Laguna Beach Voted Best in the West - #1 Beach

Laguna came in first in Sunset's July reader issue story on the West's top 10 beaches, beating out 'Aliomanu Beach on Kauai's northeast shore and Cape Blanco State Park in Oregon.

The Menlo Park-based magazine with a circulation of 1.3 million and some 4.5 million readers polled them in print and online for the last few months for their biggest ever reader issue and Laguna was the highest vote getter, an editor said.

"Laguna Beach is No. 1," said Peter Fish, Sunset's editor-at-large. "We used reader input and then our own expertise. It's such a special place. The coastline there is so phenomenally beautiful and the nice trails and all the flowers and city parks. It just doesn't get any better than that."

Fish acknowledged that he was a tad surprised by the pick.

"I would have expected a beach in Hawaii and our readers tend to love the Oregon coast a lot," he said. "I can't entirely explain it, but it's certainly justified."

Lagunans are not amazed.

Mayor Kelly Boyd grew up surfing the beaches in town, like those at Brooks and Thalia streets.

"Of course it's an honor," he said of Sunset readers' top 10 list. "It doesn't surprise me, no. We've got some of the best coves and beaches on the coast, have had them for years."

"Wow," said Ann Christoph, longtime Laguna Beach resident and former mayor of this seaside city when she was told of the No. 1 ranking in the West. "We'd probably rather keep it top secret, not that we could."

Christoph said she didn't have one favorite beach in Laguna, but the landscape architect pointed out the ability to see the beaches from so many different vantage points.

"It's a whole series of interesting coves and each cove has its own character," she said. "Some are quite secluded and some like Main Beach are very busy.'

To read the full Sunset magazine story on the top 10 best beaches in the West, you can visit www.ocregister.com