With Covid-19 still going strong in my little corner of the world, and travel being put on hold for the summer, I have been feeling a little stir crazy to get out and about. I still am very worried about venturing too far from home but have found some very interesting places near my home and decided to turn this summer of staycations into an adventure.
After watching all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+, I felt the need for some pirating adventure. I had a vague recollection of a tower at a beach that looked like something one might find from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. When I was a little girl, my grandma lived in Monarch Beach, California; and on weekends when I would stay with her, she would take me for walks along the beach collecting shells. She would tell me all about the treasures the city held for us to discover, one of which was Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach. We never visited the tower together, but I finally saw it for the first time a few weeks ago. Boy, did it impress.
The History of Pirate Tower
Nestled in the cliffside of Victoria Beach stands the 60-foot tall tower known to locals in Orange County as Pirate Tower. This unusual structure has a unique history to match its unusual design. Built in 1926, Senator William E. Brown had the structure built as a private staircase for beach access from his home atop the cliff down to Victoria beach below. The idea behind the unusual looking tower was for it to blend into the hillside and thus be less obtrusive from the seaside view.
It wasn’t until the sale of the property in the 1940s to retired Naval Captain Harold Kendrick, a lifelong pirate aficionado, who bought the house, that the idea of “pirate tower” bloomed. Captain Kendrick’s interest in pirate lore led his eccentric behavior, dressing up as a pirate and hiding coins around the tower for the neighborhood children to find.
Over the years, the ownership of the house and tower has changed many times. At one point, Hollywood legend, Bette Midler owned the property. Regardless of who owns the tower, it truly is a sight to behold, with a fascinating history, but even more, fun is to take a few minutes to imagine swashbuckling tails of pirates that never really were.
How to Get to Victoria Beach & Pirate Tower
Victoria Beach isn’t the easiest location to find. It is even hidden to locals because beach access is relatively difficult since there is no parking lot for beachgoers. However, I hope you will find my instructions below helpful so you can have your own swashbuckling adventure.
The official address for Victoria Beach in 2713 Victoria Drive, Laguna Beach, California 92651. The only public parking is along Pacific Coast Highway. Some of the parking is metered, but if you are early enough, you may find some unmetered stretches. Just remember to be careful because much of PCH in this area is void of a sidewalk, so be alert.
Once you park on Pacific Coast Highway, make your way towards Sunset Terrace, head down the hill lined with the cutest beach bungalows, and try not to think about the hill you have to climb up when you are ready to leave. Honestly, enjoy the view and the adorable doorways.
At the bottom of Sunset Terrance, you will reach the intersection with Victoria Drive and a nondescript small stairway which leads down to the beach. It is super easy to miss so study the picture below.
Head down the narrow stairway, again stopping to enjoy the panoramic ocean view. The California coast really is breathtaking. Enjoy the picturesque, secret hidden gates which lead to people’s patios. They reminded me so much of the Secret Garden.
Once you are down at the beach, follow the rocky cliffside to the right of you. It is a short distance to Pirate Tower, but you will feel like you missed it initially.
The first structure you reach will be a wooden stairway and just beyond that is the impressive Pirate Tower.
Helpful Tips
- Victoria Beach is a wonderful beach to visit for the day with a designated area for swimming and skimming. It’s not a surfing beach. However, I caution you to be aware of the rocks. They are very hidden under the water depending on the tide.
- The earlier you arrive at the beach the better. The beach is open at 6 AM and closes at 10 PM, not only for finding parking on PCH but also because of the tides. Typically, the tides become so high in the late afternoon that you can’t access the tower. Sometimes, the tower is surrounded by water during high tides.
- Please keep our city beaches open during this global pandemic by following the posted guidelines at the beach entrance, wearing a protective face covering or mask to access the beach, and maintain social distancing of at least six feet.
- Keep in mind there are no public restrooms at this beach, and no lifeguards are on duty. I didn’t go swimming on my two visits to Victoria Beach, but I could tell there was a strong current just based on the movement of the waves.
- Do not be tempted to park on the residential streets along Sunset Terrace or Victoria Drive. It is patrolled regularly, and you will get a ticket. However, you might enjoy taking a stroll along Victoria Drive to see the adorable homes. They truly are a sight to behold, from mansions to Nantucket-style to beach bungalows.
- The best piece of advice I can give you is to enjoy the view. California’s coast is truly magnificent, with beauty behind every jutting cliffside. You might even find a few hidden treasures, not gold coins–those are long gone–but in the tide pools which show up when the tide is low–another perk of visiting the beach early in the morning.
I can’t stress how enjoyable it was to visit the beach and to safely get out of the house for a few hours. In fact, I visited Victoria Beach twice in two weeks, once with Jeff and once with my mom. I hope you have just as an adventurous a time as we all did. It truly is a sight to behold.
As the summer rolls along and staycations are the “It Trips” of the summer, it’s nice to take some time and truly explore the city around me.
