5 Things To Do In Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California.... this is one of my favorite places on earth! Why? For me there are many reasons, but the main one is the memories. Having lived in Arizona growing up, we drove to Cali pretty often and always stopped in Newport. There is so much to do here! I would describe it as a quaint beach getaway with lots of fun outdoor activities. I could probably write 20 blog posts on Newport, so I'm going to start with '5 Things to do in Newport Beach'.
1.) Balboa Fun Zone
The Fun Zone is simply a fun time haha as easy as that. It's one of Southern California's oldest and last coastal amusement areas established in 1036. If you're looking for a fun date spot, day with your friends, or a family friendly competition you should check it out. You could easily spend a few hours here and not get bored. You can either take the Auto Ferry to get here, or drive and use the public parking in the back. Balboa Fun Zone is located on Balboa Peninsula across from Balboa Pier.
Carnival Rides & Ferris Wheel
Arcade games
20+ Restaurants
Carnival treats; funnel cake, corndog, cotton candy
Jet Ski’s & Boat Rentals (I did this with my family in 2014)
Whale watching or a trip to Catalina Island
2.) Balboa Island
The island was founded in 1906 and is a historic staple of Newport Beach. The Island is know for the iconic bridge, quaint cottages, local shops and boutiques, yummy restaurants, oh and the world-famous Frozen Banana Stand since 1945. My family continues to go to Newport Beach every year and always saves a couple hours to stroll in and out of every shop in Balboa. This last trip I had to snag a sprinkle chocolate covered frozen banana...and YES it was delicious.
3.) Fitness Activities
I'm all about breaking a sweat on my vacations! I woke up every morning in Newport and hit the pavement. I love running so I wanted to find a couple different areas to jog.
Bayside Drive: This is a sidewalk path, about 4 miles end to end. The stunning houses are on one side and the volleyball courts, beach, and ocean are on the other so there is so much to look at.
East Balboa Blvd: This takes you by the fun zone; we talked about avoid. I like this run because it's on Balboa Island another quaint area. You'll see lots of boats, and people paddle boarding, etc.
Inspiration Point: This is where I would recommend you go for a jog, journal, relax with a cup of coffee, it's absolutely stunning and well honestly pretty "inspirational".
Paddle Boarding
Jet Ski's
Volleyball on the beach
Surfing
4.) Take A Stroll: Pier
I absolutely love strolling around along the pier. That's where so much life happens in Newport, there's always people out and about. You can get around so many different ways. You can rent beach cruisers, electric bikes, or scooters if you're wanting for a quick way to a lot. If you're looking to fish you can go to the very end of the pier and spend the afternoon fishing. If the surf is up, you can also rent surf boards, or paddle board for a little ab workout haha.
Rent Segways
Scoot around on The Bird
Cruiser bike rentals
Surf board rentals
Fishing
Favorite Neighborhoods: Bay Front, Marine Avenue, Balboa Avenue
5.) Fashion Island
If shopping is your hobby of choice. You have to check out Fashion Island. It's an open- air concept where you walk in and out of shops back into the outdoors. I love that style shopping area because then you get to enjoy being outside as well. Fashion Island has boutiques, cafes, restaurants, department stores, and much more.
Shopping
Restaurants