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Arroyo Hondo Beach
Arroyo Hondo Beach is a small beach at the mouth of Arroyo Hondo Creek west of Santa Barbara. The...
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Arroyo Quemada Beach
Arroyo Quemada Beach is a public beach in front of the small private community of Arroyo Quemada...
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Ed’s Surfing Beach
Ed's is the name of a beach and surfing area on a point below the El Capitan Ranch west of Santa...
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El Capitan State Beach
El Capitan State Beach is state park about twenty miles west of downtown Santa Barbara. It has a...
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Ellwood Beach
Ellwood Beach at Santa Barbara Shores Park and Ellwood Mesa Open Space is surrounded by open spaces...
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Gaviota State Park Beach
Gaviota State Park Beach is a south-facing beach below a tall train trestle about 30 miles west of...
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Goleta Beach Park
Goleta Beach Park is a county run facility on a sand spit next to the University of California...
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Haskell’s Beach at Bacara Resort
Haskell's Beach is right below the huge Bacara Resort and Spa west of Goleta and Santa Barbara. The...
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Hollister Ranch Beaches
Hollister Ranch is a large active farming and cattle ranch and private housing community located...
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Naples Point Beach
Naples Point is a remote surfing spot west of Santa Barbara that is difficult to access. The best...
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Refugio State Beach
Refugio State Beach is a state park located about twenty miles from Santa Barbara. It has a large...
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San Onofre Beach at Gaviota State Park
San Onofre Beach is a gorgeous little-known beach on Gaviota State Park property in Santa Barbara...
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Tajiguas Beach
Tajiguas Beach is a narrow beach at the mouth of Tajiguas Creek west of Santa Barbara. There is a...
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Vista Del Mar Beach
Vista Del Mar Beach is a narrow sandy beach between San Onofre Beach and the main beach at Gaviota...
Articles
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Best Backroads near the Central California Coast
California’s central coast has backroads that few tourists ever get to see. Sure a drive down the Big Sur Coast is about as good as it gets from a pure […]
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Pier Fishing in California
Free fishing in California on public piers is a sport that is easy to get hooked on. Not only is ocean and bay pier fishing free in California (does not include piers on inland […]
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Glamping on the California Coast
Camping is a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of work. Glamping has many of the benefits of regular camping without the bothersome gear. You’ll pay a little more […]
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The Lost Surf Breaks of California
Sign near the gate at Hollister Ranch Over time California has lost access to some of its surf breaks. In most cases it’s because of private land ownership, state park […]
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Famous Bridges of California
Bixby Bridge – See the photographs below of the famous bridges. California has some of the most iconic bridges around. Today we take most of them for granted as we drive […]
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These California Beach Destination Hotels and Resorts Will Completely Relax You
A California beach vacation typically involves exploring charming coastal towns, shopping, dining, and perhaps even hiking, biking and boating. That being said, sometimes you just need to go on a […]
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Farmers Markets on the California Coast
When traveling on the California Coast a good way to get to know the city or neighborhood where you are staying is to visit the local farmers markets. We have […]
Maps
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The Historic Fishing Piers in California
Fishing has always been a big coastal activity in California, long before surfing became popular in the 1960’s. During the second half of the 1800’s and in the early 1900’s […]
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Hot Springs on the California Coast
California has hot springs scattered about the state, but if you are traveling the California Coast then your options are limited. The central coast between Los Angeles and the San […]
Attractions
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South Coast Railroad Museum
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Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove
The Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove goes by several names including Ellwood Main Monarch Butterfly Grove as it is signed when you get there. It is located next to Ellwood Beach […]
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Gaviota Hot Springs
Gaviota Hot Springs is just up the highway from Gaviota State Beach and Campground. It’s more of a warm spring, but has been dammed up to create an inviting soaking […]
Hotels
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Bacara Resort & Spa
If you are looking for that “WOW” factor, Bacara has it. It doesn’t come cheap and you wouldn’t want it that way in a place where people pour in to […]
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Best Western Plus South Coast Inn
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Hampton Inn Santa Barbara / Goleta