I am an overseas first-time visitor to California (this coming March with any luck). I see that the Official Visitors Guide to Santa Monica includes as one of the rules of the beach "No Dressing or Undressing". How on earth is a visitor supposed to go for a swim without breaching this rule?!

As a supplementary question, I'm hoping to stay in a (reasonably) high end hotel in Santa Monica which has a large comfortable pool area, and looking for a recommendation. We plan to spend 4 days or more there, sightseeing in the morning/evening and sunbathing by the pool (or on the beach) in the afternoon.

There are several public restrooms/changing facilities along the beach there. I think they just don't want people changing out in the public eye... Sorry, can't help with the hotel recommendations. I'd go to www.tripadvisor.com and do some research.

Perhaps they would suggest you walk down the beach to Venice, where just about anything goes!

(Actually, I believe Venice is part of the City of LA, so LA city rules would govern there.)

In the US you put your swimsuit on UNDER your clothes when you go to the beach. (As opposed to europe - where I've seen - way too ,uch - of people trying to change under a towel.

You can take off your outer clothing - but you can't change into your suit on the beach. If there are changing rooms available - you can use them.

Consider Loew's (Loewe's?)Hotel which is right on the beach and next to the bike path to Venice, yet within easy walking distance of restaurants, etc. Big pool.

I suppose I was being too literal in my interpretation of the rule; but as written, "No Dressing or Undressing" would even preclude what nytraveler has explained, taking off outer clothing to strip down to one's bathing suit. And the rule presumably also means that you will often have to leave the beach wearing a wet bathing suit, unless changing facilities are provided. All in all, the rule seems a bit "precious" to me.

By the way, would late March be warm enough for sunning oneself on the beach in L.A.?

Yes, you wear your swimsuit under your dress/shorts/capris/whatever and peel.

The rule should not be read literally. It just means "Don't expose yourself".

We had nude/partially nude beaches in the '70's, but took a step back late 70's/early '80's into the prude country we are. There is one nude beach that I know of, up towards Santa Barbara.

As for your other question, Loewes sounds best for you.

In response to your final question, weather is hit or miss in March. It may be like today, with the Santa Ana heat/wind and it was just lovely beach weather! If so, you might be able to sunbathe, but swim -- unless you're from Trondheim or Brighton, you'll not want to brave anything other than a foot dip!

Surfergirl's got it. It's just a law they can use to arrest anyone who exposes genitals or breasts. However, when you see some of the girls in their itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-bikinis, you'll wonder what constitutes exposure.

Lots of surfers change from wetsuits to shorts while wrapped up in a beach towel.

We stayed at the Viceroy last July. It is not right on the beach but pretty close. Nice pool area (although the pool, itself, is not big) which seems to be a meeting-place for locals and somewhere to "see and be seen", but that might be true of most of the poolside bars, etc, in this area.

While there, we went down to Venice Beach. The beachfront walk is fine but we thought Venice was extremely tacky and a waste of time.

Tacky is the whole point.

They just don't want you to be naked on the beach (i.e., strip off your clothes THEN put on your bathing suit).

You are most certainly allowed to pull off your tshirt & short when you have a bathing suit already on under them!!!
suze, california native

We were in Venice Beach this past Sat. It is tacky, but the beach is there so pretty, there were several sailboats out the day we were there which were pretty. Beautiful, warm weather! ***kim***

Oh, there is no question about the attraction of the beach at Venice. It is, indeed, beautiful.

My point was that, like the OP, we had 4/5 days in Santa Monica and we used a half a day to go down for the Venice Beach experience. Each day on holiday is precious and, on reflection, we felt that we could have used that time better doing something else. For beach activity, we could have enjoyed the beach at Santa Monica just as well without the travel time.

If tacky is your thing, by all means go to Venice.

I live in another beach town not too far from Venice, and I can never understand the tourist attraction to the place unless you're into shopping while on vacation (which I'm not).

In Santa Monica, stay at the Fairmont or Shutters. Wonderful places and great locations.

Try not to be so literal - of course you can peel your clothes off as long as your swimsuit is already on your body and you don't take it off!

I'm from Oregon, Jean, where some of our visitors spend vacation days in coastal towns like Seaside and Lincoln City shopping in outlet malls. At least Venice Beach is interesting in its tackiness. And it's being so tacky that sets it apart from neighboring beach communities, making it a destination of sorts. Which is similar again to Seaside in Oregon, except that residents and visitors there seem to be in denial. ;-)

Beachbum - weren't you shocked that there were no restaurant nor hotel suggestions based on Googling or strolls through hotel lobbies? Hey, sailboats are easy. ***

Considering it was only one day, and the 6+ hours of driving to and from the Fresno area, I doubt there was time for much more than a drive-by visit of anything, TTess. Still, I won't be surprised....

Hey, Beachbum, I'm one of those visitors who spent a half hour at the shopping outlet in Lincoln City last year! Had to get out of relative's house and get a Marionberry Pie ice cream cone from the Tillamook store! LOL

Jean, as a fellow resident of MB, I agree with you about Venice Beach, but our visitors always want to check it out, since they've all heard of it.

Autodidact, I've stayed at Loew's, Shutters and Fairmont Miramar, and all are very nice, but think I like the pool at Loew's the best. Might be too cold in March, but it was 77 degrees here today. You never know.

Loew's Santa Monica is a very nice hotel with a very nice pool area.