Sandyland Cove Beach

Located in the western part of the city of Carpinteria, Sandyland Cove Beach is a narrow beach with light brown sand and a gradual sloping incline. The beach is situated near an oceanfront gated residential community and the water near the beach has mild waves. Portions of Sandyland Cove Beach have been fixed with manmade rocky embankments to prevent erosion. The Santa Monica Creek meets the ocean near the northern end of the beach. 

Sandyland Cove Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your visit accordingly. Getting to Sandyland Cove Beach is easy - the access point to the beach is located near 100 Ash Avenue, where street parking is also available. From this access point, you need to walk north in order to get to Sandyland Cove Beach. 

Sandyland Cove Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, swimming, fishing, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, boogie boarding, bodysurfing, paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, jet-skiing, wakeboarding, and surf-skiing. If you are planning to go into the water near Sandyland Cove Beach, we recommend being extremely careful as the water here is known to have rip currents. In addition, we recommend foregoing swimming near the northern end of the beach due to the Santa Monica Creek flowing into the ocean here, potentially contaminating the water. The water near the beach is also home to many animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (generally between December and May). The Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park is located near the northern part of the beach, which is a 230-acre park that has a vibrant habitat consisting of sand dunes, wetlands, and grasslands that can be explored by a mile-long hiking trail. The park also has a vibrant array of flora and fauna.

There are many attractions near Sandyland Cove 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. The Wardholme Torrey Pine is one of the largest Torrey pine trees in the world, standing 126 feet tall with a branch spread of 130 feet. The tree was planted in 1888 and in 1968 it was designated as the city’s "first official landmark." If you are looking for another attraction near Sandyland Cove Beach, the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History offers interesting exhibits on local history and also features a gift shop. In addition, the museum also hosts flea markets and art-and-craft fairs.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Sandyland Cove 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. Siam Elephant is a Thai restaurant that offers delicious pad thai, phat phrik khing, pineapple rice, and Thai red and green curries. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Sandyland Cove Beach, the modestly priced Danny’s Deli offers an excellent variety of sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sandyland Cove Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara offers many amenities including three restaurants, a lounge, two pools, a gym, and a spa. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Rosewood Miramar Beach offers many amenities including two restaurants, two bars, two pools, a spa, and a piano lounge. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Cabrillo Inn at the Beach that offers many amenities including complimentary continental breakfast, a lounge that offers pleasant ocean views, a pool, a bike path, and shared sundecks. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Sandyland Cove Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Sandyland Reef Inn offers many amenities including a pool and a hot tub.