A visit to Balboa Island
On the ferry arriving back to Balboa Pier.
A view of the harbor from Balboa Island.
We recently traveled down to LA to bring our daughter home from college for the summer. Before our visit as we planned out our itinerary, a friend suggested we make a visit to Newport Beach and Balboa Island. It sounded like fun; so we decided to pick a day and go for it.
A view of Balboa Island.
Located near Costa Mesa, California, Balboa Island is in the center of a peninsula at Newport Beach. You can take a ferry ride over to the Island just a short distance away for $1 each way. The architecture there is very quaint, and there is a nice boardwalk you can walk down with a view of the harbor full of sailboats, yachts, and other vessels. One of the things that struck me as I was walking around was how each little cottage or home was unique. Some are very beachy, others had a Mediterranean style, some modern, but most all quite cared for.
I thought this little cottage was cute.
I also observed how well all of the flowers grow and thrive in this area with the moderate temperatures. As I walked along down the path with my family, my mother-in-law and I were quite mesmerized by some of the So Cal native plants. One, in particular, was the Matilija Poppy. It is so beautiful with its light airy petals and bright yellow pom-pom center. They were quite cheerful looking lining some of the homes we passed by. The attention to detail in the front yard flower plantings of these beach front gardens was so lovely.
Here's a close-up pic I took of the Matilija Poppies. I love their delicate white wavy petals. They are about 4 inches in diameter.
This magenta Bougainvillea captivated our attention.
The flowers in combination with the beautiful water view, sailboats, and sand was charming. There isn't a lot to do on Balboa Island itself, but it would be a great place to stay for a relaxing weekend at a B & B. It is in a great location, and there are lots of other things around it that you can do, like shopping some of the boutiques along the pier. If you like the ocean, it is a great place to take some pretty photos as well. It was definitely a fun adventure, and we all enjoyed our day.
Walking along the island path.