Hendry’s Beach / Arroyo Burro Beach

2981 Cliff Dr
Santa Barbara, CA 93109-1024
(805) 687-3714
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: Officially named Arroyo Burro Beach, this beach is just a ten minute drive along the Coast from downtown Santa Barbara. Hendry’s is secluded by towering cliffs and a curving coastline. Surfers and children vie for territory as the waves tumble into shore. Amenities include a restaurant and snack bar, outdoor showers, restrooms, free parking, and a grassy picnic area. Hendry’s is centrally located to a great deal of other fun. Elings Park is a half mile up Las Positas so you will often see hang gliders and paragliders launching from nearby cliffs. Right next door to the beach is the Douglas Family Reserve, which features some of the most pristine cliffside terrain in all of Santa Barbara.
• Cons: When the parking’s gone – the parking’s gone. There are no volleyball courts or random entertainment. This is a beach for sand and surf enthusiasts.

Butterfly Beach

Channel Dr
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: Across from the Four Seasons Biltmore, this beach is deceptive in its simplicity. Since it is a Montecito Beach, and Montecito and the Biltmore have more than their share of celebrities, you have a good chance of seeing somebody famous here. Of course, if you do see somebody famous, you’ll want to act cool, like it happens everyday because – well – here it does. This is also one of the few west-facing beaches so you can see a sunset over the water! It’s a bit revolutionary.
• Cons: Bring your lunch and water and sunscreen because there are no public facilities at this beach. It’s a real locals kind of place.

Carpinteria State & City Beaches

5361 6th St
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 684-2811
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: Although legally two beaches, this is one long stretch of gorgeous sand, surf and dunes. Without a doubt, this is one of the nicest beaches anywhere. Surfers, campers, kids and “non-gull” bird activity make this beach a little slice of heaven. Amenities include showers and restrooms, and volleyball. On the State Beach side you can rent skates and bikes. The heart of Carpinteria is just three blocks up Linden, so if you weary of sand you can easily pick up a burger or even a nifty little antique. At low tide the tidal pools are filled with sea life. Part of the beach is closed during seal birthing time because there’s a nearby rookery, but most of the year there’s clear and open access.
• Cons: Bring your own refreshments. Carpinteria has some great places to eat but they’re away from the waterfront. Also, near the State side there is tar seepage, so bring along a pair of beach sandals and some baby oil, which will take the tar off your feet.

East Beach

Santa Barbara, CA
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: It’s hard to say enough about this beach. Beautiful, long, sandy, deep even at high tide and bordered by a grassy, tree-lined park. It has all the amenities a sun worshipper could wish for – a full beach house, snack bar, volleyball courts, play area for children, and a bike/rollerblading bath. It’s also a favorite for special activities – Saturday afternoon drumming, Sunday afternoon art show or an occasional soccer game. East Beach is in front of some of the largest hotels in Santa Barbara so it is the Santa Barbara default beach.
• Cons: There is plenty of parking but it tends to be scattered. The free parking goes fast.

Note: If you have children you need to make sure that they stay away from the road. Cabrillo Blvd. is one of the busiest streets in Santa Barbara and the traffic goes very fast, regardless of the 25 mph signs posted along a large stretch of the road.

El Capitan Beach

Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 968-1033
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: This is a beautiful beach for those who love beaches. It’s not the biggest in town, but it has plenty of sand, and the level of privacy is delicious. Since it is away from the city there is a sense of getting away, even though you don’t go too far. The beach is part of a State Park, so there are plenty of facilities. One of our favorite aspects of this park is how true to Southern California it is in many ways. There are more live oaks than palm, more chaparral than ice plant. You might even be able to find some cactus if you looked.
• Cons: It’s on State Park, which means you have to pay a $5 per car entrance fee. It’s good all day or if you go for just 20 minutes. There’s not a lot of “entertainment,” as far as volleyball or rollerblading go. However, if you’re looking for swimming, surfing, or sunning, this is the place to go.

Facilities: Showers and restrooms, picnic tables and grills, a general store on weekends, abundant (paid) parking.

Gaviota Beach

10 Refugio Beach Rd
Goleta, CA 93117-9717
(805) 968-1033
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: Most people – even long time Santa Barbarans – don’t even know this beach is here. It is a ways out of the city – 33 miles west of Santa Barbara to be exact. This is a great beach for the surprise element. You actually have to walk under the train trestle to get to the sand. The day we were there it was quiet because of a serious wind advisory – this stretch of the coast is famous for it. If the swimming and fishing don’t get you, the hike to Gaviota Hot Springs might!
• Cons: The wind can get pretty wild along this stretch of the coast. Except on the hottest of Santa Barbara days, you will probably wear a coat here rather than a swim suit.

Facilities: Camping, restrooms, fishing pier, hiking trails food service and parking.

Goleta Beach

Goleta, CA
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: This beach has a little bit of everything for just about anybody. A long sandy beach is flanked by a grass. There are plenty of grills and picnic tables and a brisk wind keeps bathers from getting over heated. There is a busy walking trail nearby. The parking is free. A fishing pier, restaurant and snack bar, volleyball nets, restrooms, and large areas for group picnics provide plenty of amenities. Although it is close to the University and the airport, ground and air traffic seem very far away.
• Cons: The area is rich in oil deposits, which occasionally give it a tar smell. It is a very busy beach and parking can be difficult to find. Since it is right off the highway, it isn’t possible to park on the road.

Leadbetter Beach

Shoreline Dr
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
(805) 564-5418
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: This is one of the busiest beaches in town. A long strip of sand flanked by green grass at the base of the city college – who needs to wonder why! Leadbetter is in the city on the edge of the “strip” and offers all the amenities. The Shoreline Beach Cafe offers diners tables on a patio or even in the sand. Outdoor showers, restrooms, a grassy picnic area combine to make this a mecca for the young and active. The normally light surf draws beginning surfers, windsurfers and sailboats. Our favorite part is at low tide you can walk around the point to a wonderfully private, isolated strip of beach.
• Cons: Lots and lots of activity. If you’re seeking privacy, forget it (unless it’s low tide and you can slip around the point…) Not too many cons with this beach!

Refugio Beach

10 Refugio Beach Rd
Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 968-1033 or (323) 848-6496
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: This beach is unique among Santa Barbara beaches. Many locals find that they come here to over other beaches closer into town. It just feels different than the others. It might be the abundance of picnic tables and grills or maybe its all the quirky little palms that dot the thin strip of border grass. It could also be the camp grounds that bump right against the beach. Who knows for sure, but this beach is worth the drive from the city. It’s a long 1.5 miles of beach that offers plenty of sand and surf. If you feel adventuresome, this is a great beach for diving and snorkeling. Hiking and biking trails round out the list of things to do while here.
• Cons: We don’t know too many cons with this beach. It’s a longer drive than most of the others but it’s not more than 10 minutes past Goleta.

Facilities: Restrooms, a general store on the weekends, and camping.

West Beach

Santa Barbara, CA
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Source: SantaBarbara.com

• Pros: If you’re looking for the best place to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July or New Years, or you want to watch boats coming and going from the harbor, or you want to play volleyball or rollarblade, then come to West Beach. This is also where the Ka Nai’a Outrigger Club holds their Sunday lessons and where many kayaks, windsurfers, and sailboats set out. There aren’t a lot of facilities, but you are close to the Chase Palm Park and Wharf so it’s not really needed. There are a number of excellent restaurants across the street. Leadbetter is about four blocks down and the breakwater is about three blocks away.
• Cons: Okay – so it’s not the prettiest beach in the world unless you like industrial. Call me a snob, but I don’t think I’d swim here – I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody swim. Come to think of it – I don’t think you can swim. I’d be afraid of getting hit by a boat.