Famed for its sunshine, the golden state of California is an escapist dream. As the third biggest U.S state, just under Texas and Alaska, there’s an abundance of activities to explore in California! With hidden gems found along the coastal regions and some stunning spots tucked in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Southern California has some beautiful off-the-beaten path cities to visit.
Having lived in multiple of the Southern California cities, I wanted to share some of the most beautiful places to explore to boost your wellness and health, as well as rejuvenate your soul. After all, wellness travel is meant to enhance one’s well-being, and support a healthy lifestyle, as the Wellness Tourism Association defines.
In fact, I wrote a whole post dedicated to understanding how to be a wellness traveler.
Here’s a list of some of the best hidden Southern California cities to visit. Almost all of the cities have numerous outdoor attractions, beautiful coastal beaches, or woodsy mountains to hike for breaking a sweat.
Weather in Southern California cities
Southern Californian cities are notorious for their golden sunshine, youthful beaches, and ideal weather year round. The temperate climate, combined with varied arid and mountainous terrains, creates those mild temperatures found within several Southern California cities.
There’s the cool offshore breeze from the Pacific Ocean, the mighty Sierra Nevada mountains, and parts of the Central Valley where copious amounts of agricultural development lies.
Summer in the Southern California cities tends to be hot and dry with, temperatures around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. However, these temperatures vary across cities depending on distance from the beach.
In contrast, the colder months can possibly reach overnight temperatures of around 49 degrees Fahrenheit but differ city to city. While the region does get cooler during the winter, it never gets bone-chilling cold, like it felt when Evan and I were celebrating Christmas at the Christmas markets in Kiev, Ukraine.
Again, the Southern California weather is pretty good any time of the year! Whether it’s a family summer vacation or experiencing the fall in California, you’ll likely have some golden sunshine.
Big Bear Lake
This premier Southern California city is a place jam packed with both wellness and adventure. Situated in the magnificent San Bernardino National Forest, you’ll find this tranquil spot tucked amongst the tall trees, fresh mountain air, and featuring the main attraction–a refreshing lake to take a dip in.
If you’re an outdoor novice, Big Bear has an abundance of things to do to. There’s hiking the Castle Rock trail, the Alpine Pedal Path, or countless other hiking trails.
There’s mountain biking up the hilly slopes and water sports such as swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding on the lake. This doesn’t even include the winter activities Big Bear offers, such as skiing and snowboarding.
Besides the abundance of excellent outdoor activities, Big Bear offers a prime spot for unplugging and digital detoxing while traveling. Whenever I’ve gone to Big Bear, I’ve always felt rejuvenated from working up a lukewarm sweat and relaxing in the great outdoors.
Venice Beach Canals
While Venice Beach is a popular hot spot to visit in Southern California, there are some off the beaten path places nearby to discover. The Venice Beach Canals are a beautiful wellness travel destination that I love visiting with Evan.
First off, the relaxing ambiance of canals and boats transports you instantaneously to the shores of Venice, Italy. This mesmerizing area provides the tranquil atmosphere of the water, but the lively energy from LA. Take a stroll along the canals, cross over the bridges, and admire the beautiful rosy sunset as it crests beneath the horizon.
Palm Springs
Situated within the Colorado Desert, this colorful city was previously home to the Native American tribe called the Agua Caliente Cahuilla. Currently this city is a desert-inspired wellness retreat, looming out of the heat and sand with glorious vibes of relaxation.
When I was a child, this wellness-inspired getaway was a staple within my family. My parents would relax by the pool while we splashed for hours until our little bodies began to prune into a shriveled raisin.
Besides relaxing at the multiple resorts found in Palm Springs, there are several other wellness activities to entertain a wide-array of travelers. There’s exploring the nearby hiking trails in the arid terrain such as Coachella Valley Preserve.
Likewise, you can plummet into the enticing food scene. Here you’ll find several appetizing vegan restaurants – Native Foods Café, Chef Tanya’s Kitchen, etc.
Additionally, you can wander through the whimsical boutiques or spend the day relaxing at the spa. If education is more your speed, there are several museums to explore while you’re taking a break from the heat. There’s the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and the Palm Springs Art Museum. Or the Sunnylands Center & Garden, and Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center.
Cayucos
Along California’s golden coast is the beachy town of Cayucos. Located off of the famous Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cayucos is a city you’ll want to check out. While it’s on the border of Northern and Southern California beaches, this beach is sunny and warm. It often provides an intimate experience for beachgoers as this beach is sometimes overlooked.
If you’re road tripping through California, or looking for a more private beach experience, Cayucos is an excellent beach. Visit its neighbor Cambria and continue to Norcal for some more incredible beaches. Read my guide to Norcal beaches here.
Morro Bay
Right next door is the beautiful city of Morro Bay, with a ginormous boulder placed in the water at the beginning of the beach shore. Its enticing size makes you want to climb it, but the steep slopes make it impossible.
Secretly, I’ve sized the gigantic boulder up and down, planning my route to scale it, but it’s not allowed.
As well as the beach front offers a quant downtown shopping area. You’ll find a variety of fresh seafood, boutique shops, artisanal products, and sweet cold ice cream. There are also restaurants located on the charming harbor for a beachy ambiance while you enjoy a scrumptious meal.
In Morro Bay, you’ll also find hiking, gorgeous parks with sweeping ocean vistas, and kayak rentals. It’s a small town, so its pretty easy to see everything in a day — here a list of top things to do in Morro Bay for the day.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is another wellness paradise found within the wide-array of Southern California cities. Planted between the Pacific coastline and the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, this elegant town is a dream for beachcombers and mountain novices alike.
Adding to the charm and allure, this town is influenced by Spanish culture. There exists a majestic pristine white historic mission, Old Mission Santa Barbara, located nearby the downtown area. Still intact, this building is accompanied by numerous other white pueblo buildings with glistening red roofs.
Around this charming, artsy gem you’ll find appetizing foods that are chock full of organic and vegan options. Also, there are allergy-friendly chic restaurants, trendy bars, and luscious spots for a deep dive into local wine tastings — perfect for a SoCal weekend getaway.
Travel tip: If you’re traveling with food allergies, here’s six simple ways to travel with food allergies in Santa Barbara.
Likewise, you’ll find several beaches seamlessly allotted throughout the town for the optimum wellness experience. There are beaches infamous for playing a pick-up game of volleyball, paddle boarding, or surfing.
Whereas other beaches are excellent for sailing over the bluish-gray seas and relaxing in the placating atmosphere Santa Barbara provides.
If you’re a hiker, head over to the mountains to explore some of the impeccable nature. Here are a couple beautiful hikes in Santa Barbara to explore: Inspiration Point, Cold Springs Trails, or Douglass Family Preserve.
Pismo Beach
Further North from Santa Barbara along the scenic route of PCH is the ethereal town of Pismo Beach. Known for its celestial biomes found on its beaches, Pismo has a unique beach habitat unlike any other Southern California beaches. It has coastal sand dunes!
These placid coastal dunes are well protected and located close to Pismo at the Oceano Dunes Preserve. Some areas are accessible by foot and explore the beautiful habitat via a wooden path. While the other dunes are accessible by car and ATVs for a wild adventurous sand dunes ride.
Apart from the sand dunes, Pismo has a pleasant downtown area set atop a gentle slope with tasty restaurants to dive into, ending at a lovely pier to explore. Evan and I still talk about how some of the best tacos we’ve had were at Zorro’s Cafe & Cantina.
Sidenote: If you’re looking for more coastal reserves with breathtaking cliffs and colorful wildflowers continue North on the 101 to visit Point Lobos State Reserve.
Avila Beach
Another Southern California city to pop on your radar is Avila Beach. While it’s further up the coast than Pismo, the drive is simply splendid! There’s the gorgeous blue ocean on one side of the freeway, while the other is submersed in the glorious mountainside.
As you get closer to Avila Beach, the city is slightly encumbered in a woodsy setting. Some of the tops things to do in this Southern California town are checking out the beautiful Point San Luis Lighthouse, delving stomach first in the Avila Beach Farmers Market, and visiting the Avila Valley Barn.
There’s also exploring the cute boutique shops and, of course, engaging in all the pleasant beachy activities.
Similarly, Avila Beach is also one of my favorite Southern California cities to visit because it has a hot mineral springs located high amongst the trees, called Sycamore Mineral Springs. The graceful ambiance and alluring hot mineral waters kept pulling Evan and I back again to this fine town.
Ojai
Situated in Ventura County, just northwest of Los Angeles, is the best keep secret city of Ojai. Interwoven between the Los Padres National Forest, Topatopa Mountains and the beach (about 15 miles away) Ojai is noted for its dandy escapism vibes.
This chill town is jam full of outdoor recreation activities for hiking, art galleries, farmers markets, and restaurants – each contributing to the ecologically friendly vibes this city authentically produces.
Moreover, the giant oak trees, boutique shops, and outstanding hotels are a huge attractor to Ojai. It’s an excellent destination for hiking retreats, calming getaway, or even a romantic lull while you rest amongst the crisp air, and peaceful surroundings.
Evan and I have visited Ojai frequently for a whimsical interlude and always come back feeling more refreshing and in tuned with our bodies after hiking and digging into the tasty food scene.
Tip: If you’re a vegan traveler, or have food allergies, Ojai is a great place to for a food excursion.
Solvang
Founded in 1911, this historic Danish town is famed for its Danish-style facades and architecture. Hidden within the cascading green Santa Ynez Valley, this southern California city offers an unparalleled getaway.
You’ll find traditional Danish goodies, local wine from Santa Barbara county, boutique shopping and the quant Danish atmosphere provided from this exquisite village. Solvang’s rich history and culture combined with the relaxing vibes bestowed from the Santa Ynez Valley makes Solvang an excellent wellness destination to visit in California.
When Evan and I lived in Santa Barbara, we would visit this lovely village often. We’d go olive oil tasting, sampling various locally grown oils ranging from truffle olive oil to sweet aromatic oils like lavender or mango.
From Santa Barbara it’s about a 40 minute scenic drive through the backcountry of the Santa Ynez Hills.
Travel tip: Make sure to stop inside the shops in Solvang, as many shops provide tasty samples to try before you buy.
Anaheim
While Anaheim shouldn’t be on the list of “off-the-beaten path Southern California cities”, I had to include it because of Disneyland! I’m a Disney-fanatic who threw an enchanting Disney staycation, just so my family could join in on the fun.
Are there any other Disney-fanatics out there? Just in case, here’s how to throw a magical Disney staycation.
If you haven’t guessed it now, Disneyland is located within the effervescent city of Anaheim. It’s a magical stop filled with thrilling rides, yummy foods inspired by Disney characters, and a youthful milieu that brings the childlike joy out of everyone.
Additionally in Anaheim there’s the Packing District – a lively market place with 50 artisanal eateries spread across several historic landmarks. There’s also the Angel Stadium and the beautiful Yorba Linda Park where you can embrace the nature along the numerous walking trails, play volleyball or go picnicking in the green lawn.
Tip: Make sure to pack healthy travel snacks if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland or Yorba Linda Park.
Balboa Island at Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a chic oceanfront city located along the Pacific coastline. It’s one of the best beaches in Southern California and it’s also one of my favorites. This laid back Southern California city is the pinnacle of beachy vibes, hidden wellness oasis, and trendy luxury shopping experiences at the Fashion Island for everyone.
There’s unwinding beachside, visiting the astonishing Sherman Library Gardens, and exploring the Crystal Cove State Park. Not to mention the delightful food scene, youthful vibes, and volleyball courts begging to be played on.
For those wanting to experience the island life head over to Balboa Island from Newport Beach. To reach this waterfront community you can walk, bike, drive, or by take a ferry! Here you’ll find more tasty restaurants, nautical style shops, and museums.
Tip: The ferry only accepts cash, so make sure to have some on hand.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is the iconic surf town of southern California. This laid-back sunny beach town is southeast of the Greater Los Angeles Area in Orange County. Here, you’ll find several attractions and things to do in Orange County to keep those summer spirits alive year around.
There’s strolling along the Huntington Beach Pier, surfing at the Huntington State Beach, having a spa day at one of the various spas and shopping downtown.
Similar to Newport, this beach is excellent for making toasty bonfires while stargazing. It’s right next door to Newport Beach so you can switch between the two beaches to find the best fire pit.
In addition to the beach bonfire, Huntington Beach also has a great nightlife culture. With restaurants open late, beautiful seaside lounges, breweries, and more there’s a plethora to choose from to create your most authentic beach night mood.
Tip: If you plan on using a fire ring, make sure to get there early to claim a ring.
Balboa Park, San Diego
Located in the vibrant city of San Diego is the beautiful area of Balboa Park – a wellness oasis straight from the heart of San Diego. This amazing park is a collection of museums, gardens, and the famed San Diego Zoo.
There’s relaxing in the Japanese Friendship Garden, strolling through the wide-array of lush walking trails, the Botanical Building, various museums (e.g. San Diego Natural History Museum).
You’ll also find bike rentals available! There are single bikes, or tandem bikes to rent. While we were visiting we rented tandem bike for the first time and rode around this charming green space together. It was a blast!
Additionally, Balboa Park is free to enter, but some areas do cost money to visit.
Do you have a Southern California city you’ve wanted to visit? Or what are your favorite things to do in Southern California?
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