The Beaches of Laguna, one stay at a time.

Shaw's is the cove people who live in Laguna come to. A narrow flight of stairs between two clifftop houses opens onto a small sand beach hemmed in by reefs on either side. The reef on the north side draws snorkelers and free-divers; the south side keeps the kids safe in the shallows.

There is nothing here. No lifeguard tower in summer aside, no boardwalk, no concessions. That is the appeal. Bring water and a mask, take your time, head back up before the afternoon wind picks up.

Main Beach is the one in the postcards: a long stretch of sand fronting the village, a wooden boardwalk down the middle, basketball and volleyball courts at the north end, and the lifeguard tower most people picture when they picture Laguna. Walk three minutes inland and you are on Forest Avenue, in the thick of the cafes and galleries.

This is the right call for a midday swim followed by a long lunch in the village. Lifeguarded year-round, restrooms and outdoor showers on site, and the easiest beach in town to bring a group to without planning much in advance.

Wood's Cove is a small, kelp-fringed beach tucked into a residential corner of south Laguna. Rock outcrops divide the sand into pockets; the water is some of the clearest in town and the cove has been a local diving site for as long as anyone remembers. Bette Davis kept a house above it.

Bring a mask. The marine life around the kelp is the reason to come, especially in the morning before the breeze comes up. Stairway access from Diamond Street; parking is residential and quiet, so be considerate of the neighbors.

South Laguna's signature beach. The name is a slight exaggeration; the staircase from Pacific Coast Highway down to the sand is closer to two hundred steps. The reward at the bottom is the widest beach on this stretch of coast: room to spread out, room to walk for a mile if the tide is right, and a stretch of cliffs that feels much further from town than it is.

At low tide, head north along the sand to the small sea caves at the base of the bluff. The light inside them in the late afternoon is one of the quieter pleasures of a Laguna stay. The walk back up the stairs is the price; pace yourself.