A modern building with angular roofs and large windows is surrounded by palm trees and greenery on a sunny day. A dark vertical sculpture stands in front, with a Deloitte sign visible—one of the notable Costa Mesa attractions.

Next stop: 
The fun part.

Whether you’re here for a day, a night, or just a bite, it still counts as a vacation. And we’ve got what you need to make the most of it. This is your go-to for the good stuff: places to stay (if you’re staying), things to do, and easy ways to feel like a local, even if you’re just passing through.

Getting here. Getting
around. Easy.

Costa Mesa is closer than you think. Whether you’re flying in, driving through, or just figuring out your next move once you’re here, we’ve got the how-to so you can focus on the fun.

Learn More

Two people ride bikes on a palm tree-lined sidewalk near a wide intersection in Costa Mesa, with crosswalks and street signs visible under a clear sky. It’s a sunny, peaceful day in this vibrant Southern California city.

Green text arranged in a circle reads CALIFORNIA 1953 with COSTA MESA in the center, evoking the charm of Costa Mesa attractions on a light background.

A stay for every style.
Steps from the good
stuff. Minutes from SNA.

Costa Mesa has a hotel that fits your plans and your personality. But this isn’t just about where you sleep. It’s about staying close to the best shopping, dining, and can’t-miss moments in SoCal.

Explore Hotels

A landscaped hotel courtyard with a central water feature, palm trees, outdoor seating, and a pool area with umbrellas—set against tall glass office buildings—offers a relaxing escape near top Costa Mesa attractions under a partly cloudy sky.

Weekend plans? Found them.

Two women sit at a table in Costa Mesa, enjoying tacos and drinks, smiling and laughing. Various food trays and beverages are spread before them. The background features a decorative wall with green leaves and large white hibiscus flowers.

Take an Eatcation^®

A variety of elegantly plated gourmet dishes on a table in Costa Mesa, including fish with sauce, a colorful salad, desserts, and butter with bread, all arranged artfully on different plates.

Award Winning Restaurants

A bowl of ramen topped with two soft-boiled eggs, roasted pork, corn, green onions, and mushrooms sits on a wooden table in Costa Mesa beside tacos, rice, and a wooden spoon with a gray napkin underneath.

Best Ramen

Three friends stand at a bar in Costa Mesa, smiling and holding drinks. One person leans on another, and they all appear relaxed and happy in the warmly lit indoor setting.

Best Breweries

A barista with glasses and tied-back hair works behind a coffee machine, surrounded by mugs and steam, in a warmly lit Costa Mesa café adorned with string lights and a cozy atmosphere.

Best Coffee

Best Sushi

A tall glass filled with a blue and white swirled milkshake, topped with whipped cream, crushed cookies, a round cookie, and two churros, served on a marble surface at Silver Trumpet Restaurant Costa Mesa.

Best Desserts

A vegan omelet topped with avocado slices, filled with vegetables and plant-based meat, served with diced, roasted potatoes on a white plate labeled Breakfast Republic #Vegan in Costa Mesa. An English muffin is on a separate plate nearby.

Best Brunch

Two people holding colorful drinks with creative toppings, one with green matcha and lemon slice, the other with pink whipped cream and a flower—perfect for an eatcation in Costa Mesa. One person has a tattooed arm, adding a unique touch to this vibrant scene.

View All Eat & Drink

A woman in a bright yellow, tiered dress and black heels walks outdoors under a modern, curved canopy in Costa Mesa, carrying DIOR shopping bags and a black handbag on a sunny day.

South Coast Plaza

A colorful, eclectic Costa Mesa store interior features red-patterned stairs with a HOME sign at the top, wooden shelves, plants, baskets, and shoppers browsing and chatting. Industrial lighting and decor create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

The CAMP

The LAB

Outdoor shopping mall in Costa Mesa with palm trees, colorful flower planters, and shop signs like Karl Strauss. Sunlight casts shadows on the wide walkway, and there are shops and restaurants in the background.

Metro Pointe

A woman wearing a denim shirt and jeans is browsing clothes on a rack in a bright, modern Costa Mesa boutique with colorful items displayed on shelves and tables.

17th Street

A bright, modern outdoor shopping area in Costa Mesa with plants, palm-like trees, and tables with umbrellas. Glass storefronts line the walkway as sunlight filters through a curved glass roof, casting soft shadows on the ground.

SOCO & The OC Mix

Triangle Square

Two women outdoors in Costa Mesa, smiling and walking. One has long blonde hair, sunglasses, and a blue dress. The other has long dark hair, a red hat, layered necklaces, and a black top. The image is framed in an orange circle.

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A brightly lit performing arts center in Costa Mesa at dusk features Segerstrom Hall’s grand archway, a modern glass building, tall banners, and a fountain with water jets in the plaza. A cityscape with an office tower is visible in the background.

Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

A woman in a long, floral skirt stands near the modern, angular exterior of a white building with large windows and tiled walls in Costa Mesa. A staircase with a metal railing leads up on the left side.

UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

A large, abstract yellow sculpture shaped like a spiral stands outdoors on a concrete plaza along the Costa Mesa Art Walk, surrounded by grass, trees, and modern glass buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

The Ram

Pacific Symphony

A modern theater building labeled REPERTORY is brightly lit at dusk, with people entering. The Segerstrom Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa stands nearby, with a tall sign, glass high-rise, trees, and a well-kept lawn completing the scene.

South Coast Repertory

A person’s hand, wearing a gold bracelet, uses a paintbrush to add detail to a colorful, abstract painting filled with swirling patterns of pink, green, purple, and blue—a burst of creativity unfolding in a sunlit Costa Mesa studio.

View All Art & Culture

A golf course in Costa Mesa features a green with a flagstick marking the hole, trees in the background, and long shadows stretching across the grass under a clear sky—hinting at early morning or late afternoon.

Costa Mesa Country Club

A long pier extends over calm ocean water at sunset, with vibrant orange, pink, and purple clouds filling the sky above a coastal town—capturing the beauty of beaches near Costa Mesa.

Huntington Beach

Aerial view of a large grassy hill with winding dirt trails, surrounded by green and brown vegetation. Residential houses border the edge in the background, just a short drive from popular beaches near Costa Mesa.

Fairview park

Newport Beach

A family of four is sitting on a blanket in a sunny Costa Mesa park, enjoying a picnic. Trees and grass surround them, and a large bag is placed nearby. Everyone appears relaxed and happy together.

TeWinkle Park

Two women sit back-to-back on a paved surface outdoors in Costa Mesa. One, in a red jacket, smiles at the camera, while the other, in denim and a black hat, checks her phone. Both have bags and are relaxed. A green border circles the image.

View All Beaches & Outdoors

Five women sit at pottery wheels in a bright Costa Mesa studio, each shaping clay with their hands. Shelves with supplies and plants fill the background, while buckets and tools are scattered on the tables between them.

Costa Mesa Ceramics

Three people in a workshop, wearing aprons, smile and examine a strip of leather. Tools and supplies hang on a pegboard in the background—a fun option if you're searching for creative things to do in Costa Mesa.

Saltwater Leather

A person lies on a treatment bed with eyes closed while another uses blue glass facial globes to massage their face—a relaxing spa treatment, perfect for those seeking rejuvenating things to do in Costa Mesa.

Facial Lounge

A group of people on a boat near Costa Mesa take photos of an orca surfacing in the ocean on a sunny day, with distant hills visible in the background.

Newport Landing Whale Watching

A woman uses a sewing machine at a worktable while a man with a beard and glasses stands beside her, observing. They are in a workshop with sewing equipment and supplies visible in the background.

CANVASWORKER

A smiling woman wearing a white top and blue jeans rides a mechanical bull indoors in Costa Mesa, raising one arm as a group of people watch and cheer. The image is framed by a yellow circular border.

View All Experiences

Explore All

Trip tips, local picks, and more.

A good trip is all in the details, and these are the ones worth knowing. From local favorites and tried-and-true recs to unexpected finds and upcoming events, this is the kind of stuff that turns plans into stories.

Four young adults walk and smile outside an urban Costa Mesa building. One woman in a red hat leads, holding papers, while the others follow, laughing. It’s a sunny day, and they appear happy and relaxed.

When In Roam: Discover Costa Mesa by Car

Trade TSA lines for tan lines. Costa Mesa is your favorite California pit stop that’s close to the freeway, and full of eats, shops, and sunny experiences that are worth the drive.

A colorful store interior with patterned stairs leading up to a HOME sign, shoppers browsing items, plants, and baskets on display—just the kind of vibrant scene you might find featured in a costa mesa travel blog—with two people chatting near wooden shelves.

Your Next Great Find is in Costa Mesa

Shop happens in Costa Mesa—where luxury, local, and eco-chic meet. From South Coast Plaza to The LAB and The CAMP, it’s retail bliss.

Three people lie on grass in Costa Mesa, laughing and playfully covering their faces. One wears a red jacket, another denim, and the third a white graphic t-shirt. A brown bag and red purse rest nearby at Mesa Verde Park.

Your Guide to a Surreal Good Time

From Michelin-recognized meals to museum moments, everything in our city just clicks. Making plans is effortless, from coffee at sunrise to cocktails at sunset, and every moment feels curated. All you have to do is show up.

So much to do.
So easy to get to.

Big-name attractions? Yep. Bucket list stops? Those too. Costa Mesa is your SoCal launchpad for adventure, whether you’re staying a while or just filling your day.

Nearby Destinations

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, dressed in formal outfits, stand together smiling in front of a backdrop with colorful fireworks and a castle, capturing the magic often found at Costa Mesa attractions.

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A stay for every style

Explore Hotels

Three women pose and smile in front of a large mural with handwritten text about art, perfect for a Costa Mesa travel blog. Another person with curly hair faces them, possibly taking a photo. The mural is on a tan wall with greenery above.

Sip, Savor, and Celebrate the Best of Fall in Costa Mesa

Two women sit on outdoor steps, chatting near the Orange County Museum of Art—a modern, angular building with large windows and a unique architectural design—under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds.

Free Things to do in Costa Mesa

Dancers in vibrant costumes perform traditional Mexican folklórico on a checkered outdoor stage, with musicians playing in the background and a metal scaffold structure overhead.

How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Costa Mesa

Next stop: The fun part.

Getting here. Getting around. Easy.

A stay for every style. Steps from the good stuff. Minutes from SNA.