West Beach, Stearns Wharf(West Beach)

Located to the west of Stearns Wharf, West Beach is a wide and popular beach with light brown sand in the city of Santa Barbara. This beach is situated adjacent to Santa Barbara Harbor. A grove of palm trees is also present behind this beach. West Beach does not have lifeguards. 

However, it has many other amenities including volleyball courts, restrooms, and walking and biking paths. Dogs are not allowed on this beach. 

West Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, tide pooling, fishing, wildlife watching, surfing, kitesurfing, biking, skateboarding, roller skating, volleyball, paddleboarding, windsurfing, bodyboarding, body surfing, kayaking, canoeing, sail-boating, motor-boating, jet skiing, wakeboarding, and surf-skiing. Swimming in the water near this beach is unsafe as a lot of watercraft pass through here, which can be extremely dangerous for swimmers as collisions with watercraft can result in grave injuries. You can watch many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals and sea lions. There is a concrete pathway near this beach that you can use for a fun roller skating, biking, or skateboarding session. The western part of the beach (just below the Stearns Wharf) has a lot of public art sculptures and visitors often toss coins at these artworks from the wharf as a way to honor the creators of these artworks. This phenomenon has interestingly resulted in lots of stray coins being dropped around West Beach and people often scour the sand here with metal detectors in hope of collecting these coins. This beach is also popular for watching the dazzling array of fireworks displays which are usually conducted during the Fourth of July celebrations and during New Year’s Eve celebrations. The beach also has interesting and informative interpretive and historical signs. 

The iconic Stearns Wharf present near this beach was originally built during the 19th Century and offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Santa Barbara shoreline. This wharf also has many interesting shops and restaurants and is also a great fishing spot. In addition, the wharf also houses the Sea Center of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. This sea center has interesting exhibits about the local marine biodiversity. In addition, the center also organizes interesting educational programs. If you like shopping, State Street is also present near this beach and offers many exciting shopping stores and theaters. Chase Palm Park is also situated near this beach and is a popular park that has many amenities including a children’s playground, benches, fountains, a pond, a soccer field, a skateboard park, a biking path, picnic spots, restrooms, and public artworks. In addition, this park hosts many interesting events throughout the year including the Sunday Arts and Crafts Show and Concerts in the Park concert series.

Getting to West Beach is easy - the beach is located near the intersection between State Street and West Cabrillo Boulevard. Street parking is available along Cabrillo Boulevard, and a paid parking garage is available along State Street a block away from this beach. 

There are many attractions near West Beach. The Carriage and Western Art Museum offers a vivid exhibition of Old-Western-themed memorabilia including horse-drawn vehicles and saddles. This museum also has saddles that were used by many prominent celebrities including Clark Gable and Will Rogers. 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 West Beach, Mission Santa Barbara is a Catholic mission built in the 18th century and is widely known as the "Queen of the Missions" due to its splendid beauty. This mission offers docent-led and self-guided tours around its premises and offers visitors an interesting insight into the rich history of Southern California.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near West Beach. Loquita Santa Barbara is an upscale restaurant that serves amazing Spanish food including tapas, seasonal paellas, pintxos, and patatas bravas. Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience and serves amazing seafood. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near West Beach, La Super - Rica Taqueria offers many amazing Mexican dishes including tacos, chile rellenos, and tamales. In addition, this restaurant has been praised by the MICHELIN Guide and was also reputedly frequented by the famous chef and cookbook author Julia Child. 

If you are looking for a hotel near West Beach, there are many great nearby options. Hotel Californian is a 5-Star hotel that has Spanish Colonial-style architecture and offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a pool, a hot tub, and a Moroccan-style spa. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Palihouse Santa Barbara offers many amenities including a bar, complimentary breakfast, a pool, in-room spa services (for a fee), and gardens. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Lavender Inn by the Sea that offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, complimentary milk and cookies, a bike loaner facility, a pool, and a hot tub. In addition, the restaurant also organizes wine tasting sessions. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near West Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Ala Mar Motel offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and a sundeck with umbrella-shaded tables that offer amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.