Special Places · Victoria Beach, Laguna Beach
Victoria Beach
Above one of Laguna Beach's most photographed stretches of coastline sits a classic 1940s three-bedroom, three-bath cottage — the kind of oceanfront home that doesn't get built anymore, kept in the same family for generations and rarely photographed at all. From the private deck, the view drops straight down into the "Mermaid Pool," a natural ocean-fed tide pool carved into the rocks, with the landmark "Pirate Tower" just to the north. Inside, sun-bleached wood ceilings, deep window seats, and a wraparound deck frame an unbroken run of Pacific horizon all the way to Catalina Island. A string of storms rolled through the week of this shoot, and the best frames came in the clearing gaps right after the rain, when the light was sharpest and the coast looked freshly washed. It's a property built for golden hour — the kind of light that's made this corner of Victoria Beach a fixture on postcards and Instagram feeds alike.
