The City of Angels and Its Many Faces
Los Angeles is a sprawling coastal city in Southern California, known as the world's film capital and for its year-round sunshine, Pacific beaches and creative energy. Founded in 1781 as a Spanish pueblo, it has grown into a mosaic of neighbourhoods, each with its own character. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is set to host them again in 2028, a measure of its confidence as a global stage.
Landmarks are everywhere. The Hollywood Sign watches over the hills, the Griffith Observatory gives sweeping views from its Art Deco summit, and the Getty Center brings art, architecture and gardens together above the city. Downtown has the Walt Disney Concert Hall, with its steel curves by Frank Gehry, and LACMA anchors Museum Row. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is the boulevard of luxury shopping, while the Santa Monica Mountains offer hiking trails within a short drive of the sea.
Beaches, Tacos and a Table in Every Language
The coast is the city's great gift. Venice Beach is a carnival of street performers, skaters and muscle-beach culture, Santa Monica Pier carries its famous Ferris wheel above the waves, and Malibu stretches north with surf breaks and cliffs. Further down the coast, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach offer a laid-back, volleyball-and-pier atmosphere. A drive along the Pacific Coast Highway at sunset, with the ocean glowing beside the road, is one of California's classic journeys.
Food is as varied as the population. Street tacos, Korean barbecue in Koreatown, sushi, French dip sandwiches and farm-fresh produce at the city's markets all sit alongside renowned restaurants. Grand Central Market downtown is a living showcase of this diversity. Music, from the Hollywood Bowl's summer concerts to intimate clubs on Sunset Boulevard, rounds out an evening. For a hotel group, Los Angeles offers a range from beach hotels to Hollywood landmarks, each with its own story.
Read the full Los Angeles guide on Visit Travel Group, or see LosAngeles.uk on Visit Travel Group.