Your guide to California's Newport Beach

Dubbed the 'Hamptons of Hollywood', and familiar to many thanks to The OC, this coastal city is a great stop on a Southern Californian road trip.

- Sara Crossley

Set between long stretches of the Pacific Ocean and the rugged San Joaquin Hills, Newport Beach embraces the same laid-back lifestyle as its neighbouring Californian beach towns but is set apart by a distinctly upmarket feel. You'll find stately mansions, boutique stores and restaurants serving seafood platters. But there's also whalewatching in the Pacific, a legendary surf break creating 30ft waves and a bohemian district of driftwood homes. The city is set a little over an hour's drive from both Los Angeles and San Diego, making it an ideal stop on a Southern California holiday itinerary.

Go whale-watching