Simultaneously laidback and luxurious, Malibu is quintessential Southern California. Sandwiched between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, bisected by one of the world’s most legendary roadways, the Los Angeles beach town is an intoxicating brew of sun, sand, seafood spots, shopping and stars.
While all that usually means there’s never really a bad time to visit this posh playground, there’s been trouble in paradise since January, when devasting wildfires and subsequent landslides tore through the neighboring community of Pacific Palisades and parts of Malibu. The destruction and ensuing clean-up forced an 11-mile stretch of the aforementioned Pacific Coast Highway to close to most traffic.
With the main thoroughfare out of commission for the better part of five months, most businesses in the burn area, even those that had miraculously escaped fire or mud damage, remained shuttered. Those beyond it, including hotels, have seen a severe decline in customers. Luckily, as of Memorial Day weekend, things are looking up in time for the important summer season as the highway reopened ahead of schedule.
To celebrate, use this Malibu guide to plan a Southern California sojourn or staycation.
Where To Stay
There are wonderful Nobu hotels, and then there’s Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Nobu Ryokan Malibu. This 16-room all-teak temple of Zen on Carbon Beach (also known as Billionaire’s Beach) is the brand’s first attempt to elevate a traditional ryokan (a Japanese inn) into a supremely serene space. With a lulling fountain, immaculate landscaping, careful attention from the staff, easy beach access and the custom tea and airy house-made matcha cheesecake welcome, it more than achieves its goal.
The expansive rooms, dressed in a calming palette of beiges and creams, offer comforts such as 800-thread-count sheets, a well-curated minibar and kimono-style robes. Balconies feel like they’re hovering over the water, and the crashing wave soundtrack is better than any white-noise machine. But the showstopper is the deep wood soaking tub that sits under a skylight and is bettered with the provided bath salts.
Just up the shoreline lies another lodging option — the 47-room Malibu Beach Inn. Be sure to grab a check-in cookie to nibble while you enjoy the owner’s extensive art collection displayed in public areas and hallways. Watch the sky turn orange with a glass of Daou cabernet from the Carbon Beach Club’s deck before digging into a pillowy pile of whipped ricotta dip or a branzino built for two.
Once you’ve retired upstairs to your blue-and-gray oasis, notice the special touches (which vary by accommodation type) such as surfing-centric coffee table books, board games, smart Toto toilets, fireplaces, balconies, Vosges chocolates, Therabody SmartGoggles and a turntable with records.
The next morning, secure a chaise in the sand or book an add-on experience, such as a beauty package that includes Botox, bubbles and a blowout, or an excursion that zips you to Santa Barbara wine country for a tour, tasting and lunch at a private winery.
Where To Eat
Whether feasting at a roadside institution like Neptune’s Net, a fast-casual spot like Pita ‘Bu or a sophisticated steakhouse like Lucky’s, the star of the show is almost always seafood.
Nobu is Malibu’s perennial culinary superstar courtesy of its beloved celebrity chef, top-shelf sushi, signature miso cod, superior sake inventory and moment-making waterfront location. It’s a sexy see-and-be-seen scene where snagging a table on a weekend can be an exercise in futility. That’s why the priority reservation status extended to Ryokan guests is a game-changer.
Go to Broad Street Oyster Company for seafood towers and two kinds of lobster rolls (hot and buttery or chilled with mayo), Taverna Tony for zesty shrimp cocktails or lemony octopus, and Malibu Seafood for just about anything else that swims. Smelling the ocean while eating crunchy fish and chips or a grilled squid sandwich makes for an immersive meal. Even the Topanga Canyon pizzeria/vinyl record shop/natural wine bar Endless Color does brisk business with oysters topped with basil oil and rose mignonette granita.
Pair caviar or lump crab cakes with an Australian wagyu tomahawk or a 24-ounce porterhouse at Mastro’s, a rare upscale Malibu restaurant with white-gloved service and a strict dress code. But it’s worth dressing up for the butter cake with berries.
A weekend in town is not complete without a stroll on the pier or a vegetable-forward brunch at Malibu Farm, a charming, Scandinavian-inspired café that checks both boxes with one stop. Order the decadent ube (purple yam) shake or the squash lavash, which is almost as fun to eat as it is to say.
Where to Shop
Retail therapy is another favorite Malibu pastime. There are several outdoor malls that take advantage of the sunshine and sea air. Established 50 years ago in the city’s civic center, Malibu Country Mart has grown into an unmatched collection of upscale indie retailers and restaurants, with a few larger brands, such as Ralph Lauren, Vuori, John Varvatos and Oliver Peoples, interspersed among the large-scale art, playground and fountains. There are even more shops and restaurants at The Lumber Yard complex next door.
Fifteen minutes up PCH sits Trancas Country Market, which is worth the drive if you like sugary treats (SweetBu Candy Co.), brunch dresses (Nati), collectible guitars (Malibu Music) or fresh flowers (Sea Lily). On summer Fridays, watch free concerts while tasting a flight of local beer on the Malibu Brewing Company patio.
There are also a few standalone boutiques to peruse. Angelenos were early adopters of the high-end athleisure trend, and thus, a stylish sweatsuit makes an appropriate (and functional) souvenir. Pop into Aviator Nation to get comfortable in ’70s-inspired soft hoodies, joggers, short shorts and puffers as seen on Adam Sandler (at the 2025 Oscars), Reese Witherspoon and Jay-Z. The made-in-California, rainbow-colored duds make cozy travel-day outfits.
Ranch at the Pier is the retail arm of One Gun Ranch, a biodynamic farm and event venue, where you can find beach toys and gear such as floats, paddleball sets and plenty of Malibu-branded trinkets. Some collaborations with companies such as Taschen, Leica and Beats are only available for purchase in person. OGR also rents fishing poles and bait, if you want to try your luck alongside locals off the pier.
Where To Play
Malibu is an ideal place to fully commit to both parts of the R&R equation through unrushed walks on the beach, afternoon naps, reading or staring at wave-riding dolphins on hotel room balconies. But there’s plenty to keep you occupied if you crave a fuller itinerary, especially if you enjoy the great outdoors.
The obvious topper on the to-do list is a beach day. There are more than 20 stretches of sand from which to choose. Some favorites include El Matador State Beach with its giant rock formations and exquisite sunsets, Escondido for its quiet, semi-hidden locale, Surfrider for its proximity to hotels and reliable surf breaks, and Point Dume for its bluff hikes and whale-spotting during winter migration. Drill Surf & Skate, across from Zuma Beach, rents wetsuits and watersports equipment and offers surf and SUP lessons for all ages.
You can also head for the hills to hike to a small waterfall and historic home ruins (Solstice Canyon), a bigger cascade (upper Zuma Canyon), the M*A*S*H set (Malibu Creek State Park) or the highest point in the Santa Monicas (Sandstone Peak via the Mishe Mokwa Trail). If you prefer to take in incredible panoramas from the back of a horse, Malibu Riders has been guiding trail rides for 30 years.
Though Nobu Ryokan doesn’t have a spa, you can take fatigued muscles and sore joints to Ambience Skin & Body for inflammation-relieving body treatments utilizing hot stones, ginger scrubs or CBD oil. Or dabble in some holistic wellness at Veritas Yoga, which offers new moon sound baths, breathwork seminars paired with herbal tea and dance circles in addition to a full schedule of vinyasa, kundalini and yin classes.
Sip cocktails named after songs while watching live music at Dreamland, a reincarnated retro venue dreamt up by Aviator Nation that serves three meals a day and welcomes DJs, up-and-coming bands and occasionally a household name like Maren Morris to its intimate stage. It isn’t unheard of for famous residents to drop in for an impromptu jam while patrons feast on pizza, tacos and other comfort foods.
If Shakespeare under the stars is more your speed, get tickets to one of the six plays being staged between June and October at Theatricum Botanicum, a unique outdoor venue and garden founded by Waltons actor Will Geer after he found himself blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The 2025 season includes runs of Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an adaptation of The Seagull set in 1970s Malibu, improv comedy shows and concerts. Tucked into Topanga Canyon, the lush space is perfect for a pre-theater picnic.
