at a cost of $243,827, making it one of the most expensive golf clubs of its time. The championship golf course hosts an annual PGA tour event in February, and has played host to past major golf championships including the 1948 US Open, the 1983 and 1995 PGA Championships, the 1998 US Senior Open, and the 2017 US Amateur. It will be the venue for golf in the 2028 Olympic Games. While only members can book tee times, tickets for tournaments held at the course are available to the general public.  

• 2 Will Rogers State Beach. Offers swimming, volleyball, and a bike/running path. The beach will be familiar to fans of the TV show Baywatch.  
• 3 Temescal Gateway Park (Temescal Canyon), 15601 Sunset Blvd (Big Blue Bus 9, Metro bus 602, or park near the trailhead for $12). From the Nahuatl and Spanish word for "sweat lodge", this nature reserve is the gateway from Pacific Palisades up into the Santa Monica Mountains, connecting to a vast network of hiking trails. Starting in Temescal Canyon, a nice 3-mile (5-km) loop combines the Temescal Canyon Trail and Temescal Ridge Trail, going past a waterfall and taking in views of Pacific Palisades mansions, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and the Pacific Ocean. Bring water and wear sunscreen, as the Temescal Ridge Trail is pretty exposed. (updated Jul 2024)

Buy

• 1 Palisades Village, 15225 Palisades Village Lane. This mall and the surrounding downtown area have most of Pacific Palisades' shopping. For a wider range, try Santa Monica. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Farmer's Market (Swarthmore & Sunset). Sunday 8AM-1:30PM. A downtown farmer's market offering produce, handicrafts, flowers, and homemade food. 

Sleep

• 1 Channel Road Inn, 219 W. Channel Road, ☏ +1 310 459-1920. Check-in: 3PM-10PM, check-out: noon. An upscale bed and breakfast housed in a 1910 colonial revival home located a few blocks from the beach. Free Wi-Fi, breakfast, and afternoon wine and snacks, with some rooms coming with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. $250-$350. (updated Mar 2016)

Cope

Media

• Palisadian-Post, local newspaper available from sidewalk boxes downtown.

Go next

• Santa Monica. A neighboring beach city that is popular with tourists and features a fun and famous pier.
• Malibu. Another neighboring city that is accessible via PCH. Malibu is a beach town that is home to many entertainment stars and offers great beaches, surfing and restaurants for visitors.

Routes through Pacific Palisades

Santa Barbara ← Malibu ←

N  S

→ Santa Monica → Long Beach