LA is at its most palatable in March

It is ironic that, so soon after my last column complaining about the unfair dominance of the American coasts, I write today from Los Angeles. Even more so as, while taking a walk along the beach this morning, admiring the pounding surf to one side, cascading banks of spring flowers to the other, the green abundance of the Palos Verdes peninsula before me, sunshine and blue skies above, I had to admit ... This is fabulous.

So I suppose I have to go on record agreeing with most of the planet that Southern California is a nice place. To visit. But I still wouldn't want to live here.

I am here at perhaps the best time of year to visit. In March, the land is still flush with winter moisture and cool temperatures, bringing every bit of greenery to its vivid best. Everything is in bloom; particularly dominant now are azaleas, birds of paradise and a wide variety of spring wildflowers.I am also staying, in my opinion, in one of the very nicest bits of the Los Angeles area. The air is wonderfully clear, with sharp views across the valley and none of the hanging smog that disfigures much of the rest of the year.

Redondo Beach nestles at the southern corner of the broad bay of Los Angeles, tucked beneath the looming, leafy hills and seaside cliffs of Palos Verdes. One of my biggest issues with LA in general is cement. Head to the centre of the valley and you are surrounded by mile after mile of strip mall, boulevard and building. Nature has been banished to pots, and green spaces are limited to strips of grass and palm trees along the roads. Not so in Redondo where, thanks to that thickly-planted hill, you can look up from anywhere to appreciate the hanging gardens that are Palos Verdes. As always since I visited South Africa, I am struck by how much this area resembles the magnificent landscapes south of Cape Town.And, let's face it, this place is nice because it's outrageously affluent. Entry level for even a tiny house is $1 million, an average rent is $2,400 a month. It's one of the few places in America that makes London house prices look sane. The streets are crowded with new, high-end vehicles (mostly 4 wheel drives), and everyone, including the dogs, is phenomenally well dressed. As is true the world over, the home turf of the wealthy is always easy on the eye.

So, a few quick tips.

We are staying at the Best Western on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. Great value for money. Simple, and admittedly on the lower end of the American hotel chain world, but it provides all you need. The rooms are big, well decorated, in good repair, and come with a galley kitchen. It's nice to be able to stretch your dollars by eating breakfast or lunch in. There's a small pool, gym and hot tub. Free computer access in the lobby, a poolside cafe open for breakfast and lunch and a bar with a wide screen TV, mostly populated by the airline crews who seem to make up half the residency. There's ample free parking. Best of all, it's a short 10-minute walk to the beach and you're within strolling distance of scores of boutiques, cafes and restaurants. For Europeans who are always irritated by the inability to get anywhere in America without a car, this place is a lovely break from the norm.

About 3 miles north, where Redondo Beach changes to Hermosa Beach, you'll find a big complex of restaurants, shops and fishing piers. Lots of recommended restaurants here. My top pick this trip is Captain Kidd's, a fish market with some tables out back. The market has one of the finest and largest selections of fresh fish I've seen anywhere. If you want to eat in, you simply choose from anything in the case, decide on fried, sauteed or char grilled, pick your side dishes and wait. A few minutes later you'll be ensconced at a long wooden table in the glass-walled lean to out back, tucking into a styrofoam plate piled with the wonderfully fresh, perfectly cooked bounty of the seas.Just north along this coastal strip of restaurants are two other places of note.

For similar food in a finer setting, there's the Bluewater Grill. They offer a large variety of seafood; some of it prepared more elaborately, but most on the same "best quality, simply prepared" ethos of Captain Kidd's. Except here, for 25% more money, you get proper china, cheerful table service great views and a cathedral-ceilinged hall decorated with historic photos of fishermen and their catches.

One more step up the dining scale is the Chart House. A bit more formal, with a darker atmosphere, lower ceilings and even better harbor views. The menu here is a bit fussier; your fish is more likely to be doused with sophisticated sauces or rolled in macadamia nuts. There's a good salad bar and a tempting chocolate lava cake on the menu. My one complaint about the Chart House is the noise level. The low ceilings really make the sound reverberate, a circumstance at odds with the elegance of the restaurant.

Both the Chart House and the Bluewater Grill have excellent wine lists with a good array of Californian wines by the glass. Average dinner prices at the three restaurants range from $30 at Captain Kidd's to $60 at the Chart House, with Bluewater somewhere in between.