Padaro Beach(Santa Claus Beach)

Located to the north of the city of Carpinteria, Padaro Beach - also known as Santa Claus Beach - is a wide beach with light brown sand and nearby shrubs and trees.  The popular beach is located below a blufftop residential area and portions of the beach have rocky seawalls for preventing erosion.  As an interesting fact, locals know Padaro Beach by its popular nickname Santa Claus Beach because it is located adjacent to a road named Santa Claus Lane. 

Padaro Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms, so please plan accordingly.  Dogs on leash are allowed on the beach. 

Padaro Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, swimming, fishing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, surfing, boogie boarding, jet skiing, surf skiing, and wakeboarding.  The water near Padaro Beach is ideal for beginner surfers and swimmers.  If you are planning to swim or surf near Padaro Beach, we recommend being extremely careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, many shark encounters and sightings have been documented near the beach.  Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water here including seals, dolphins, sea lions, and migrating grey whales (between December and May) – please note that seals, sea lions, dolphins, and whales are protected under a law named the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and harming them can result in a civil penalty up to $11,000 and possible imprisonment.  Another popular activity here is fishing - you can catch a large variety of fish near Padaro Beach including surfperches and cabezon.  If you are planning to fish near Padaro Beach, please follow the fishing regulations that can be found on the website of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Getting to Padaro Beach is easy - from United States Highway 101, you need to turn towards Padaro Lane through United States Highway 101’s Exit 88.  The multiple entrances to Padaro Beach are located near the intersection between Padaro Lane and Santa Claus Lane.  In addition, free street parking spaces are also available near the beach.  However, be careful getting to Padaro Beach from the street parking spaces because you need to cross an active railroad to get to the beach.

There are many attractions near Padaro Beach.  Tomol Interpretive Playground is a children’s play area with an interesting theme based on the lifestyle and mythology of the Native American Chumash people.  Carpinteria Valley Museum of History offers interesting exhibits on local history and also hosts flea markets and art-and-craft fairs.  El Carro Park is a recreational park that has many amenities including grassy areas, a soccer field, baseball fields, a playground, restrooms, and barbcue areas.  If you are looking for another attraction near Padaro Beach, Tar Pits Park is a waterfront park that offers active asphalt tar pits which are sourced by an underground asphalt lake – this lake is one of the only five asphalt lakes in the whole world.  This park offers a unique insight into local geology and it also offers amazing views of the Carpinteria shoreline and the Pacific Ocean – in addition, the park also has benches and a few hiking and biking trails. 

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Padaro Beach.  Giannfranco’s Trattoria is an upscale Italian restaurant that offers a beautiful outdoor patio dining area and serves excellent pastas, Italian seafood dishes, risotto, and salads.  Padaro Beach Grill is a bar and restaurant that has an outdoor dining area and offers delicious sandwiches, burgers, seafood, salads, and fries.  Garden Market offers delicious breakfast dishes including eggs, bagels, burritos, and granola.  In addition, the restaurant also serves outstanding sandwiches and salads.  If you are looking for a good and affordable restaurant near Padaro Beach, the modestly priced Reyes Market offers amazing Mexican dishes. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Padaro Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Inn on Summer Hill offers many amenities including complimentary gourmet breakfast, afternoon wine tasting session, and evening dessert, a hot tub, a garden, and a spa that offers massages and facials.  The 4-Star Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, a pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, and a garden.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Carpinteria which offers many amenities including a fitness center, a pool, and a complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Padaro Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Motel 6 Carpinteria, CA - Santa Barbara - North offers many amenities including a pool, complimentary morning coffee, and a coin-operated laundry.