Newport Beach
Newport's harbour was dredged from a marsh in 1936 and now holds around nine thousand vessels, with Balboa Island's ferry crossing three cars at a time since 1919. Ride the ferry, then follow the Balboa peninsula to the Wedge where bodysurfers ride a notorious shore break, and eat at the Crab Cooker rather than anywhere with valet parking.
Why go
Nine thousand boats in one harbour — dredged from a marsh in the 1930s and never quiet since. The Balboa Island ferry — three cars at a time, since 1919, across two hundred metres of water. The Wedge — a shore break at the harbour mouth that bodysurfers travel across the world for. Back Bay — a tidal estuary with herons and no development, ten minutes from the marina.
The character
Newport was a shallow estuary with a shifting sandbar until federal dredging in the 1920s and 30s cut a permanent channel and created the harbour, and the town is entirely a product of that engineering: eight islands, some natural and some made from dredge spoil, and around nine thousand vessels moored in a few square kilometres. It has been Orange County's boating centre ever since, and the yacht clubs here are older than most of the county.
The peninsula is the other half. Balboa is a strip of sand between harbour and ocean with a 1906 pavilion, a small pier and, at its tip, the Wedge — a wave created accidentally by a jetty built in the 1930s, where refracted swell doubles on itself and produces one of the heaviest shore breaks anywhere. The town holds both things comfortably: bay-side money and boat shows on one side, a bodysurfing subculture and fish tacos on the other, connected by a car ferry that has run for a century.
Places of character
Balboa Island ferry — three cars, four minutes, and the shortest route between two halves of the town. Balboa Fun Zone and Pavilion — 1906, with a Ferris wheel and the harbour cruise boats. The Wedge — at the peninsula's end; watch on a south swell and do not go in unless you know what you are doing. Back Bay Loop — a ten-kilometre path around the Upper Newport Bay estuary, with herons and no buildings. Crystal Cove — a state park south of town with 1930s beach cottages preserved and a mile of undeveloped sand. The Crab Cooker — a red shack serving fish on paper plates since 1951, and the town's unpretentious core.
The way to do it
Take the ferry rather than driving around the bay. Rent a Duffy — the small electric boats locals use — for an hour on the harbour. Cycle the Back Bay loop early for the birds. And eat at the shacks over anywhere with a valet; the difference in quality is negligible and the difference in character is large.
One perfect day
Coffee on Balboa Island, then the ferry across with the boats already moving. Cycle the peninsula to the Wedge and watch a set come through. Back for the harbour on a rented electric boat, an hour of drifting between moorings. Fish at the Crab Cooker for lunch. Afternoon at Crystal Cove: the cottages, the tide pools and a swim. Back through the Back Bay loop as the light drops and the herons come in. Dinner on the bay, and a last look at the harbour lights from the ferry landing.
Grand hotels
Balboa Bay Resort — on the water where the Balboa Bay Club opened in 1948; John Wayne kept a boat here. Lido House — a converted city hall on the peninsula, the definitive contemporary address in town.
When to go
Best expression: September, warm water, no fog, and the harbour still busy. Consider: December for the Christmas Boat Parade, running since 1908. Avoid if possible: the Fourth of July, when the peninsula is closed to traffic and heaving.
The frame
Ideal stay 2 nights · Minimum 1 night · Best arrival by car; the airport is inside the city · Airport SNA, 8 km · Walkability the peninsula and the island, not between them · Best without a car possible with bicycles and the ferry