Belmont Shore

Belmont Shores is far from a "gay" beach though on any given day you will find plenty of gay men (and presumably womyn) catching some rays. My boyfriend and I like the beach here enough to haunt it on a regular basis. Its also close to several gay bars so you can get out of the sun and grab a drink when the mood strikes. I think Belmont would be more aptly named a mixed beach as there are people of all persuasions laying out their beach towels, but the key thing (to me) is that it is very liberal and open minded and everyone is welcomed without much fanfare. When the waves calmed down while doing a little body surfing, my boyfriend and I made out in the water. Not far away a straight couple had the same idea. No one batted an eye and all was right in the world.

Some people call it "Wrong Beach", but I find this stretch of beach quite charming. It's a bay, with several unattractive "power" islands offshore, which gives this a very industrial vibe. There is a large sandy beach, however, although not many venture into the waveless water. It is better for sunning, and walking or biking the paved path which runs the course of the beach. There is a notorious cruise area by a parking lot across from Ripples bar.

There is absolutely no reason to plan a beach outing in Long Beach. I am a long term resident and I can tell you If you swim in our water you will grow a second head! or worse. Stick to the bars on broadway and beach it in Laguna.