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A charming row of Prohibition-era cottages renovated to remain frozen in time in California draw tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Crystal Cove State Park covers 3.2 miles of open beach and more than 2,000 acres of backcountry, making it one of the last remaining examples of a natural coastline in Orange County.
The park is also home to 46 candy-colored cottages that are perfect for visitors who want to relax against an idyllic backdrop and share in an interesting piece of Golden State history.
Reservations start at $49 per night and rise to $300, with eight newly restored units expected to be ready to rent this month.
The cottages, located between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, have proven extremely popular, with a 98 percent year-round occupancy rate.
The 46 candy-colored houses at Crystal Cove State Park in California attract tens of thousands of visitors each year
The cottages, located between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, rent for just $49 per night and rise to $300
Renovations to the cottages are underway, with eight new units expected to open to the public this month
Crystal Cove Conservancy, the nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the homes, describes them as “a historic coastal treasure.”
“To date, twenty-eight cottages and one Japanese schoolhouse have been fully restored, providing unique outings for visitors, a place for families to connect, and funding to help protect the 10,000-acre Crystal Cove State. Park,” the group wrote on their website.
Last year alone the area attracted 2.9 million visitors, and its history dates back more than a century.
In the 1910s, Crystal Cove – then part of the Irvine Ranch – attracted early Hollywood filmmakers, who shot Polynesian films on site. Its pristine beaches made it ideal for stories of shipwrecks and tropical islands.
Film crews built small thatched huts and brought palm trees from Los Angeles. After filming wrapped, some cabins were left behind and became the first vacation homes.
The 42 miles of coastline were targeted by rumrunners when the ban went into effect. Ships waited outside the country’s maritime borders to bring cargo into port, where they were met by men who loaded the goods into modest trucks.
Around this time, families became a returning community of summer visitors camping on the beach. Wanting permanent vacation homes, they later built cottages on beaches and cliffs.
Crystal Cove State Park covers 3.2 miles of open beach and more than 2,000 acres of backcountry, making it one of the last remaining examples of a natural coastline in the OC
The area attracted early Hollywood filmmakers in the 1910s who built most of the cottages to live in during production
The small thatched huts were abandoned to squatters after filming
The area was turned into a state park in 1979 at a cost of $32 million, making it the most expensive state park purchase in California history at the time.
The entire historic district was granted National Register of Historic Places status
In 1940, the Irvine Company sent a letter to the families, urging them to move their cottages if they wished. If they didn’t, the homes would become company property and part of a leasing system.
Crystal Cove was turned into a state park in 1979.
“We spent $32 million, which, if we extrapolate, is still probably one of our most expensive purchases,” said Jim Newland, program manager for California State Parks Strategic Planning & Recreation Services.
National Register of Historic Places status was also secured for the entire historic district.
“Today, the beach houses of Crystal Cove are the last remaining intact example of the vernacular architectural style that prevailed in California’s beach communities in the early 20th century, allowing visitors to step back into a bygone era,” the Conservancy wrote.
In 1997, the state signed a 60-year contract with private developers, who sought to turn the cottages into a luxury resort.
Crystal Cove Conservancy was founded in an effort to save the historic district from the bulldozer. They, along with other conservation groups, bought the contract to prevent this from happening.
The Irvine Company sent a letter to the campers in 1940 ordering them to vacate the cottages unless they attempted to be included in the leasing system.
The homes would be demolished in 1997, with a developer planning to build a new luxury resort on the land
This prompted the creation of Crystal Cove Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the site’s heritage
In 2001, all tenants were evicted by the state.
Instead of a resort, the cottages were restored for potential vacationers. The effort began in 2003 and the first overnight guests in the historic district came in 2006, also when the park’s Beachcomber restaurant opened.
“It’s just an amazing piece of land and then it was completely developed around our park, with luxury retail and a big resort called the Pelican,” Newland said.
The restoration is underway. The Heritage Legacy Project for California is restoring the last 17 cottages at Crystal Cove, a delicate job with a budget of about $55 million.
Today, 33 of the 45 cottages have been fully restored and host 24,000 visitors annually while generating revenue to support the Conservancy’s STEM education programs, which attract more than 10,000 students.
One of the last cottages to be renovated will host overnight programs for underserved high school students from across Southern California.
North Beach Tower (pictured) is the most expensive of the bunch at $320 per night
Vacationers on a budget can stay in a room in Cottage 29B for just $49
But for visitors, this is simply a fun and unconventional vacation spot.
The cheapest option is a $49 per night room in Cottage 29B.
Built in 1938, the dormitory-style home comes equipped with two ocean-view terraces, an eat-in kitchen, a small shared living room, and two full and two half shared bathrooms.
For visitors who want to enjoy a more expensive retreat, there’s North Beach Tower, a $320-per-night getaway that sleeps up to six people.
The windows in the living and dining room open to let in the sea breeze, while the windows at the front of the cottage have been reclaimed from old trams. Guests can toast the sunset at the U-shaped entertainment bar.
It seems there is something for everyone as three of the available cottages are physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Reservations can be made online at ReserveCalifornia.com or by calling (800) 444-7275.