Go the the Left of the West Coast to Surf-Happy Malibu

With downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood less than an hour drive, Malibu can either be a stand-alone vacation spot or a place to stay slightly off the beaten path from most central Los Angeles destinations. Always a popular surfing Mecca for sun-drenched surfers carrying boards under their arms with their eyes focused on the surf, Malibu has a special allure with nippy beach temperatures at night, casual outdoor seafood restaurants, and a more relaxed shopping area than Melrose Place or Beverly Hills. Of course, star sightings are just as prevalent. All you have to do is keep your eyes off the mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Getting to the LA area from New York City just got easier, and you can thank Jet Blue (tel. 800/JET-BLUE; www.jetblue.com) for that. The discount airline recently opened air routes to Burbank, a small airport in the San Fernando Valley, within driving distance to all points Malibu and central Los Angeles. Round-trip airfare from JFK starts at $238, based on availability. You'll find the lowest fares flying mid-week early in the morning or later in the evening. Round-trip flights from Buffalo Burlington, Vermont go for $258 round-trip. From Washington, D.C., flights to Long Beach Airport, 39 miles south of Malibu, start from $198 round-trip.

For a place to stay, the Malibu Beach Inn (tel. 800/4MALIBU; www.malibubeachinn.com) is a small boutique hotel located on the beach just off the Pacific Coast Highway. Owned by music mogul David Geffen, the Malibu Beach Inn is a pink palace overlooking the hard-hitting surf. Ninety percent of the rooms face the ocean, and the hotel has a small patio where waves can hit during high tide. The hotel serves a four o'clock tea on the veranda complete with a full-service bar. On cool nights, a fire pit keeps the hotel patio warm. Rooms are large and comfortable with free wireless Internet access. Some rooms have small hot tubs; others have working faux electric fireplaces. Normal rates start at $190 for a partial beach view and go to $540 for a Colony Suite with full ocean views. The sound of the large surf is constant. For an additional $50, you can sign up for the hotel's romance package which includes champagne or sparkling cider waiting for you in your room, a box of chocolates, roses along with your turndown service and a continental breakfast delivered to your room. From the hotel's beachfront area you get a close-up view of the next door beachfront mansions on Malibu's Carbon Beach.

Right on the beach Casa Malibu (tel. 310/456-2219) has non-ocean view rooms starting from $99 and full-ocean view suites going up to $400. There's no hotel bar, but the hotel supplies beer and wine for its guests looking to watch the sunset while sipping some cabernet. On certain spring days, whales are known to cruise by on the Malibu beach and dolphins have nosed right up around the shoreline.

When you get a hankering for some fruit de mer, head to The Reel Inn (tel. 310/456-8221; 18661 Pacific Coast Hwy at the corner of Topanga), which serves every kind of seafood imaginable. Whether you like your fish fried, grilled or sautéed, The Reel Inn does it just the way you want it; pick your fish, tell them how you want it cooked, pick your sides (the onion rings and fried zucchini are personal favorites) and pay. After that, all you have to do is pick your seat at any of the indoor and outdoor picnic tables and wait for them to bring you your meal.

For shopping, the Malibu Country Mart (www.malibucountrymart.com) off the Pacific Coast Highway on Cross Creek Road is an outdoor galleria with furniture, clothing and accessory stores. In the middle of the outdoor mall is a large playground for children. It's a perfect way to end a nice day or start a nice night. You might even catch an Angelina Jolie sighting, or see a Hollywood icon like Ali McGraw enjoying a casual afternoon coffee or ice cream.

Talk about what to see and do in Malibu with fellow Frommer's travelers on our California Message Boards today.