El Pescador Beach
Best for. Travellers who love the drama of El Matador but not its crowd, the westernmost of the three pocket beaches with more sand and noticeably more room to yourself.
Best spot. The open western end of the cove, away from the stair foot, where the sand widens and you can set down with the bluff at your back and the cove to yourself.
Know this. There is no club and barely a facility here, just a small bluff lot, a vault toilet and a stairway down, so come early, travel light and check the tide before you descend.
El Pescador is the connoisseur's choice among the three pocket beaches. It is the westernmost and the least known of the Robert Meyer trio, which means it keeps the same handsome south facing cove and golden light as its famous neighbour El Matador while shedding most of the crowd. The reward for the few extra minutes of driving is room, more sand underfoot and the rare pleasure on this coast of a beautiful cove that is genuinely quiet on a weekday morning. This is where to come when you want the postcard without the queue for it.
Keep your expectations grounded, because the quiet comes at the usual price. There is no club, no cafe and barely a facility here beyond a small bluff lot and a vault toilet, and the way down is a stairway from the cliff. For a roomy easy day with comforts the wide beaches at Zuma and Westward are the answer, and for full drama with the crowd that comes with it, El Matador is next door. El Pescador is for the traveller who will trade convenience for space and calm, and pack accordingly.
The honest caveats are the tide and the parking. At higher water the sand narrows and the rocky edges cut off corners of the cove, so read the chart before you take the stairs down, and the small bluff lot fills early on fine days with little roadside space to fall back on. Arrive in the soft early light, carry everything you need, mind the rocks and the water, and El Pescador gives you the loveliest quiet cove of the three, the one the cameras have not yet crowded.
Where to eat near El Pescador
El Pescador has no club and no cafe, which is the point of it. The nearest polished tables are a drive east into central Malibu, on or near the water. Hours, access and any minimum spend are set by each venue and to be confirmed.
Photo: Nobu Malibu via GoogleNobu Malibu
The celebrated oceanfront dinner of the coast, a Japanese room on a deck over Carbon Beach a good drive east of here. It is a destination evening rather than a beach club, the natural reward after a quiet day at the far western beaches. Reserve well ahead, as the best terrace tables go first.
Photo: Carbon Beach Club Restaurant | Malibu Beach Inn via GoogleCarbon Beach Club
The oceanfront restaurant of the Malibu Beach Inn on Carbon Beach, a refined terrace over the sand for lunch, dinner or a sunset drink. It is the closest the coast comes to a polished beach club setting, attached to a hotel rather than to open sand. Treat it as a graceful close to the day on the drive home.
Closer to the cove there is nothing to buy, so pack everything and keep the table for the drive home. The full directory gathers the oceanfront venues across the coast, each confirming its own hours, dress and minimum spend when you enquire.
West Malibu, down the bluff stairs
El Pescador sits in the far west of Malibu among the three Robert Meyer pocket beaches, signed off the Pacific Coast Highway about an hour and a quarter from central Los Angeles depending on the traffic. A car is the only realistic way to arrive, as public transport along this coast is very limited.
The small bluff lot charges a fee and fills early, with little roadside space and brisk enforcement above. A stairway drops from the bluff to the cove, so wear sensible shoes, travel light and check the tide before you take the steps down.
Photo: Nathan Burroughs via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a table or a sunset dinner near El Pescador Beach in Malibu. We reply by email.
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Common questions about El Pescador Beach
Is El Pescador quieter than El Matador?
Yes. El Pescador is the westernmost of the three pocket beaches and the least known, so it keeps the same handsome cove and light while shedding much of the crowd that gathers at El Matador. Come on a weekday morning out of high summer and you may have a good stretch of sand to yourself.
Does El Pescador have facilities?
Very few. There is a small bluff lot and a vault toilet, with no snack bar and little shade, so carry water, food and sun cover. For full facilities and an easy day, the wide beaches at Zuma and Westward are the equipped alternative.
How do you get down to El Pescador Beach?
From the small bluff lot a stairway drops to the cove. It is a steady climb back up, so wear sensible shoes and travel light, and check the tide before you descend, as higher water narrows the sand.
Is El Pescador good for swimming?
It is the open Pacific with rock at the cove edges, cool and best for wading and a careful swim near the middle rather than long lengths. Patrols are limited, so mind the tide and the rocks, and for an easy guarded swim go to Zuma a short drive east.
Which of the three pocket beaches is best?
It depends on the day. El Matador is the most dramatic and the busiest, La Piedra is the smallest and most private, and El Pescador has the most sand and the fewest people. For room and calm, El Pescador is the quiet connoisseur's pick of the three.
