Most people know Point Dume as the place they circle for twenty minutes on a Saturday looking for parking so they can see the view.
The people who own there know it as something else: one of the few places on the coast where the land itself is the luxury. The house is almost secondary.
Where it actually is
Point Dume is the headland at the northwest end of Santa Monica Bay, about 19 miles up the coast from where the 10 Freeway ends in Santa Monica. It sits on the ocean side of PCH, between Zuma to the west and Paradise Cove to the east.
The neighborhood fans out from Dume Drive toward the bluffs, on streets like Cliffside Drive, Birdview Avenue, Fernhill Drive and Grayfox Street. At the very tip is Point Dume Natural Preserve, a California State Park with about a mile of bluff trails. The short climb to the top takes maybe ten minutes and is worth every step.
Two beaches, two personalities
Westward Beach runs along the west side and blends into Zuma. Big, open, with a paid lot at the end of Westward Beach Road.
Dume Cove sits on the east side below the bluff homes. You get there by staircase, and you are rewarded with tide pools and a long stretch of sand.
Come spring, migrating whales pass right by the viewing platform on the point, and the preserve turns gold with poppies and giant coreopsis. Not a bad commute to a morning walk.
The detail buyers miss: beach rights
Here is the part that matters. On Point Dume, what comes with the parcel can matter as much as the parcel.
Some properties carry deeded beach rights. A recent example: a 1.98 acre undeveloped parcel on Fernhill Drive was marketed with deeded rights to Little Dume beach. It listed at $1.25 million and closed in June 2026.
If you are buying, get it in writing. Which rights convey, how access works, and whether there are keys or memberships involved. "I think it comes with beach access" is not a sentence you want to hear in escrow.
What it costs
At the top end, recent bluff sales and contracts have run roughly $2,100 to $2,600 per square foot. 6889 Dume Drive sold for $18.5 million, and 29200 Larkspur went into contract this spring at $16.5 million.
But Point Dume does not price like a subdivision. Lot size, ocean view, bluff position and condition can put two homes a block apart millions of dollars apart.
Before you fall in love with a listing
Coastal permits. Malibu's coastal rules shape what you can add or rebuild. Pull the permit history early, not after you have picked paint colors.
The bluff. For bluff top homes, setbacks and geology reports are not paperwork. They are the whole conversation.
Septic and utilities. Many Malibu homes are on septic. Inspect it like you mean it.
Insurance. Get a quote during your inspection period. Not after.
Weekend traffic. Parking near the preserve is restricted, and sunny Saturdays bring visitors. Drive the street on one before you buy on it.
One bonus: Point Dume is in the City of Malibu, so LA's mansion tax does not apply here.
The short version
Point Dume rewards buyers who look past the house and study the land: the lot, the view, the bluff and what conveys. Get those right, and the house is the easy part.
Whether you are looking at land, a bluff top estate or a home to make your own, I am happy to walk you through what each street and parcel offers, including opportunities that never reach the public market. Call or text 310.480.0288, or email alex@flynnla.com.
Alex Flynn | The Beverly Hills Estates | DRE 01958142
Sources
Point Dume, Hikespeak (preserve, trails, beaches, parking, whale season)
6825 Fernhill Drive, Malibu, listing record (parcel size, beach rights, list price, closed status; listed by Compass)
Malibu Estates inks contract on Point Dume home, The Real Deal (recent Point Dume sale prices)
