Three Arch Bay is a 29-acre (12 ha) private gated community located in the South Laguna neighborhood of Laguna Beach, California.[1][2] It is named for a formation of three natural arches in the rocky cliffs along the ocean.[3][4] The community features some oceanfront homes with swimming pools built into the intertidal rocks which are replenished by the incoming tides.
According to a letter of Dana Point developer Sidney Woodruff, the entire 29 acres (12 ha) site was purchased in 1926 for $135,000.[5]
The first rock pool was created in 1929 by film producer Edward H. Griffith. Griffith built his property, which included a lighthouse, for use as a backdrop in feature films.[6] Early movies filmed in Three Arch Bay included Warner Bros.' Captain Blood (1935) starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, and Paramount Pictures' Give Us This Night (1936).[7]
By 1939 lots in the area were sold for $100 down on a $3,000 lot. The original sales promotional advertisements warned of "Rattlesnakes Galore."
33°29′27″N 117°43′56″W / 33.4909°N 117.7323°W / 33.4909; -117.7323
