Malaga Cove

is the region along the North shoreline of Palos Verdes Estates from the Malaga Cove Triangle to Bluff Cove at the Margate border and inland from the ocean bluffs up the hill to the area near La Venta Inn and eastward to the Valmonte locale, and includes the Palos Verdes Country Club. This was the first area developed in Palos Verdes Estates and includes the famous 'Malaga Cove Plaza' commercial district replete with a 2/3 scale replica of the circa 1563 'Neptune Fountain' sculpture (La Fontana del Nettuno) located in Bologna, Italy. The fountain was donated to the city by the 'Palos Verdes Project'. This marble masterpiece was obtained from a villa north of Venice, Italy when it was already over 100 years old. The original statue crumbled and was replaced in 1969 with a slightly smaller model, however a fig leaf was added. Due to a history of vandalism, the fountain is under continuous video surveillance transmitted 24/7, to the police station.

The first building in Malaga Cove was the Gardner Building completed in 1925 at a cost of $57,500. La Venta Inn, located up Via del Monte at the top of Malaga Cove was the original  hospitality building to promote lot sales in the project (La Venta means 'the sale').

Malaga Cove has been a popular location for filming movie scenes and commercials. The Palos Verdes Police department, Library, city government offices, and county fire station are also located in Malaga Cove. The private Palos Verdes Pool and Athletic Club (formerly the site of the Roessler pool) is located on the ocean bluff by the Torrance beach. The former pool  and clubhouse completed in 1930, has been totally rebuilt in original Mediterranean motif and is located on the original site along the beach front next to the Neighborhood church. Adjacent to the pool is the comemorative gazebo dedicated to the memory of the first mayor, Fred Roessler.

Malaga Cove is also the site of the first school built in Palos Verdes, completed in 1926 on 7 acres next to the ocean bluff.

The Neighborhood church at one time was the Haggerty (department store magnate) estate and included a pier, seaplane tether and a boat dock. The neighborhood church purchased the Haggerty estate in 1950 for $65,000, and is a very popular wedding venue. La Venta Inn, completed in 1923,  is a beautiful Mediterranean style event site (weddings, etc.); that was once a restaurant frequented by such notables as Charles Lindbergh, Tyrone Power, Cary Grant, and Gloria Swanson. It has a magnificent view of the 'queens necklace' coastline and an outdoor venue for ceremonies.

Local lore has it that a trolley terminus was once planned behind the city offices and a dirigible landing site was envisioned at the end of Via Tejon. Until 2008 an old dynamite bunker was visible on the hillside above Bluff Cove where the roadway was blasted through in 1923 to connect Malaga Cove with Margate/Lunada Bay, however a new home was built on this site in 2008. This was called the 'Douglas Cut' and required detonation of 60 tons of dynamite; an event reputed to have been observed by as many as 20,000 spectators.

The Olmsted brothers (their father designed New York's Central Park ) were responsible for much of the park like ambiance design of the city, especially the Malaga Cove Plaza area. Frank Olmsted Jr. built the first bluff top home in Palos Verdes, on Rosita Place. The home is designated an historic site. Wild peacocks roam the Malaga Cove and canyon areas.

The Palos Verdes Country Club, located on 213 acres at the East end of Malaga Cove, is a semi-private championship golf course with a Mediterranean style clubhouse. The golf course was completed in 1925 at a cost of $40,000. Club membership is primarily restricted to property owners in Palos Verdes Estates. The clubhouse is also a popular wedding venue. An 18,000 square foot addition and remodeling was completed in 2007. A tennis club is also located at the country club.