Feb 12, 2020
The blue cottage on the cliff has been nestled over the ocean for nearly eighty years, its lightly weathered wood siding blending with sea, land, and sky. Once called “Provence Cottage,” charming Cottage #33 has been restored and renamed as “Romantic Retreat,” and is now part of the year-round overnight lodging at Crystal Cove. From […]
Jan 15, 2020
In the late 1930s, four young women pooled their money to build a palm-frond-covered beach cottage at Crystal Cove. Perched on an ocean-front bluff above winding brick stairs, the retreat was originally called “Elmarudor.” Nearly a century later, the palm fronds have been replaced with dark shingles and the cottage is now available for public […]
Jan 15, 2020
I first started staying at Crystal Cove approximately 3 years ago during a very difficult time in my life. I found when I rented a cottage for one or two days, I could forget about everything else. I would read books, walk on the beach, sit and enjoy the fabulous sunsets every evening (I must […]
Dec 12, 2019
“The whole glorious story of … Crystal Cove” is the one Christine Shirley wanted visitors to understand when they visited Cottage #23, “Casita del Mar” on the North Beach. Christine first started visiting the cove in the 1930s, and acquired the lease to Cottage #23 in 1967. Among the terms she used most to describe […]
Nov 14, 2019
Back in 1982, a Los Angeles Times article on the Crystal Cove Historic District reported “It was almost as if all the houses were just rooms belonging to one great house.” This description captures the spirit of community and of place that has emerged at Crystal Cove over the decades. While the original character and history […]
Oct 16, 2019
In 1968, artist Alice Powell and her husband Tom acquired Cottage #32, also known by the whimsical “Hi-de-Ho” sign displayed on its exterior. Alice was a ceramicist who kept a kiln and workshop in the backyard of the cottage and hand painted her original fired work. Tom passed away in 1987, and Alice later […]
Sep 12, 2019
An adventure in time travel begins every third Sunday at noon at Crystal Cove. Laura Davick, Founder Emeritus of Crystal Cove Conservancy, started offering an informal tour of the past, present, and future of the 12-acre Historic District way back in 2001. The cottage residents had just moved out, and the walking tour was […]
Aug 14, 2019
Crystal Cove was a natural paradise discovered by artists, tent campers, and the silent film industry more than a century ago. From as early as 1917, movie studios planted palm trees to make the Cove even more cinematically tropical. It’s believed that every palm at Crystal Cove was planted by a Hollywood studio, including the […]
Jul 17, 2019
As the summer heats up at Crystal Cove and the clouds finally begin to part, we have some great news to share with you about our efforts to restore the North Beach Historic Cottages! Approved by Governor Gavin Newsom, Crystal Cove State Park will receive $2.9 Million in funding through the new state budget! These […]
Jul 17, 2019
Summertime has always been the busiest season at Crystal Cove, and from early days, there was a summer store right on the beach to serve the summertime Cove community. The first summer store was a palm-thatched snack stand. By 1935 it had been replaced by the red and white Soda Shack. After the Soda Shack […]
