In recent decades, Dana Point has grown into one of California’s most appealing resort town destinations. A man-made harbor, completed in the early 1970’s, is the centerpiece of this Dana Point. Lying just seaward of San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point is adjacent to the southern end of Laguna Beach and sits away from the busier parts of the county. Though a quiet town, it enjoys easy access via PCH and three freeways to almost anywhere in the region. Doheny State Beach and Salt Creek, Dana Point favorites, are among the County’s most scenic stretches of coastline. Inclusive to Dana Point is Monarch Beach (frequently mistaken as a city itself), which is home to the Ritz Carlton and the Waldorf Astoria. Monarch Beach includes a few very expensive private communities along the water including Monarch Bay, Ritz Cove, Niguel Shores, and The Strand. In old town Dana Point, a pre-war village has been modernized, with an expanse of suburban development following it inland across the rolling coastal terrain. Affordable by comparison to many other coastal Orange County locations, Dana Point does not disappoint as its unique location affords it residents the use of the region’s most valuable amenities without the higher prices of its more renown neighbors.