Love, the Portuguese Way

A Romantic Day in and Around Portuguese Bend Reserve

The only way to improve the awe-inspiring views from Portuguese Bend Reserve is to share them with someone special! A hike here, high above the Pacific in Rancho Palos Verdes, is a perfect centerpiece for a day filled with fresh air, sunshine, and love.

Portuguese Bend is one big interconnected trail system, so be sure to check the map at the trailhead to get your bearings. All of the trails begin with the Burma Trail, and from there, you can mix and match. For example, forge a 2-mile loop by following the Paintbrush and Ishibashi Trails back to the Burma Trail. You’ll weave through fields of coastal grasses, lemonadeberry, and prickly pear cactus while taking in breathtaking views of the coastal headlands below, and Catalina Island in the distance.

Portuguese Bend is close to many amazing dining options. Our top pick? Catalina Kitchen at the Terranea Resort, serving an American menu with a California flair, crafted with local seasonal ingredients. They’re offering a special Valentine’s Day menu all week. An alternative? Pack a picnic and spread a blanket on the wide-open lawn in Del Cerro Park. Enjoy those same views from a seated perspective, and maybe take in a winter sunset.

From Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance, go south on Crenshaw Blvd. 3.9  miles to Del Cerro Park, which is adjacent to Portuguese Bend Reserve. Park in the small parking lot, or look for street parking if the lot is full. Pay attention to posted parking signs. Park is open until 1 hour after sunset. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View