Travel

Orange crush

SURF’S UP: Stay and play at 14 West hotel in O.C. (
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Orange County, Calif., is perhaps best known as the home of Disneyland. Or maybe you’re more familiar with the area from watching the teen soap, “The O.C.,” or “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” But along the 42 miles of shimmering Pacific Ocean shoreline in this conservative SoCal enclave, you’ll find refuge in some of the most beautiful beach sanctuaries in the country. Here’s a guide to enjoying Orange County without Mickey or any reality-show drama. California, here we come.

Play

O.C.’s beaches are free to the general public, and are great for more than just sunbathing. You can explore tide pools, scuba dive and, of course, surf. Access to some beaches requires paying to park in nearby lots. For calmer waters, rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards at Newport Aquatic Center; guided tours and lessons are available (from $14/hour, 1 White Cliffs Dr., Newport Beach, newportaquaticcenter.com). For surfing, head to the Huntington Beach pier. Board and wet-suit rentals are at Bruce Jones Surfboards (from $20/half-day; 16927 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, brucejones.com).

Eat

Whether you’re stopping by the Beachcomber in the Crystal Cove Historic District for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’s all front-row seating to the Pacific Ocean — but the view, which if you’re lucky will include schools of swimming dolphins, is best before the sun sets. In the A.M., order the Big Bad Bloody Mary to balance your steak chilaquiles served with guajillo sauce and cotija cheese (15 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, thebeachcombercafe.com).

You can come to the West Coast and still get your Mario Batali fix. Pizzeria Mozza, the Batali/Nancy Silverton collaboration next to a Ferrari dealership along a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, instantly became one of the hardest reservations in town when it opened in late 2011 — and it still is. You’ll want to first order the pane bianco, delicious slabs of wood-fired bread doused in olive oil, and the Mozza caprese, with still-on-the-vine roasted cherry tomatoes atop creamy burrata, before digging into the Neapolitan-style pies topped with ingredients such as stinging nettles, hot sopressata and house-made fennel sausage (800 West Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, pizzeriamozza.com).

If you’d like to observe a real O.C. housewife in her natural habitat, the lounge at Javier’s, an upscale Mexican restaurant and tequila bar in tony Newport Beach, is prime feeding ground. Expect to see bleached blondes in bedazzled skinny jeans grazing on perfectly spicy housemade salsa, creamy queso fundido and a wide array of margaritas (7832 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, javiers-cantina.com).

Shop

Fashion Island is the outdoor mall to beat all outdoor malls, with its scenic ocean views, valet parking and upscale boutiques offering everything from French macarons to Louis Vuitton bags and Dita eyewear (401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, shopfashionisland.com).

Stay

The modern, sky-lit studios at the 14 West boutique hotel are designed so guests feel less like they’re checking into a hotel and more like they’re staying in a very chic, clutter-free second home that’s mere steps from the beach. The staff recommends the supermarket across the way so guests can cook meals in their kitchenettes, which are outfitted with granite counters, stove-top ranges and refrigerators. Each of the 14, individually decorated, top-floor studios opens onto the same sunny courtyard where you can sunbathe, barbecue or relax in the hot tub. For minimalists, try the Malibu room with its black slate floors and clean white furnishings; more earthy aesthetes should consider the warm-hued Manhattan (from $119, 690 South Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 14westlagunabeach.com).

It’s not easy to get a reservation for one of the modest, 1930s/40s-era Crystal Cove Beach
Cottages in the charming Crystal Cove State Park Historic District, situated in a secluded coastal nook. But if you do, your stay will be unforgettable and quite possibly the best O.C. beachfront real estate deal you’ll ever land (from $42; 35 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, crystalcovebeachcottages.com).