Discover cool things to do
in Dana Point

In 1835, during his service aboard the merchant brig Pilgrim that formed the basis for his classic American memoir “Two Years Before the Mast”, Richard Henry Dana Jr. described the headland area that would become Dana Point California, and the San Juan Capistrano Mission village just to the south, as “the only romantic spot on the coast”. In the 1950s, American surf culture and the modern surfboard were both born in Dana Point waters. Surf culture still thrives in this wealthy coastal enclave. Surf lessons are a top attraction in Dana Point, along with the legendary 250-year-old San Juan Capistrano Mission, the Ocean Institute, and activities like sailing, kayaking, whale watching, and wine tasting.