The hook
A rocky headland juts out of the Malibu coast with a cove and tide pools below and, in winter, gray whales passing close enough to watch from the bluff.
01Why it's worth it
Point Dume is where the long Malibu beaches give way to something more dramatic: a sandstone headland thrust out into the Pacific, ringed by cliffs and rocky coves, protected as a small state preserve. A short trail climbs the bluff to overlooks, and a staircase drops to Dume Cove below, a quieter stretch of sand with tide pools full of anemones and crabs at low water. The real prize is timing: from December into mid-April, California gray whales pass on their twelve-thousand-mile migration, often close in, and the point's elevated deck is one of the best free spots on the coast to stand and watch them blow and breach. The rest of the year it's simply a beautiful, less-mobbed corner of Malibu.
02How to experience it
It's at the west end of the Malibu beaches, about six hours from the Bay, reached from the small lot at the point or by walking over from Westward and Zuma Beach. Climb the bluff for the overlooks, take the stairs to the cove, and time low tide for the pools. Bring binoculars in whale season.