Lara Scott: Terranea Resort

4.17.2014

Terranea Resort

On those days when I've been sitting in traffic on the 405 Freeway for four hours, my mind wanders and I imagine myself poolside, perhaps overlooking the ocean, with palm trees swaying and the scent of coconut oil in the air. When I went to Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes for the first time recently, I realized that this was the place of my dreams. Terranea is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and has the kind of breezy, open-air, tropical feel to it that you would expect in Hawaii or South Florida. And the really great news is that if you live in Southern California, you can easily drive there and not have to deal with the craziness of any airports. If you are flying into LAX, it's about an hour's drive away and the scenery is gorgeous! After cruising along the coast for a little while, you will turn in at Terranea's driveway and pull up to a lovely fountain at the entrance.

We were greeted by some starfish just inside the main doors.

There is a spacious deck that runs along the back of the main building, where you can relax on comfy couches and take in the view.

You can see Catalina Island from the back deck!

The view from our room.

Of course, after seeing that, we had to go running downstairs to check out the pool up close. There are actually a few pools and hot tubs scattered around Terranea, and this main pool area also has a wonderful twisty waterslide for the kids!

This is your view facing away from the pool...

If you feel like taking a hike, there is a path from Terranea to Point Vicente (it's about a mile one-way), which is home to an Interpretive Center and Coast Guard Station. There is a lighthouse at the Coast Guard Station that is open on certain Saturdays, and you can actually go inside!

After all of that hiking, you might be ready for a snack, and I found some healthy options at the Spa Cafe. The kale and mango smoothie was delicious!

When it's time for a full meal, Catalina Kitchen has a nice big buffet for weekend brunch. You can relax on this outdoor patio and enjoy the ocean breezes!