El Matador Beach

A few months ago I put a post on Facebook asking my friends to leave bucket list travel destinations….places many people have never heard of.My friend Susan who lives in England sent me a photo via pinterest of a place in Malibu, California called the Matador Caves which is at El Matador Beach.  I was excited about this one as I would soon be able to cross it off the list. I already had a trip planned to Los Angeles with my daughter and her best friend.

I’ve been to California many times over the years however I had never even heard of Matador Caves. Located off of Pacific Coast Highway just north of Malibu is El Matador State Beach. After arriving in LA, we headed straight to Malibu which if you’ve ever been on PCH you know is no quick trip. It took us over a hour to get there. Honestly, had I not been on a mission to find the caves I would have missed the entrance for this hidden gem. Keep your eyes wide open when visiting. There’s a small parking lot at the beach however it was full when we were there. Additional parking can be found along PCH. Pay attention to where you park because I saw several tickets being written.

The beach was packed with sunbathers, photographers, and sightseers.

Such a gorgeous view from the top.

We knew it was going to be a hike to get down the caves and I eventually lost track of how many stairs there were. A little tip…wear proper shoes! Sandals/flip flops are not suggested.

Before we made it to the bottom, I snapped these shots of individuals who were in the middle of a photoshoot. I’m not sure if they were models or if these were their wedding photos. Either way..absolutely gorgeous.

Once we made it to the caves you pretty much had to jump in for your chance for a photo. It was certainly a popular spot. Here’s a photo of my daughter and I.

The girls at the caves.

If you ever find yourself in Malibu, I highly recommend visiting El Matador Beach. Out of our entire trip to Los Angeles, this was one of the girl’s favorite places. On my next visit, I plan to spend an entire day here basking in the sun and taking in my stunning surroundings. I also would love to have the opportunity to snap a few photos at sunset.