If you think you know everything about Southern California, that it’s all beaches and theme parks, think again! Costa Mesa is where the real magic happens. Known as the City of the Arts®, this crown jewel of Orange County is all about unforgettable experiences. Think Broadway-calibre theater, shopping that puts Rodeo Drive to shame, and a foodie scene that boasts the only Michelin-starred restaurants in OC. If glitz and glamor isn’t your scene, try indie creativity with hidden-gem boutiques, vintage photobooths, and quirky experiences like snake yoga. Read on to find out what you can do in Costa Mesa that you can’t do anywhere else.

You can find Costa Mesa nestled between Los Angeles and San Diego, so it’s an easy drive for locals. If you’re further away, fly into John Wayne Airport (SNA) to beat the LAX crowds.

Exclusive Bites

Celeb chef-turned-actor Matty Matheson (you probably recognize him from The Bear) opened Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club in Toronto, where it received gangbuster reviews. You don’t have to fly to Canada to get a taste of one of these saucy, saucy burgers or gooey poutine: the only other location is in Costa Mesa! (P.S. Get the Pineapple Soft Serve for dessert. It’s the perfect finish.)

Photo by @mattyspattysburgerclub

Mercado Gonzalez is a 70,000-square-feet Mexican market transplanted to Costa Mesa. The food choices are plentiful, and traversing the whole thing can be an all-day adventure. No need for plane tickets or border crossings here; just show up hungry. For that extra dose of exclusivity, we rec the churros from Churrería El Moro, since Mercado Gonzalez is the flagship U.S. location where you can try their famous treats.

Photo by @elmoro_usa

Wild & Wonderful Experiences

Ain’t no fair like the OC Fair! Running from mid-July to mid-August, this summer extravaganza has rides, live music with artists like Melissa Ethridge, Fitz & the Tantrums, and Blues Traveler, and deep-fried everything, along with fresh, healthier options. The excitement doesn’t end when the fair does, either: the Event Center hosts events all year. (We live for the OC Japan Fair for the incredible Japanese food vendors.) The OC Fair brings all the classic, nostalgic fun of a county fair, but bigger, better, and with Southern Californian flavor.

Got a case of FOMO? Try out viral experiences IRL in Costa Mesa, like LXRYoga’s famous (and adorable) snake yoga. Sure, goat yoga has been all the rage on the apps, but snake yoga is another thing entirely; the snakes are friendly and calm, there’s five minutes of photo opps to get your perfect snake selfie, and you get to hang out with a slithery new friend.

Photo by Jeff Gritchen

If snakes give you creepy-crawlies, there’s another viral hit in Booth by Bryant. Miss the old analog photobooths and their cute black-and-white pics? They’re a relic of the past, but in Costa Mesa, you can hop into a vintage booth and bring back memories or make new ones.

Photo by @sinadeinert

Costa Mesa’s known as The City of the Arts® for so many reasons, but a big one is the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). The museum is a love letter to modern and contemporary art, and especially to California. Best yet, because of an endowment, admission is free. Accessible, cultural, and thought-provoking, with frequent rooftop events and artist talks, OCMA is one the coolest places in the city.

Photo by @ocmamuseum

Retail Therapy

Costa Mesa has all sorts of shopping experiences that think outside of the box. The CAMP is a green, eco-conscious, and healthy-minded outdoor retail campus with tons of dining options, sustainable and artisanal shops, and even a ceramic and pottery studio. Every time we go to the CAMP, we find something new to obsess over; recently, it’s been the 2nd Street USA location, where we’re obsessed with the well-curated, premium secondhand goods.

Photo by @thecampoc

The LAB is not a mall; it’s an anti-mall. The variety of shops and restaurants—like Buffalo Exchange for thrifting, an Airstream trailer selling vinyls at Creme Tangerine, and Chef Atsushi Yokoyama’s Michelin-starred Hana re, just to name a few—puts hometown malls to shame. Not that we have anything against an Orange Julius, patron saint of our childhoods, but we’d much rather go to a speakeasy like RUIN and have a Kiki Kiwi cocktail.

Photo by @thelabantimall

We saved some of the best for last with South Coast Plaza. Not only is it the largest shopping center on the West Coast, with over 250 retailers, but it’s also the home to incredible food and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (where you can find OCMA). South Coast Plaza is the West Coast–exclusive home to brands like Alexander Wang, Missoni, Khaite, and Chopard. Beverly Hills who?

Photo by @southcoastplaza

Costa Mesa’s waiting with one-of-a-kind experiences. Bring your appetite, your sense of adventure, and your cutest comfy shoes to explore everything the city has to offer. But why rush? Book a room in one of our fabulous hotels to enjoy a multi-day experience.