The Los Angeles Lighthouses

July 3rd, 2024

I met my friend Tarun at a tennis tournament ten years ago when I wandered up to him to test my Tamil. Rather than laugh awkwardly and shuffle away, he invited me to hang out with him in Los Angeles and attend Anime Expo (okay, there was some stuff in the middle, but that's not relevant here.) Despite living in LA for a few years now, Tarun hasn't seen any of the lighthouses in his backyard, so the first item on my West Coast agenda was obviously to hit them all, armed with watermelon juice and Lays.

Point Fermin Light (93)

Our first stop was Point Fermin, a charming station on a bluff south of the airport. This is a lesser known lighthouse, but most enthusiasts probably recognize the same architectural fingerprint as that found on East Brother Island in the Bay Area (and thus obviously Hereford Inlet in New Jersey). The grounds were quite lovely, and would honestly be great picnic territory.

Angel's Gate Light (94)

As we retreated down the road from Point Fermin, we came across an insane overlook of the Los Angeles Harbor, where we could make out Angel's Gate Light on its breakwater. Breakwater lights aren't quite as exciting to visit up close, so we settled for the distant view, but with the sailboats and freighters coming in and out of the harbor that evening, the view from the bluff was honestly better than walking up the breakwater could have been.

Point Vicente Light (95)

Our final destination was Point Vicente Lighthouse, and in all honesty, this might be one of the prettiest lighthouses I've ever seen. It's an active Coast Guard station, so we weren't able to approach the lighthouse, but the surrounding area is a gorgeous park with paths along the cliffside. Every photo you could possibly take of the lighthouse looks like a wallpaper that Windows might come shipped with. If there is one thing you do in Los Angeles, I think visiting Point Vicente should be it.