Victoria Beach is Laguna’s best-kept secret. This amazing beach is hidden and very secluded. The only access to the beach is through a residential area so the parking is a bit of a hassle and hard to find. To access the beach you will have to climb down, close to 25 to 30 steps.
Victoria Beach and The Pirate Tower
GPS Coordinates: 33.52064, -117.76458
Also, make sure to visit during low tide as the stairs directly lead’s to a small beach and a rocky cliff to the right. During high tide, the water will actually come up to the bottom of the stairs. Also, the wave tends to hit the shoreline very harshly – so it might be more advisable to visit Victoria Beach during low tide.
On the right side (to the North) of the beach, you will find a rocky shoreline leading to this enigmatic seaside tower-like structure. This structure really looks like something straight out of a storybook and the locals call it The Pirate Tower.
This tower is actually an old staircase built on the side of the small cliff overlooking the Pacific Coast. This tower belongs to the estate that sits right above the cliff. The estate and the tower were built for William E. Brown family in the year 1926. This tower stands at 60 feet or 18.28 meters tall.
Due to a design flaw or the nature of the design, the tower exit door becomes submerged and inaccessible during high tide which makes the stair practically unusable.
The story goes that the second owner of the estate and the tower used to dress up like a pirate. He would hide coins and cady in the nooks and crannies near the tower and the cliff so that the local kids could go on a treasure hunt. That was how this spot got its name – The Pirate Tower.
There are a few water pools by the side of the tower. Swimming could be dangerous due to the nature of the rock formation but we have seen few snorkelers a little further into the ocean.
Since the 1940’s, the tower and the estate above have changed hands several times and was recently owned by Bette Midler. The tower is locked and unusable. However, the exterior of this secluded tower makes for some great image for photographers to capture.
We have visited Victoria Beach and the Pirate Tower quite a few times and at different seasons. This has given us the opportunity to photograph the beautiful structure along the Pacific coast.
More images from this spot…
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