Your Guide to the Best Beaches in Orange County, California

California's Orange County is so much more than Anaheim and Disney. The O.C. fronts 42 miles of pristine Pacific Ocean shoreline and comprises six laid-back beach towns, each with its own distinctly SoCal take on life. From north to south, here are the highlights:

Seal Beach
Named after the seals that once frequented the coastline here, Seal Beach's old-fashioned district is a throwback to the city's 1920-30s heyday. Seal Beach has been the location for blockbuster films including Apollo 13, American Pie 2, and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments.

Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach calls itself "Surf City USA," a clear indication about what's on offer at this surf-blessed place. Onshore, you'll find the Surfing Walk of Fame, the International Surfing Museum, the Surfers' Hall of Fame, plus a bustling boardwalk scene and the longest concrete municipal pier in California, reaching 1,853 feet into the Pacific Ocean.

Top 10 Cheap Beach Vacations

These beach hot spots may not be statistically the cheapest of the cheap around the world, but factoring in the cost of travel and time, here are our ten best budget beach vacations in North and Central America, with one special shout out to Brazil (which currently offers great value for North American travelers):

10. Destin, Florida
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
8. Huntington Beach, California
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
5. Negril, Jamaica
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Placencia, Belize
2. Tulum, Mexico
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon

Don't agree with our picks? Tell us in the comments section!

Photo credit: Cannon Beach, Oregon (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Getty)

Top 5 Cheap City Getaways

Take advantage of freebies and think like a local to experience these five big cities on a small budget.

New York
If you stay in a family-friendly hostel or funky bed and breakfast, use public transportation, and scout for deals on food, a trip to NYC can be surprisingly cheap.

Chicago
Don't overlook city passes, use the El when you can, and keep in mind that some of Chicago's most beloved attractions, like the Lincoln Park Zoo and Millennium Park are free.

Los Angeles Highlights: Best of "The O.C."

Before being immortalized in the hit television show, California's Orange County was firmly on the map as the home of Disneyland and the setting for numerous movies. But past the O.C.'s well-known attractions, the county seat of Newport Beach has a storied history of its own. On the city's harbor, the Balboa Pavilion, with its family-friendly Ferris wheel and marina, dates back to 1906 and has become a landmark for Newport Beach as well as Orange County.

Photo credit: Orange County's Balboa Beach, California (Robert Holmes/courtesy, California Tourism)

Los Angeles Day Trips: Santa Barbara, California

Dating back to the late 1700s, the Mission Santa Barbara was built by native Indian labor, and featured an extensive water treatment system including aqueducts, a grist mill, and two reservoirs, the larger of which was incorporated into Santa Barbara's water system. An earthquake in 1812 laid to waste much of the mission's interior, but the original fountain and lavadero remain intact to this day.

Photo credit: Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California (courtesy Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau)

Los Angeles Escapes: Death Valley National Park, Calffornia

Death Valley National Park, as its ominous name suggests, can be an unforgiving destination. But it is also a land of stark and primeval beauty—particularly in the winter and spring, when temperatures moderate and the desert blooms. With few places like it on earth, a visit to this National Park should be near the top of any serious off-roader's wish list.

Photo credit: Death Valley National Park (Photodisc/Getty/Jeremy Woodhouse)

Los Angeles Escapes: San Luis Obispo

From the glittering white sand beaches in the south to the rugged oceanside cliffs in the north, San Luis Obispo County is known for its spectacular coastline and world famous wine. Scenery aside, the area also boasts abundant marine life, including the fastest growing elephant seal colony in the world.

Photo credit: San Luis Obispo County VCB/Gary Sohler

Los Angeles Weekender: Santa Barbara, California

Nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the breathtaking Californian coastline, Santa Barbara contains a heady mix of neocolonial Spanish architecture, palm- and citrus-lined walking trails, and some of the best restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts in the world. Add to that an intoxicating array of 40 wineries and nearly 12,000 acres of vineyards located in nearby Santa Ynez Valley, and you have the perfect vacation.

Photo credit: Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau)

California Classics: Drive Death Valley Scenic Byway

The 81-mile-long Death Valley Scenic Byway journeys through one of the driest and hottest environments in the western hemisphere. Aptly named sights along the route will pique your curiosity; from Dante's View observation point to Devil's Golf Course, perhaps the ultimate sand trap. The longer you spend in this unusual and inhospitable place, the more you'll appreciate its raw, natural beauty.

Photo credit: Death Valley (Corbis)

Los Angeles Day Trips: Joshua Tree National Park, California

The unusual, contorted shape of the Joshua tree spooked early desert travelers, but Mormon pioneers saw the scriptures in the wild flora. The tree's name was inspired by the Bible's Book of Joshua: "Thou shalt follow the way pointed for thee by the trees."

Photo credit: California (Photodisc/Getty)