Heading south along the beach from Santa Monica, you’ll come to Ocean Park, a pleasing stretch of broad white sand. One beach south lies Venice Beach, with its crowded, boisterous, colourful boardwalk that includes a short stretch known as Muscle Beach, immortalised by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the classic 1974 documentary, Pumping Iron. Street performers provide entertainment amid sidewalk cafes, shops and stalls selling everything from surfboards to incense. You can rent a bike or rollerblades, both of which are a great way to cover a lot of territory. A few blocks inland are upscale restaurants, galleries and chic shops along Abbot Kinney Boulevard. A couple of blocks east of the beach, between Virginia Court and Sherman Canal, are the residential waterways that inspired the community’s name.