Terranea, California: A Coastal Retreat for Every Generation

There is no coastline more stunning in Southern California than the Palos Verdes Peninsula where the 102-acre Terranea Resort, located amidst pristine nature preserves, has offered a retreat for guests and residents since 2009. Here, schools of dolphin play just offshore, and gray whales pass by on their annual migration between Alaska and Mexico from December through May. Kelp beds and tide pools teem with marine life. Millions of years ago, the peninsula was part of the Channel Islands, eventually breaking away and fusing to the mainland. Now, the outline of Catalina Island can be seen on the horizon about 22 miles away.

In March, our extended family gathered at Terranea to celebrate my husband’s birthday, a three-day event that brought family from as far away as Boston. The resort was already special to us because our son Bryon proposed to now wife Jessie several years ago along the shore. The resort offered something for everyone, from Bryon and Jessie’s youngest daughter, now three years old, to “Cappy,” the young-at-heart family patriarch. The grandchildren loved swimming in the expansive Resort Pool with its 140-foot water slide, splash pad, family lawn games, and a poolside bar and grill. There are three more pools including the Vista Pool for guests 13 years old and up, and the Cielo Point Pool on the ocean’s edge for the 21-plus crowd, which serves cocktails and light bites with DJs on summer weekends. 

Terranea also offers daily activities, events, and experiences. Guests can kayak through the kelp beds, explore the tide pools along the peninsula, or go fishing with experienced guides who highlight the local marine life and other natural wonders, excursions that are not only fun but informative. Or, try stand up paddle boarding along the coast or take up archery on the resort’s beach cove. Learn about the area’s geography, flora, and fauna on self-guided nature walks. Take a hike to the historic Point Vicente Lighthouse, once the brightest beacon in Southern California, where as legend has it, the ghostly image of a woman has been seen walking in the 87-foot tower.  

Our family especially enjoyed a meet-and-greet with Joe Roy, Terranea’s resident falconer — and raconteur — for the past ten years, who has worked with magnificent birds of prey since the 1970s. We met Tomahawk, a Harris’s hawk, Owlbert, a Eurasian eagle owl, and Samy, a Gyr-Saker falcon hybrid. The birds shoo away seagulls, pigeons, and crows that would otherwise overrun the property. “Seagulls used to eat hot dogs off the tables,” Roy remembers. “It was ‘Gulls Central.’” Roy also talked about falconry’s fascinating history which, to his knowledge, dates back about 5,000 years in what is now modern-day Syria.

Several family members played a round of golf on The Links at Terranea, a top-rated par-3 and nine-hole ocean view course. Director of Golf Mike Hill notes the course is rated the second-best short course in the country by NBC Sports Next’s GolfPass in 2022. Golfers like the course’s perfect condition, difficult greens, lots of banks and traps, and of course, you can’t beat the view. Test your putting skills on the resort’s six-hole mini course. Or, play some of the most famous courses in the world — at least virtually. Groups of up to six can book the premium golf studio and simulator experience.

On a previous visit, I headed to the 50,000-square-foot Spa at Terranea for a relaxing facial and a healthy spa lunch, and then stretched out on a chaise by the adults-only pool with a dazzling view of the Pacific. Spa treatments are geared to guests’ circadian rhythms — for example, a “Sound Sleep” experience in the late afternoon for a jet-lagged guest, or an invigorating ocean sea salt exfoliation for an early riser. The spa uses many marine-based products in its treatments including seaweed for a replenishing wrap. The spa also has a full-service salon, boutique, and fitness center offering classes indoors and out that include “Sunrise Stretch & Flex,” “Seaside Yoga,” and “Terranea Total Body.” 

The resort has a range of dining options including the casual, seaside Nelson’s, an indoor-outdoor bar and grill where our family gathered around a fire pit and picnic tables overlooking the coast to feast on clam chowder, lobster rolls, seafood salad, burgers, and fish tacos with spicy margaritas. The restaurant is named after the fictional character Mike Nelson, a former Navy diver played by Lloyd Bridges in the television series Sea Hunt which aired from 1958-1961 and was partly filmed along this stretch of California coastline. Since then, many movies and TV shows have been filmed on the coast and in the coves that border Terranea, including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Aviator, Charlie’s Angels, and GI Jane.

Mar’sel — Spanish for “sea” and French for “salt” — offers fine dining and signature cocktails inside or on the ocean view terrace at sunset. Chef Fabio Ugoletti and his team offer exquisite fare showcasing the bounty of the area including fresh fish (nearby San Pedro is a fishing port) as well as organic vegetables, meats, cheeses, and even salt produced at the resort’s Sea Salt Conservatory right on property. Order the chef’s special tasting menus for an unforgettable culinary experience. 

The Catalina Kitchen, overlooking the pool and coast, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a lovely dining room or outside on the patio shaded with umbrellas. Choose from starters, salads, pizzas, pastas, and entrees. We especially liked the deviled, deep-fried eggs as an appetizer, and top choices for the mains were the short ribs and pan seared salmon with creamed corn and tarragon aioli.

Our family’s favorite spot was the casual, convivial Bashi, where we feasted on Pan-Asian cuisine: sizzling “Shaking Beef,” a house specialty; platters of sushi and sashimi; miso-glazed salmon with bok choy; and Shanghai-style garlic noodles with chicken. First-rate service was both friendly and efficient. The restaurant also hosts karaoke later in the evening.

When the kids were tucked away, the older “kids” hit the wood-paneled Lobby Bar & Lounge for beer, cocktails, and live music. This is a great place for casual bar bites and burgers, either in the lounge, the adjoining living room, or outside on the lovely terrace with views of Catalina Island. 

On my husband’s birthday, we hosted a buffet lunch in the lovely Santa Rosa Room with drinks on the ocean view terrace. Entertainment included a slide show of family photos and a video about my husband’s career as a U.S. Air Force pilot, his service in Vietnam, and his years as a Delta Airlines captain. There were toasts (rather than roasts), music, and lots of dancing (yes, even a conga line), capping off a perfect weekend. 

Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a relaxing vacation, or a family celebration, Terranea takes the (birthday) cake. 

To learn more about the history of Terranea, click here.