Sands Beach

Located in the town of Isla Vista, Sands Beach is a small, narrow, and rocky beach south of Devereux Lagoon and in front of Nature Center Coal Oil Point Reserve – a protected plant and animal habitat.  Sands Beach is a perfect destination for surfing as it offers a great point break.

Sands Beach welcomes dogs on leash and offers many amenities including restrooms, trails, tide pools, and a lagoon.

There are many fun activities at Sands Beach including surfing, hiking, birdwatching, tide pooling, and beach walking.

To access Sands Beach, drive to the end of Camino Majorca Road where it meets Del Playa Drive. There is a stairway near this intersection point and you can walk 15 minutes west to the beach after climbing down these stairs. Visitors can use the few free street parking spots available along Del Playa Drive and Camino Majorca Road.

If you are looking for attractions near Sands Beach, you can drive eight minutes to the Art, Design & Architecture Museum that is also known as the University Art Museum and features many architectural drawing, historic photographs, writing, scrapbooks, three-dimensional objects in the Architecture and Design Collection, and over 8,500 original works of the museum itself. Rancho La Patera & Stow House displays historic photographs and furniture related to the nearby area. If you like golfing, Sandpiper Golf Club is a beautiful waterfront 18-hole golf course that has been rated among the top 100 public golf courses in the US and the top 25 public golf courses in California. Another great attraction near Sands Beach is Stearns Wharf, a fun tourist attraction site that offers souvenir shops, restaurants, and a small aquarium named the Sea Center.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a seven-minute drive of Sands Beach.  Rockfire Grill is a Mediterranean restaurant that offers Fettuccine Alfredo, pasta, chicken, and beef dishes along with special items for vegans. The bagel eatery IV Bagels Cafe serves house-baked bagels, handmade pastries, espresso, bread, and other Mexican desserts. Another good restaurant near Sands Beach is Lao Wang, an Asian restaurant with a nice menu that includes spring rolls, pumpkin curry, coconut rice, basil chicken, salmon rolls, and crab meat noodles.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sands Beach, you can drive 11 minutes to the 5-Star pet-friendly hotel The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, an incredible Mediterranean-style hotel that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is spread 78 acres – it features a lounge, poolside bar, spa, sauna, fitness center, ping pong table, two pools, restaurants, and tennis courts.  Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Barbara Goleta is a nice 3-Star hotel that welcomes pets and has a pool, golf course, and fitness center. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Sands Beach, the 2-Star Super 8 by Wyndham Santa Barbara/Goleta offers a pool.