Redondo Beach has an interesting and unusual pier. It's unusual because rather than being straight, it forms a complete loop, so you can walk its entire length without ever having to see the same sight twice. It's interesting because it has a variety of attractions to appeal to people's differing interests. A large parking lot is adjacent to the pier, which makes it easy to enjoy the attractions. As you step onto the pier, you first pass a row of businesses: restaurants, fish market, and tourist-oriented shops, such as a colorful kite store. You could easily spend hours in this area alone. If you walk on past the shopping end, the "fishing" section of the pier begins. Folks stand by the railings with their poles, hauling in their catch from time to time. Seagulls perch nearby, looking wistfully at the captured fish. At this point, the pier is parallel with the land. You can stand on one side to look out to sea, and on the other to watch the shore. The concrete of the pier is stamped with cute figures of various types of marine life, as you'll see in one of the photos below.
Walking on, you'll loop back towards the land and end up in the marina area, where beautiful, small craft bob gently at their moorings. At this point, the pier-side buildings have a "downstairs," and if you explore there, you'll find an ugly, but quaint, old-fashioned boardwalk-type amusement center. It features carnival games and even a ride or two.
Driving south from the pier, the swath of sand becomes narrower. Eventually the sand ends into the abruptly rising mountain of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This peninsula offers an ocean-side drive high on a cliff that is, in my opinion, worth your time to explore. I like to make the peninsula drive at least once a year. It's out of the way, but that means few crowds. The view is spectacular.