El Matador Beach is a small cove in western Malibu, one of 3 pocket beaches inside Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach. You park on the bluff, walk a dirt trail, and take a long staircase down to the sand. Entry is free, parking is not.
El Matador is one of the most photographed beaches in Malibu. Sea stacks stand offshore, a cave cuts into the base of the cliff, and tide pools come out at low water.
It’s easy to drive straight past the turnoff. There’s a small brown sign on the ocean side of PCH, half a mile east of Encinal Canyon Road, then a dirt trail and a long staircase down the bluff. Check the tide before you go. At low water you’ll get the cave and the tide pools. But when the tide is high the water runs to the cliff and parts of the beach disappear.
This is your full guide to visiting El Matador, from finding the turnoff and parking on the bluff to timing the tide so there’s a beach there when you arrive.
Our open-air tours head up the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica, so the driving and the parking are handled and you get a local guide for the stretch of coast between.
Cruise the Malibu coast with a stop at Malibu Pier on our Malibu Beaches, PCH & Celebrity Homes Open Air Tour, 2 hours from Santa Monica.
Sea Caves, Sea Stacks and Rock Arches at El Matador State Beach
El Matador Beach sits at the base of a tall sandstone bluff, and the rock down there looks nothing like the rest of the Los Angeles coastline. Most of the Southern California coast between Santa Monica and Zuma runs flat and wide. Here, the surf has worn arches through the sandstone, leaving free-standing towers out in the shallows.
The cave opens at the base of the cliff, faces straight out to sea, and fills with light at low water when you can walk inside it.
What you’ll find down there:
- Sea stacks, the free-standing rock towers out in the water
- A sea cave at the base of the bluff, open at low tide
- Sandstone arches cut through the rock by the surf
- Tide pools in the rocks at the north end, easy to explore on foot
- A long run of sand, when the tide cooperates
Photographers and commercial crews shoot here year-round, at sunrise and again at golden hour, and El Matador turns up regularly in fashion and advertising work. For everywhere else in the city, our guide to the best places to take pictures in Los Angeles covers where to point a camera.
Finding El Matador Beach in Malibu, California
The turnoff comes off Pacific Coast Highway on the ocean side, in western Malibu, half a mile east of Encinal Canyon Road. The posted address reads 32350 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265, roughly 10 miles up the coast from central Malibu.
Drivers miss it constantly. A small brown sign marks a short driveway, and at highway speed it arrives and disappears in about two seconds. Set your map to the address instead of watching for the sign, and you’ll save yourself a U-turn.
Three pocket beaches make up Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach, strung along the same stretch of coast:
- El Matador, the busiest of the three
- La Piedra, a smaller cove just west
- El Pescador, the quietest, furthest west
California State Parks puts the group about 30 miles northwest of Santa Monica, inside the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Our Malibu day trip guide maps the rest of the stops along this coast.
El Matador Beach Parking and Costs
Parking at El Matador Beach is paid, and the lot is small. One lot sits on the bluff, and it fills early on weekends and right through the summer.
Before you pull in:
- The lot is self-pay, so check the machine when you arrive
- Beach access is free. The fee covers parking only
- Street parking on PCH is free where the signs allow it, and real tow-away zones sit along the same stretch
- Weekday mornings give you the best shot at a space
Park on PCH if the lot is full, and cross where you can see a long way in both directions, since there’s no signal and no crosswalk on that stretch. If the parking math stops being fun, our guide to getting around Los Angeles without a car covers the alternatives.
The Walk and Stairs Down to El Matador Beach
To reach the beach you follow a dirt path from the parking lot, then several flights of wooden stairs down to the sand. The trail alternates between packed dirt and staircases the whole way, and the climb back takes more out of you than the descent did.
Take it at your own pace and you’ll be fine in both directions, though you’ll feel it on the way up if you’re carrying a cooler and a camera bag.
What the descent involves:
- Several flights of wooden stairs with dirt trail between them
- Closed-toe shoes with grip, since the dirt turns loose and gravelly, and slick after rain
- Portable restrooms in the parking lot, which is where the facilities end
- Picnic tables along the bluff top, the place to eat if the stairs don’t appeal
- Water and snacks packed in advance, since there is no food for sale at the beach and the nearest shops are back along PCH
Strollers and wheelchairs can’t make the descent, and the bluff top is the answer for anyone in that position. You get the full view over the cove and the sea stacks from up there, so the drive still pays off.
The View From the Top of the Bluff
The view of the Pacific from the top takes in the whole cove, the sea stacks and the water running between them. Picnic tables sit up there, so anyone sitting out the stairs still gets the best wide shot of the beach, and it’s the easiest place to wait while the rest of the group climbs down.
How to Time the Tide at El Matador Beach
At low tide the sand runs wide, the cave at the base of the cliff is open, and the tide pools sit exposed around the sea stacks. At high tide the surf comes right up to the bluff and covers whole sections of the beach.
Check a tide table before you leave, and aim for low tide if the cave and the pools are what you came for.
Timing the visit:
- Low tide in the morning gives you the cave, the pools and soft light together
- The beach narrows quickly on an incoming tide, so note the turn before you walk north along the sand
- Sunset is the busiest window, since the beach faces west and the light hits the stacks head on
- Sunrise and weekday mornings give you the quietest cove
Walking north at low tide opens up a long stretch of sand. Keep an eye on the water while you’re down there, since that stretch is underwater again once the tide is back in. For the rest of the city at golden hour, our roundup of the best sunset spots in Los Angeles covers where else to be.
Swimming, Dogs and What to Do at El Matador Beach
Come to El Matador for the scenery and the tide pools, not for a swim. The bottom is rocky, the surf comes in hard against the stacks, and there’s no lifeguard tower, no concessions and no shade. Bodyboarders and bodysurfers ride the waves here through summer and winter, so if that’s what you’re here for, you’ll have company. The water stays cool even through the warm months.
How people spend the time here:
- Walking the tide pools at low water
- Explore the cave and the arches while the tide stays out
- Photography, which brings a large share of the visitors
- A picnic on the bluff top, where the tables and the view are
- Sunset, with the stacks lit from the front
Two rules catch people out. Dogs stay off the sand at El Matador, as at the other California state beaches along this stretch, so pick a different beach if the dog is coming. Nothing is sold on site, so bring whatever you plan to eat and drink down the stairs with you.
Give it one to two hours, and you’ll have time for the stairs in both directions, the cave, the pools and a while on the sand. Pair it with the rest of the coast using our guide to outdoor activities in Los Angeles.
Visiting El Matador Beach With Family
Bring older kids and skip the stroller. Kids enjoy the tide pools and the cave for a good hour, and the stairs are the limiting factor rather than the beach itself. Families with toddlers tend to do better at Zuma, a destination in its own right, where the sand is flat and wide and the facilities are on site.
Other Beaches Near El Matador in West Malibu
Three beaches share this stretch of coast, and the other two see a fraction of the traffic. La Piedra Beach and El Pescador Beach sit just west of El Matador, down their own trails and staircases, with smaller lots and the same sandstone and surf. Drive on to either one when El Matador’s lot fills on a Saturday, and you’ll likely have more sand to yourself.
Along the same run of PCH:
- Zuma Beach, the famous wide flat county beach east of here with full facilities and a huge lot
- Point Dume, the headland above Westward Beach, with a cliff-top trail and winter whale watching
- Leo Carrillo State Park, further west, with its own tide pools and sea caves
- Nicholas Canyon Beach, a county beach a short drive west
Our roundup of the best beaches near Los Angeles covers the rest of the county, and the best day trips from Los Angeles guide puts this coast alongside the other travel destinations within reach of the city.
Fitting El Matador Into a Los Angeles Trip
Build El Matador into a half-day out of Santa Monica, and skip it if you’re trying to slot it between two other stops. The drive up PCH takes a while each way, and the beach asks for an hour or two once you add the stairs.
If you’re driving, go on a weekday morning at low tide and give yourself the whole morning. Start from the beach end of the city, and our guide to things to do in Santa Monica fills in the rest of the day.
If you’re not driving, the coast is still the best part of the day, and the open-air route up PCH covers the stretch between Santa Monica and the Malibu Pier with someone else watching the road.
See the Malibu coastline the easy way and browse our Santa Monica departures.
FAQ
Is El Matador Beach Worth Visiting?
Yes, for the rock formations and the tide pools rather than for swimming or sunbathing. The cove holds sea stacks, sandstone arches and a sea cave you can walk into at low tide, and none of the flatter beaches along this coast look anything like it. Give it one to two hours including the stairs.
Is El Matador Beach Free?
Entry is free. Parking in the bluff-top lot is paid at a self-pay machine, and free street parking is available along PCH where the signs allow it. The lot is small and fills early on weekends, so come on a weekday morning if you can.
Can You Swim at El Matador Beach?
Swimming is possible and the conditions make it a poor choice for most visitors. The bottom is rocky, the surf runs hard against the stacks, and there is no lifeguard tower at the beach. Bodyboarders and bodysurfers use the cove through both summer and winter.
Are Dogs Allowed at El Matador Beach?
Dogs are not permitted on the sand at El Matador State Beach, in line with the rules across California state beaches on this stretch of coast. Bring the dog to a county beach with a posted dog policy instead, and check the signage at the lot before you head down the stairs.
Is El Matador Beach Open After the Palisades Fire?
El Matador is open and operating normally. The January 2025 Palisades Fire burned through eastern Malibu and Pacific Palisades, and the western Malibu beaches sat outside that area. Pacific Coast Highway reopened to all traffic in 2025.
Where Is El Matador State Beach in Malibu, California?
El Matador State Beach sits on Pacific Coast Highway in west Malibu, California, half a mile east of Encinal Canyon Road at 32350 PCH. It is one of three coves inside Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach, about 30 miles northwest of Santa Monica. A dirt path and several flights of wooden stairs lead down to the sand from the bluff-top lot.
