Ventura, California | Beautiful breezes and succulent seafood (Updated 2024)
Light winds and tasty seafood
The beach town of Ventura in California is full of palm trees and surfers. It is an hour north of Los Angeles and is tucked between hills and water on California’s famous Highway 1. People who want to see California’s Central Coast, the area between Los Angeles and San Francisco, often stop in Ventura. This secret gem is about halfway between Malibu and Santa Barbara. It has a casual charm and a laid-back small-town vibe, and it gets 300 sunny days a year on average. With daily temperatures that average 20 degrees Celsius all year, Ventura is a great place to go if you want summer to last forever.
While Ventura’s trendy neighbors have perfected the high-class travel experience, its more cheap neighbors have made it so that tourists can wear shorts and sandals almost anywhere. Million-dollar views can be found at the top of Ventura’s Botanical Gardens, which are free for everyone to enjoy. The waves that are good for surfing and the beautiful sunsets over the Pacific are free.
It’s also free to park in Ventura’s historic downtown, so tourists can easily spend hours strolling down Main Street, which is lined with unique shops, art, historic sites, and tasty restaurants. Ventura has a lot of small breweries with outdoor seating that is good for families and pets. Some work with food trucks in the area to offer tasty snacks for hungry people. Ventura also has a lot of wineries, and the Central Coast wine area is growing.
People in Ventura love to fish, walk at sunset, eat fresh fish tacos, and hang out at the pier, which is only two blocks from Main Street. San Buenaventura State Beach is to the left of the pier. It is one of the few beaches in southern California that lets you bring booze. Near the state beach, there is a promenade that leads to two great bike tracks. One goes along the coast to Santa Barbara, and the other goes through the mountains and down to Ojai.
People can also take the free Downtown Harbor Trolley to get around Ventura Harbor Village. Along a flower-lined walkway with views of the marina, there are many restaurants, shops, and art studios. You can rent kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, and stand-up paddleboards.
The Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary is right off the coast of Ventura. It is often called North America’s Galapagos. One of the best beach hikes in California is at Smugglers Cove on Santa Cruz Island. This nearly 13-kilometer walk goes up a grassy plateau with great views of the Pacific Ocean and other islands. It then winds down through a beautiful olive grove to a beautiful beach where the water and sky are both reflective. In the area around the islands, you can also swim, dive, kayak through sea caves, watch whales and birds, and camp.