Santa Barbara Harbor

Located at the end of the Santa Barbara Harbor breakwater, Santa Barbara Harbor Beach is a small beach with light brown sand. This beach has four alternative names - Sandspit Beach, Jetty Beach, Point Castillo, and Sandbar. This beach is formed primarily due to the transportation and deposition of sand by ocean water currents along the walls of the breakwater.  This deposition, if left unchecked, can potentially close off the entrance of Santa Barbara Harbor. As a result, local authorities frequently conduct dredging operations around this beach to remove the excess sand present here.

Santa Barbara Harbor Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except benches, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.

Santa Barbara Harbor Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, surfing, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and swimming. The water near this beach is popular among local experienced surfers as it offers thrilling and powerful hollow surfing waves. However, if you are a beginner surfer, we recommend going in the water only during milder water conditions as the waves are much smaller and manageable during this time. You can also kayak, canoe, or paddleboard here when the water conditions are milder. In addition, there are some private concessions around the harbor that offer water-sporting equipment for rent. However, we recommend being careful while going into the water near this beach as shark sightings have been recently documented here. In addition, the water here also has dangerous and unpredictable rip currents. Drowning-related deaths have also been documented in the water near this beach. Despite its popularity among surfers, Santa Barbara Harbor Beach sees relatively fewer visitors compared to other Santa Barbara beaches - this makes the beach ideal for those looking for a quieter beach experience. In addition, the beach is the only north-facing beach in the city of Santa Barbara and offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Santa Barbara waterfront and the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can watch seagulls and pelicans here. If you are planning to fish in the water near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. 

Getting to Santa Barbara Harbor Beach can be slightly difficult - while there are free parking spaces present at the Santa Barbara Harbor entrance near 132 Harbor Way and along the nearby West Cabrillo Boulevard, you need to walk a long distance from these parking spaces towards the eastern end of the harbor’s breakwater. Once you reach the breakwater’s eastern end, you need to carefully walk north along a wooden beam going across a rocky jetty to finally reach Santa Barbara Harbor Beach. We recommend visiting this beach during low tide as during high tide this beach becomes inaccessible.

There are many attractions near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History offers many interesting exhibitions on the local natural and cultural history.  This museum also has the only full-dome planetarium along the Central Coast region of coastal California. In addition, the museum also has one of the largest existing collections of Native American basketry artworks created by Native American Chumash craftsmen. Santa Barbara Zoo is spread over 30 acres and has unique exhibits that are home to more than 146 types of animals including penguins, giraffes, gorillas, and anteaters. If you are looking for another attraction near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach, Douglas Family Preserve is a largely undeveloped piece of pristine coastal land and has a vibrant landscape that consists of many habitats including oak forests, riparian habitats, coastal scrub, and grasslands. You can explore this preserve via interesting hiking and biking trails. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach. Loquita Santa Barbara is an upscale restaurant that serves amazing Spanish food including tapas, seasonal paellas, pintxos, and patatas bravas. Joe’s Cafe offers amazing American dishes including sandwiches, seafood pasta, steaks, soups, and salads. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing breakfast dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach, Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch offers amazing barbecued chicken and tri-tip platters. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing burritos and quesadillas.  

If you are looking for a hotel near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel, Santa Barbara offers many amenities including an infinity pool, a fitness center, a spa, and a restaurant. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, two bars, a wine-tasting room, a pool, three tennis courts, and a spa. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express Santa Barbara, an IHG Hotel which offers complimentary breakfast and is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Santa Barbara. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Santa Barbara Harbor Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Quality Inn Santa Barbara offers many amenities including a pool with sun loungers and complimentary breakfast.