Welcome to Dana Point Local, your local guide to discovering the restaurants, experiences, events, people, and independently owned businesses that make Dana Point one of Orange County’s most unique coastal communities.
Whether you live here, you’re visiting for the weekend, or you’re experiencing Dana Point for the first time, start here to discover more of what makes this city special.
From Dana Point Harbor and the Lantern District to Doheny State Beach, Capistrano Beach, local restaurants, live music, whale watching, coastal activities, and community events, there’s always something to discover in Dana Point.
Dana Point Local brings those experiences together while putting special emphasis on the independently owned businesses and local people that give the city its character.
Discover Dana Point restaurants, breakfast and brunch spots, coffee shops, waterfront dining, seafood, Mexican food, pizza, bars, happy hours, and other local favorites.
Explore Eat & Drink →
Explore Dana Point Harbor, whale watching, beaches, boating, outdoor activities, family experiences, coastal attractions, scenic places, and other ways to experience Dana Point.
Explore Things to Do →
Find live music, community events, festivals, weekend activities, seasonal celebrations, harbor events, and what’s happening around Dana Point.
See What’s Happening →
Discover locally owned and operated businesses serving Dana Point—from restaurants and retailers to professional services, health and wellness, automotive, and other community businesses.
Explore Dana Point Local Businesses →
You shouldn’t have to search five websites and scroll through endless social media feeds just to figure out what’s happening around Dana Point.
The Dana Point Insider Pass gives you convenient access to local information directly from your phone.
Discover:
And because the pass works with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, there’s no separate app to download or another account to manage.
The Dana Point Insider Pass can provide timely updates about local events, live music, community happenings, and other useful information so you can spend less time searching and more time experiencing Dana Point.
There’s a difference between finding something on a map and discovering it from someone who actually lives and works here.
Meet the Locals introduces you to Dana Point business owners, entrepreneurs, chefs, creators, and community members while giving them the opportunity to share their stories and their favorite places around town.
Our 60 Seconds of Dana Point video series gives local business owners the microphone.
Where do they eat?
Where do they take visiting friends?
What’s their favorite hidden gem?
What’s one Dana Point experience everyone should try?
These short videos help residents and visitors discover Dana Point through genuine local recommendations while introducing you to the people behind the businesses that make the community unique.
Meet the Locals →
Dana Point offers far more than a beautiful coastline.
Start the morning with breakfast at a local restaurant. Walk the harbor. Head out for whale watching. Spend the afternoon at the beach. Discover an independently owned shop. Catch live music. Find a happy hour. Finish the day at a locally owned restaurant.
Dana Point Local helps you find those experiences and discover some of the people and businesses behind them.
Explore Dana Point →
Sometimes visitors explore our hometown more than we do.
Dana Point Local gives residents an easier way to discover a restaurant they haven’t tried, a new local business, live music happening tonight, an upcoming community event, or something different to do this weekend.
Skip some of the noise and rediscover what’s happening in your own backyard.
See What’s Happening in Dana Point →
Locally owned businesses do more than sell products and services.
They’re our neighbors.
They employ local residents. They support community organizations. They sponsor local events and teams. They create gathering places. And collectively, they help give Dana Point its identity.
Dana Point Local makes it easier to discover those businesses and the people behind them.
Explore Dana Point Local Businesses →
Looking for Dana Point boutiques, specialty retailers, gifts, surf shops, local products, and independently owned places to shop?
Shop Dana Point on Shop Local OC →
Looking for Dana Point restaurant specials, happy hours, discounts, promotions, and local offers?
Find Dana Point Deals on Orange County Coupons →
Need a Dana Point plumber, electrician, HVAC company, roofer, contractor, landscaper, or other home service professional?
Find Local Pros on Home Service Pros OC →
Google can tell you what’s nearby.
Social media can show you what’s trending.
Review sites can show you ratings.
We want to help you discover what’s local.
Dana Point Local is being built around the people, businesses, places, experiences, and events that make this community unique.
Our goal is to make it easier for residents and visitors to:
Discover Local.
Experience Local.
Support Local.
And when it’s time to choose where to eat, shop, visit, or do business:
If you own or operate an independent Dana Point business, we’d like the community to know who you are—not just what you sell.
Thrive Local OC helps local businesses increase their visibility, tell their stories, strengthen their presence across search and AI discovery, and create stronger connections with the customers they serve.
Opportunities include local business listings, enhanced authority profiles, Meet the Locals and Spotlight Videos, local content, and customer engagement solutions.
Whether you’re looking for dinner tonight, live music this weekend, something to do with the family, a new local business, a coastal adventure, or simply a place you haven’t discovered yet:
Start local.
Explore Dana Point.
Meet the people behind it.
Support the businesses that make it unique.
And take the city with you through the free Dana Point Insider Pass.
THRIVE LOCAL OC | OWN LOCAL
Beyond their size, small businesses are defined by their spirit. And at the helm are their intrepid founders—scrappy, ambitious, and resilient. They invent and build things despite uncertainty, because it’s what drives them. Their risks lead to innovation that moves the world forward. And we need them.