There’s a reason every tourist wants to visit the Santa Monica Pier: It perfectly fits that postcard-worthy image of the Southern California coast. But even if you remove that tourist-filled landmark from the equation, there’s still enough to do in Santa Monica—mostly all within walking distance—that you could easily fill a full day. Of course, if you simply want to lounge on the beach that’ll eat up plenty of hours. You don’t need to get your feet sandy to soak in the ocean vibes, though: Walk along the length of the blufftop Palisades Parks or grab a bite at rooftop spot Elephanté for views of the coastline. In that same downtown area, plan a visit on a Wednesday or Saturday morning to shop at the most legendary farmers’ market (and maybe the most compelling reason to venture in the direction of the Third Street Promenade). Otherwise, we’d actually suggest spending most of your time a few blocks south in Ocean Park, the city’s far more low-key hub of activity. It’s here along Main Street—the road gets particularly pedestrian-friendly past the California Heritage Museum—that you’ll find the majority of Santa Monica’s standout restaurants, like Pasjoli and Crudo e Nudo. And all the while, you’re still only about a block away from the beach. The notorious traffic headed into and around Santa Monica means that for anybody on the other side of the 405, you’ll basically need to make a day of it to make the drive worth it. Of course, you can bypass all that by taking the E Line into the city, about a block from Santa Monica Place and Tongva Park (consider a pit stop two stations out to check out the art galleries at Bergamot Station).