La Palma is ideally located to take advantage of Southern California's attractions, museums, points of interest, beaches and mountains. Just outside of the city boundary are parks located in Cerritos, Cypress, Buena Park, Fullerton and Anaheim. Disneyland is less than 10 miles away. Knott's Berry Farm, Movieland Wax Museum, and Medieval Times are less than two miles away. The Orange County Fair is held annually in nearby Costa Mesa.

Shopping malls are close by in Buena Park, Brea, Cerritos, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Newport Beach. Pristine beaches with shops, restaurants, fishing, swimming, sun bathing, and shell collecting are nearby in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach showcases sea life from the area. Live performances of every type can be seen at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater and South Coast Repertoire.

The Bower Museum in Santa Ana has a variety of exhibits on early Orange County as well as traveling exhibits. Local sports arenas include The Pond in Anaheim and Anaheim Stadium, home of the world champion California Angels. Los Alamitos racetrack features quarter horse and trotter racing.

Nearby colleges and universities include the University of California at Irvine, California State University, Fullerton and Chapman College. There are numerous community colleges in the area including Orange Coast and Golden West. John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport provide easy access to and from the area.