Chris
The California coast has always had it. You know, that laid-back, sun-drenched magic that makes you want to quit your job, grab a surfboard, and live off burritos and ocean breezes. Even in the old days, before Instagram filters and overpriced beach parking, it was already serving iconic looks and vibes.
These vintage photos are proof that California’s coastline has been effortlessly cool for a long time. From retro beachgoers soaking up the sun to classic cars cruising the cliffs, this was peak coastal energy before “coastal energy” was even a thing. Let’s take a scroll back in time and soak up some serious seaside nostalgia.
1. Old Woodie Station Wagon with Surfboard
2. Manhattan Beach, California. 1950s.
3. Woman with spy glass looking out toward the ocean. The beach is full of sunbathers with the Santa Monica Pier and Amusement Park in the distance. Pacific Bath House can be seen at upper right. 1920.
4. Venice Beach Rock Festival, 1968.
5. SoCal surf culture, 1964.
6. Hunter S. Thompson, Self Portrait, Big Sur, circa 1960s.
7. A magical shot of the California coast in the 70s.
8. Newport Beach Fun Zone in 1974.
9. Guys and Gals on the beach, 1960s.
10. Apparently this girl was named April. April could lift.
11. Muscle Beach, California 1954, 12 year old girl April Atkins does acrobatics and feats of strength.
12. Someone’s uncle in Big Sur, CA, late 1970s.
13. Several people are seen relaxing at the Edgewater Beach Club, 1855 Promenade, in a covered pavilion on the beach. Circa 1926.
14. Beach bums, San Onofre, California, July 1950.
15. View of the beach in Santa Monica, south of the pier. Circa 1920.
16. Judy Collins with Stephen Stills at Big Sur Folk Festival, 1968.
17. Swimmer Helene Madison and Santa Monica lifeguards at Grand Hotel, Santa Monica, 1933.
18. Girls play volleyball on stilts in Venice Beach.
19. Hermosa Beach, CA in the 1970s.
20. Young ladies hitchhiking on Highway 1, Big Sur, CA, 1971.
21. Main St & Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, CA. 1971.
22. A lovely day to be out at the Santa Monica Pier. circa 1967.
23. View looking north of a very crowded shoreline at Ocean Park Beach in Santa Monica. 1920s.
24. Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell at the Big Sur Folk Festival, 1968.
25. Girls lounging on the beach.
26. View of the beach south of Casa Del Mar Beach Club in Santa Monica, looking north to the pier. 1920.
27. Joni Mitchell with Graham Nash at the Big Sur Celebration, 1969.
28. A group at the sign that reads “Prohibited,” at the boundary between Ink Well Beach and the whites-only section of beach in Santa Monica. 1920s.
29. Pacific Coast Highway, California State Route 1 in Big Sur.
30. Waverly Club, Edgewater Club and Casa Del Mar in south Santa Monica, California. 1930s.
31. Actors Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner onboard their yacht off the California coast, July 1958.
32. Looking classy somewhere out on the California coast.
