In Focus: Sustainable Living in Laguna Beach

Sustainability is the name of the game on this fun, informative tour of Laguna Beach. In addition to exploring the area with a local, you’ll get to see first hand the efforts being made to preserve the natural environment, from beach clean-ups to marine mammal rehabilitation. Sip an organic coffee along the way and take advantage of some envy-inducing photo opportunities at some of Laguna Beach’s top sights.

We will meet at the Lifeguard tower in Laguna Beach, the most photographed lifeguard post in the US! From there (after snapping a few pics), we’ll start our tour with a stroll along the beach cliffs overlooking the Pacific and learn more about how Laguna Beach fights against the ocean plastic epidemic with community beach clean-ups and diving events organized by Project Aware, designed to rid the area’s unique kelp beds of plastic waste.

Next it’s time for a cup of organic coffee at Urth Caffé. Unfortunately, coffee is the heaviest chemically treated food commodity in the world and the coffee industry is wrought with environmental destruction, deforestation, and social oppression. In support of passionate, sustainable, organic coffee farmers, Urth Caffè has sought to bring the greatest coffee to its customers; coffee that is not only superb, but also healthier for the people who grow it, who drink it, and for the world. 

After a coffee we’ll make our way to the Laguna Beach bus station for a ride into the Laguna Canyon, part of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, to visit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC). The PMMC rescues, rehabilitates, and releases marine mammals. The center is a non-profit organization and the first marine mammal rehabilitation facility in California. We will be met by a volunteer who will show us some of the patients currently recovering at PMMC and explain how the center operates. By joining a tour with Orange County Urban Adventures your donation goes directly towards fresh and healthy food and medication to help rehabilitate these stranded mammals.

After visiting the centre, we’ll go for a brief, scenic walk into the Laguna Canyon, part of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. The park lies within some of the last remaining coastal canyons in Southern California. Forty miles of trails lead park-goers through oak and sycamore woodlands and up onto ridges with expansive scenic vistas. The park is part of the Natural Community Conservation Planning Program, which is designed to protect rare and endangered species by preserving large tracts of Orange County’s rapidly disappearing coastal sage scrub plant community. 

Next,  we’ll take the bus back to downtown Laguna Beach to walk to our final destination: Active Culture Cafe. Along the way you’ll learn more about the vibrant street art of Laguna. At Active Culture Cafe you can enjoy amazing frozen yogurt, acai bowls, or vegan or vegetarian lunch options. The cafe operates as eco-friendly as possible and promotes sustainable food culture. From here, you’re free to head back to your accommodation, or ask your guide for suggestions for what else to see and do in vibrant Laguna Beach.

In Focus: Our In Focus tours are run in partnership with local NGOs, non-profits, and social enterprises tackling real local issues — and offer you the chance to hear real stories from real people, who are working to make the world a better place, one project at a time.