Anacapa Island - Frenchy's Cove

Located on the northern side of Anacapa Island, Anacapa Island - Frenchy’s Cove - also known as Frenchys Cove - is a narrow beach with both sandy and rocky parts. This beach is situated at the base of oceanfront mountains. This beach is also a part of a national park named Channel Islands National Park. The original name given to the beach by the Native American Chumash people was pasnene luqtikay which roughly means "the doorway to West Anacapa Islands." 

Anacapa Island - Frenchy’s Cove does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly.

Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove offers many fun activities including sunbathing, wildlife watching, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and boating. If you are planning to go into the water near Anacapa Island-Frenchy's Cove, we recommend doing so during summers as the water here is generally calm during this season. However if you are planning to go into the water near this beach, we recommend being careful as the water here can occasionally have dangerous waves and strong currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, dolphins, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of birds here including gulls and the locally endangered brown pelicans. Please note that from April through mid-August the area around the beach is used as a nesting spot by western gulls, which means that you might encounter the strong odor of guano, constant noises by seabirds, and bird carcasses during this period. A popular activity in Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove is tidepooling - a short hike from this beach will lead you to a portion of the southern Anacapa Island shoreline. This area has interesting tidepools that are home to many kinds of wonderful creatures including sea stars, sea urchins, sea snails, crabs, and limpets.

Getting to Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove is difficult as a limited number of ferries to this beach are offered by a private concession named Island Packers. While ferries to Anacapa Island are available from the nearby port cities of Ventura and Oxnard, it is important to note that most of the boats for Anacapa Island depart from Oxnard. It is also important to note that the area around this beach is currently closed as the trails present around here have been weathered away by rains.

As an interesting fact, this beach was named after a locally famous fisherman named Raymond "Frenchy'' LeDreau. Le Dreau was a French immigrant who informally acted as a caretaker of Anacapa Island during the early and mid 20th century. Frenchy lived in the area near this beach for around three decades.

There are many attractions near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove in the cities of Ventura and Oxnard. Mission Basilica San Buenaventura is a Catholic mission and historical landmark in the city of Ventura. This landmark features a museum and a gift shop. You can explore the mission premises through docent-guided and self-guided tours, which offer a unique insight into the early history of Southern California. Channel Islands Maritime Museum is in the nearby city of Oxnard. This museum offers interesting exhibitions focused on maritime art and antique ship models. The museum has maritime art works dating back to the 17h century. In addition, the museum also has antique ship models from the 18th and the 19th centuries. If you are looking for another attraction near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove, the Museum of Ventura County (present in Ventura) offers interesting historical exhibits, art galleries, and cultural displays from all over Ventura County and the Channel Islands.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove in the cities of Oxnard and Ventura. Prime Steakhouse is an upscale restaurant in the city of Ventura. The restaurant offers excellent steaks and seafood dishes. Moqueca Brazilian Restaurant is in the city of Oxnard. This restaurant offers amazing Brazilian dishes including moqueca stews and picanha grelhada. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove, Golden Egg Cafe is situated in the city of Ventura and offers delectable breakfast dishes including eggs, pancakes, hash browns, and banana bread.

If you are looking for a hotel near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn is a 27-minute drive from the city of Ventura and 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 Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach offers many amenities including a gym, a restaurant, a bar, a pool, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another attraction near Anacapa Island-Frenchy’s Cove, the modestly priced 2-Star Palace Inn is in the city of Oxnard and is present conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Ventura County.