For beautiful views of Santa Monica Bay without rubbing elbows with hordes of tourists, walk a block back from the beach to Palisades Park. Situated within walking distance of central sights like the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade, this narrow but long park – which is bordered by Ocean Avenue, the Pacific Coast Highway, Colorado Avenue and Adelaide Drive – offers plenty of postcard-worthy vistas. What's more, the 26.4-acre park is packed with amenities designed to help you relax while soaking up some sun. In addition to housing standard park facilities like picnic tables, benches and restrooms, you'll have access to a rose garden, public art and a space that hosts monthly art classes for adults. There's also a visitor center kiosk on-site, should you want additional information about things to see and do in the area.

When you're not taking pictures of the water, you should admire the park's gorgeous flora. You'll find all kinds of drought-tolerant species here, including agave plants and palm trees. Plus, Palisades Park features a gorgeous rose garden and interesting sculptures. Travelers highly recommend it as a nice place for a family picnic. However, finding an empty park bench can be a challenge at times due to the park's popularity with the local homeless community.

Palisades Park is free to visit 24 hours a day. If you're not walking to the park from other nearby attractions, you can drive and park at one of the metered spaces on the surrounding streets or use public transportation. Several Big Blue Bus routes service the area, and the LA Metro's Downtown Santa Monica Station sits a few blocks northeast of the park's southern end. Head to the City of Santa Monica's Community Services Department website to find out more.