Smithcliffs

A handful of homes perched on dramatic coastal cliffs above the Pacific — Laguna Beach's wildest and most scarce oceanfront address.

Community Snapshot

Smithcliffs at a Glance

Median Sale — Last 12 months

Price Range $3M–$18M+ Blufftop homes highest

$ / Sq Ft $2,500–$5,000+ Blufftop premium

Homes Sold / Yr 2–5 Rarely available

Total Homes ~40–60 Avg lot 4,000–12,000 sq ft on dramatic coastal bluffs

Gated No

Walkable to Beach Beach access via cliff stairs — steep and not an easy walk

Street Character Narrow — limited coastal access roads

Terrain Flat at the bluff top; steep cliff faces drop to the ocean

Explore the Area

Smithcliffs Map

The highlighted area shows the Smithcliffs neighborhood boundary.

About Smithcliffs

Neighborhood Overview

Smithcliffs is one of Laguna Beach's smallest and most dramatically positioned communities — a tight cluster of homes on coastal bluffs where the land drops sharply to the Pacific below. The perpetual sound of waves, the salt air, and the ever-changing ocean views create a living experience that is fundamentally different from any other neighborhood in the city. The rocky coastline directly below is home to some of the finest tide pools and marine life in Laguna Beach.

With only 40–60 homes and near-zero turnover, Smithcliffs properties rarely appear on the open market. Prices begin around $3 million for inland parcels and climb past $18 million for direct blufftop homes with unobstructed ocean frontage. The cliffs here are composed of ancient sedimentary rock that geologists have studied for the record of prehistoric sea levels preserved in their layers — a geological record millions of years in the making.

Why Smithcliffs

What Makes It Special

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Bluffside Drama

No other Laguna Beach address puts you as directly above the Pacific as Smithcliffs. The ocean is not a backdrop — it is a constant, visceral, immediate presence.

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Extreme Scarcity

With fewer than 60 homes and almost no turnover, Smithcliffs properties are among the rarest real estate offerings in all of Orange County.

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Unfiltered Sunsets

West-facing blufftop positioning delivers some of the most dramatic sunset views in Southern California — a daily spectacle that residents describe as the defining pleasure of living here.

Did You Know

Smithcliffs Insider Facts

The coastal bluffs at Smithcliffs are composed of ancient Monterey Formation shale — a sedimentary rock laid down 10–17 million years ago in a deep marine environment. Fossils of ancient marine organisms, including whale bones and shark teeth, have been found in exposures of this formation along the Laguna Beach coastline. The cliffs are slowly eroding, adding urgency to any decision about blufftop property.