Escondido Beach has been the subject of legal disputes for many years because it is not open to the public as required by city law. The Guardian claims that in the 1980s wealthy homeowners blocked access to the beach.
The California Coastal Commission fined two property owners during a June 7 hearing for restricting public access to the beach area near their homes. (Escondido Beach is located at Escondido Beach Road and Pacific Coast Highway)
“Escondido means ‘hidden’ in Spanish, and this beach has indeed remained difficult for the public to access well into the 21st century. Yet Escondido Beach is located in a highly popular area of central Malibu, near Paradise Cove and Escondido Falls, and within sight of Point Dume,” a summary from the California Coastal Commission revealed.
Property owners have agreed to pay fines and cooperate by redesigning public access sections to make them accessible to tourists after challenging these violations for more than 30 years.
Malibu, long regarded as a haven for the wealthy, has earned the nickname “Billionaire’s Beach” because celebrities and other prominent people buy lavish homes there. (According to Realtor.com, the average price of a home in the city is $5.5 million; it has a population of just over 10,000.)
As the Los Angeles Times reports, the founder of Bally Total Fitness and a former Paramount Pictures executive once owned the land on which the new access will be built.
While there is no schedule for when it will be open to the public, travelers can enjoy the more than 27 miles of public beaches in Malibu. The many beaches and the services available at each are highlighted on the California Coastal Commission map.