Palos Verdes Drive South encompasses the area along Palos Verdes Drive South from Palos Verdes Drive East westward to Hawthorne Blvd. and from the oceanfront to the base of the steep hillside to the North of Palos Verdes Drive South. This is a unique region in scope as it includes residential homes and multifamily developments as well as commercial and recreational developments. This area currently has the most growth on the peninsula and has been receiving a great amount of attention since it includes the last large parcels of vacant land on the peninsula as well as the most renown landslides in the country (Portuguese Bend, Abalone Cove and Oceantrails). In ages past, Portuguese Bend was once a native village and later a whaling site and takes its name from the 'Portuguese Company' which operated whaling from this site.


Neighborhoods include: Ladera Linda, Portuguese Bend (gated), Portuguese Bend Beach Club (gated beach community), Costa Verde (vacant lots) at Ocean Trails, La Rotonda condominiums, Seacove, Seaview, Peninsula Pointe, the 'Bay Club' condominiums, Vista Pacifica, Villa Capri town homes, the private gated Salvation Army campus, the Rancho Palos Verdes city offices, and various new and older subdivisions along Palos Verdes Drive South.  Peninsula Pointe (Tramonto Drive) is a development of 43 homes on 24 acres with about 40 acres of hillside open space. The Seacove community has a private gated path to the beach and the residents of that community may have a gate key for access. The Portuguese Bend Beach Club is a guard gated beach community with a private sand beach with recreational beach activity facilities.


The famous 'Wayfarer's Chapel' designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), dedicated in January 1951,  is located at  5755 Palos Verdes Drive South and is the site of typically over 700 weddings each year. Ladera Linda park is located North of Palos Verdes Drive South along Forrestal Drive. Some homes along the coastline in Rancho Palos Verdes own to mean high tide, however since formation of the city in 1973, ownership of the bluffs have been precluded from private ownership in subsequent subdivision approval.



Trump National Golf Course (formerly Ocean Trails), situated on 261 oceanfront acres, is a magnificent shoreline 7311 yard, par 71 championship golf course designed by Pete Dye. This is noted as the most expensive golf course ever built, at around $250 million.  A luxurious  38,000 square foot clubhouse-event center (facilities for 300 guests), and 75 home sites ranging from 12,000 to 40,000 square feet complete the development. Homes are being completed by the Trump Organization with sales in the six million to 11 million dollar range.


Ocean Trails was originally developed by the Zuckerman family and has over 150 acres of coastal sage and scrub habitat and 3 parks including a 5.5 acre oceanfront park between the clubhouse and the ocean. Fifty three acres are designated as open space. Public access trails to the beach and along ocean bluffs are provided. A spectacular landslide just weeks before the grand opening dropped the 18th hole into the ocean. Repairs and stabilization have been completed by the Trump Organization along with a complete redesign of the course and clubhouse. The Michael Douglas Celebrity Golf Tournament and LPGA events are often held here.


Terranea at Long Point (also known as the old Marineland site), is a 102 acre promontory located along the ocean coastine that is underway to develop a Destination Resort Hotel with 582 rooms including Villas, Bungalows and Casitas. Also included will be 65,000 square foot convention and event space including an 18,000 square foot ballroom, plus a 25,000 square foot luxury spa, as well as shops and extraordinary amenities. The resort plans include a nine hole executive golf course and golf academy. Several upscale restaurants complete the theme. A series of nature trails and view points will be open to the public as well as the world class health spa and fine dining facilities. The old Marineland 'Lookout Bar' will be restored in elegant style and open to the public as the 'Point Bar'. This will be a 'World Class' Lowe Development resort with ninety percent of  rooms enjoying  spectacular ocean and Catalina Island views.


Villas and Casitas ownerships are available with 60 and 90 days occupancy limits. The suites must be available as rentals the remainder of each year. The first release of these units sold out in 2.5 hours at an average sale price of $2.5 million. Villas (90 day occupancy limit) are 1850, 2360, and 2800 square feet in triplex and duplex configurations. Villas have attached garages. Casitas (60 day occupancy limit) are 3 bedroom, 3 bath units in fourplex configurations. The second release of units are currently available and can be reserved through Palos Verdes Realty (310 377-1566).


This is one of the most spectacular view properties in the world; located high on a blufftop hundreds of feet above the crashing waves with a panorama across the blue Pacific and a backdrop of Catalina Island on the horizon 25 miles away. Just a couple miles east along the coast, through the countryside, is the fabulous 'Trump National Golf Course'. The reknown 'Wayfarer's Chapel' is also along the way.


 Throughout history, this extraordinary property has been used for many film and television productions including 'Beverely Hillbillies', 'Hidalgo', 'Fun With Dick and Jane', and 'Pirates of the Carribean'. An aircraft carrier mock up was built here for the movie 'Hot Shots'.


Point Vicente Park and Interpretive Center is located just South of the terminus of Hawthorne Blvd. along the coastline. The Palos Verdes Interpretive Center (a former military gunnery range) has nature trails and  whale watching activities. The old Point Vicente Coast Guard Station with it's prominent lighthouse is also part of the local heritage. The United States government established a lighthouse in 1875 and the present structures were completed and opened on May 1, 1926. The lighthouse has a 67 foot tower with a 1000 watt bulb and 5 foot fresnel lens, visible from 20 miles. The light stands 185 feet above sealevel. The inside of the tower window was painted white to prevent disturbing homes at night, resulting in the 'Lady of the Light' legend caused by the appearance of a figure pacing back and forth as the light rotated.  The site currently houses Coast Guard personnel and provides rescue services.


Point Vicente was named in 1790 by Captain Vancouver in honor of a Padre he knew named Vincente. Through time, the first 'n' of the name was lost.


The Vanderlip Estate is located in the gated community of Portuguese Bend where the last major family owned parcel of over 250 acres was known as the 'Filiorum' property. Filiorum is Latin meaning 'for the children'. The majority of this land is now part of the land conservancy.


Abalone Cove shoreline park, located just West of Portuguese Bend, is a ruggedly beautiful coastline preserve with public access to the beach. The natural beauty of the shoreline is protected along most of the Peninsula and there are particularly beautiful rocky outcroppings and tide pools at Portuguese Bend, Point Vicente, and at the Oceanfront development. Palos Verdes Shoreline park extends from Palos Verdes Drive South to the ocean at the eastern border of the city with San Pedro. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (http://www.pvplc.org) has been very active in promoting and acquiring open space on the peninsula for preservation. Hundreds of acres have been acquired as open space in the Portuguese slide zone and along the ocean bluffs.