Las Flores Canyon Road climbs straight up from the Pacific Coast Highway into the Santa Monica Mountains, so steep in places that it feels like riding up a wall, with tight hairpins, broken edges and views back over the ocean that get better with every metre. It connects to Rambla Pacifico and the ridge roads above Malibu, and it is a favourite of local riders who know it, and a nasty surprise for those who do not.
Las Flores is a small community in eastern Malibu, strung along the coast between the highway and the beach, with houses perched on stilts above the sand. The area has been hit repeatedly by wildfires, which sweep down the canyons in the dry season, driven by the Santa Ana winds, and by landslides and floods after the winter rains. Recent fires have devastated parts of this coast, and rebuilding is ongoing.
The beaches along this stretch are narrow and rocky, with surfers and seals, and access is limited by private property. The Getty Villa, a reconstruction of a Roman villa housing a collection of ancient art, is a few kilometres east, near Pacific Palisades.
The Pacific Coast Highway is a scenic but busy road, with heavy traffic, speeding cars and sudden stops. Watch for pedestrians, cyclists and cars pulling out of driveways. The canyon roads above are narrow, steep and winding, with variable surfaces and debris.
Fuel in Malibu is scarce and among the most expensive in the state, so fill up in Santa Monica or the Valley before you come. Ride Las Flores uphill rather than down if you are new to it; the descent, on a hot day with soft brakes, is not where you want to learn how steep it is.