Locals Beach

Newport Dunes

Newport Beach, CA

Family-friendlyPet-friendly
Newport Dunes, Newport Beach, CA
Photo: Don Ramey Logan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Newport Dunes is a sheltered waterfront resort and marina on the back bay side of Newport Beach, with a calm, sandy swimming lagoon that's a genuine family favorite precisely because there's no ocean surf to manage. Back Bay View Park sits nearby with a native plant garden overlooking the water.

Locals Score🥥🥥🥥🥥🥥

A genuinely calm, family-friendly alternative to the open ocean beaches nearby, especially useful with young kids in tow.

How we score beaches
Local Tip

The lagoon here is calm enough for very young kids, a real alternative when the ocean beaches feel like too much for a family with toddlers.

Parking

A fee lot serves the resort and beach area.

Pets

Newport Dunes is dog-friendly resort-wide for a small daily pet fee, though pets are not allowed inside the rental cottages.

Weather & the best time to visit

Sheltered bay water warms up earlier in the season than the open ocean.

Nearby

More Pacific Coast beaches