Santa Barbara - Beautiful Beaches and So Much More

Whether you're looking to surf or soak up some rays, Santa Barbara beaches are sure to please. From the popular East Beach, famous for its volleyball matches, to the almost deserted Mesa Lane Beach, Santa Barbara beaches offer some of the best shoreline in California. We've listed the best of Santa Barbara beaches below, so you can find the best ones for you.

Arroyo Burro (Hendry's Beach)
Arroyo Burro has 600 feet of beach with a volleyball court, tide pools, and a picnic area. California cuisine is featured at the Brown Pelican Restaurant, which is near the beach.
The beach is off of Cliff Drive, west of Las Positas.

Butterfly Beach
The best place to watch a sunset is Butterfly Beach. It also has great views of Santa Barbara and its wharf. Butterfly Beach is located off of Butterfly Lane in Montecito.

East Beach
East Beach is the first beach you'll see when you enter Santa Barbara. It is one of the city's most popular beaches and is famous for volleyball matches. The beach's main access is at 1400 Cabrillo Blvd., between Chase Palm Park and the Andree Clark Bird Refuge.

Fernald Point (Shark's Cove)
Fernald Point is located in Montecito. The beach has a public access trail at Posilipo Road, but it doesn't have public parking.

Goleta Beach County Park
If you want to go fishing at Goleta Beach County Park, you can do so without a license. The beach's fishing pier is occupied all day, every day. The 29-acre Goleta Beach County Park has a playground, lawn areas, hiking trails picnic tables, barbecues, and a horseshoe area. The park's mile-long beach is popular with locals because it is wide and sandy. The park is located at 5986 Sandspit Road in Goleta.

Leadbetter Beach
Leadbetter Beach is known as one of the best beaches for swimming and family fun in the Santa Barbara. It has barbecue pits and a picnic area. The beach is located off of Shoreline and Loma Alta drives, just west of the Santa Barbara Marina.

Mesa Lane Beach
Mesa Lane Beach is a beautiful, deserted beach, but it's difficult to reach. You can only gain access to it by taking a long walk. The Mesa Lane Steps (the only way to access the beach) are located on Mesa Lane, south of Cliff Drive.

Rincon Beach Park
Rincon Beach Park is a surfing beach. It has an amazing right break, making Rincon Beach Park one of the best-known surfing locations on the West Coast. In the summer, ocean currents drop off the sand, making the beach more accessible to swimmers. The beach is located off of Highway 101 at Bates Road.

Summerland Beach
Summerland Beach is famous for its quiet, relaxed, and clean atmosphere. The beach is located near Lookout Park and is accessed from the end of Frontage Road, which is south of Lookout Park. If you get hungry or want to shop, you can visit one of the restaurants and shops under the highway. Make sure to watch out for old metal pipes and pilings. This area used to have oil wells and some of the pipes haven't been removed.

UCSB (University of California at Santa Barbara)
This beach is located at the University of California at Santa Barbara's campus and is great for swimming, and diving. The end of the beach is called Rocky Point. The site also has a lagoon.

West Beach
West Beach is located off of West Cabrillo Boulevard, between the wharf and the marina across from the Veteran's Center. This beach is uncrowded, even though it's near several hotels. If you don't want to walk to get something to eat, you might want to take some food with you because there are no cooking facilities at West Beach.