Aerial view of Malibu Pier extending into the Pacific Ocean with the coastline and Santa Monica Mountains behind it.

things to do in malibu

Malibu Beyond the Beach

Malibu is easy to reduce to one thing: the coastline.
But the best weekends here usually happen between the beach stops. Up the canyon roads. Over lunch that turns into late afternoon. Inside galleries, shops, and quiet places that feel far removed from Los Angeles, even when the city is less than an hour away.

malibu travel guide

Malibu Beyond the Beach

Start inland

Malibu stretches more than 30 miles along the coast, but some of its best scenery sits just beyond Pacific Coast Highway in the Santa Monica Mountains. Trails, canyon roads, and open hillsides give the area an entirely different rhythm from the beaches below.

Take the morning slowly. Drive through the canyons, stop for a walk, then head back toward the coast without trying to turn the day into a checklist.

Make lunch the plan

In Malibu, lunch should take time.

Malibu Farm on the pier works when you want the ocean in front of you, while Malibu Seafood keeps things casual with picnic tables and fresh seafood along the coast.

For a more polished afternoon, build the day around a reservation and leave the rest open.

Shop Cross Creek

Spend part of the afternoon around Malibu Country Mart, a six-acre collection of boutiques, dining, wellness, and everyday Malibu staples at Cross Creek Road.

This is less about serious shopping and more about wandering. Coffee, a few stores, then nowhere particularly urgent to be.

Add one cultural stop

The Getty Villa is one of the strongest reasons to look beyond the typical Malibu itinerary. The museum focuses on ancient Greek and Roman art inside a recreated Roman country house, surrounded by gardens near the coast. Admission is free, but timed reservations are required.

It works especially well as a morning stop before continuing north into Malibu.