RAT Beach, Sandy beach near Redondo Beach and Torrance, United States

RAT Beach is a sandy beach in Palos Verdes Estates, located along the southern end of Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County. It sits between Torrance Beach and the rocky shores of Malaga Cove, backed by wooded cliffs that screen it from the surrounding neighborhoods.

The name RAT Beach is an acronym for Right After Torrance, coined by locals to describe the beach's position just south of Torrance Beach. The nickname stuck even though it never became an official designation. The beach lies in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, bordering Torrance and Palos Verdes Estates.

Local surfers and families share the water here, and dolphins appear regularly along the shoreline. The beach draws people who want a direct connection to the ocean and is regarded by locals as a quieter alternative to the more crowded shores nearby.

There is no road to RAT Beach; reach it on foot from Torrance Beach or from the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club. The walk keeps crowds low, and kelp washed ashore collects on the sand and in the water. Surfers, windsurfers, divers and spearfishers use the cove despite this.

Offshore kelp forests make this beach a favorite among divers and spearfishers, who find underwater conditions here that are hard to match along this stretch of coast. The dense kelp draws a wide range of marine life close to shore, making each dive feel different.