East Beach and the Sandcastle Festival

Santa Barbara, California Print   Leave a comment

Description

To us, East Beach is called Tiki and Toko Warriors Beach! There are these strange woven fence-type things that run parallel to each other near the second (easternmost) parking lot. My son balances driftwood against them to make teepees. Then he designs a game of war between the Tiki warriors and the Toko tribe! It's great fun.
Playground in the Sand
There's a colorful playground in the sand and baby swings. Homeless people seem to have made the shade area near the playground a hangout, which is a shame because there isn't anywhere else shady to sit at the playground.
Beach Volleyball, Lively Boardwalk
It's fun to watch the volleyball players at East Beach. Or to go for a long stroll towards the gorgeous red cliffs on the eastern end. Summer weekends are packed at East Beach and people sit under the umbrellas at the snack shop watching the passersby on the East Beach boardwalk. It's a fun scene!
Sandcastle Festival
In early September, East Beach comes alive with the Sandcastle Festival. Groups gather to build their best castles in the sand. The creations are extraordinarily clever! At the end of the day, the winners are announced. Plus, there is hula dancing and live music. There are icecream stands and cold drinks to buy- you have to buy one of the coconuts and sip the juice straight from the shell! This is out of this world yummy! The best part of the festival is walking around and watching the creations throughout the day as they are transformed into the final masterpieces. There is also a rubber duckie race in the ocean that kids enjoy watching.
Dubious Swimming, plus Where to Find Restrooms
I wouldn't recommend swimming here if the storm drain area is open to the ocean. Otherwise it should be ok. Check the water quality before you go.
There are restrooms at the Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse, the white Spanish building.
Tons to Do Nearby!
If you jog to the east past the red cliffs you will soon come to beautiful Butterfly Beach.
There's some great bikeriding around here: Cabrillo Bike Path leads from East Beach to the pier, West Beach, the harbor. You can bike all the way to beautiful Shoreline Park. Across the street from East Beach is the beginning of the Andree Clark Bird Refuge Bike Path, where you will have stunning views of the lush green Montecito hills.
Other places to visit near East Beach are: Santa Barbara Zoo, with its gorgeous views and great exhibits; Doubletree Walk, a walk along Cabrillo Blvd under palms and past tropical flowers; and Chase Palm Park, an amazing playground that is a tiny Spanish town and shipwreck, plus a carousel, and a stream surrounded by long wispy grass.

Photo Gallery

The bear from behind! Notice the fur!	A sandcastle in progress!	Playground in the sand at East Beach!
Playground with a view.	Baby swings with a view!	Sunny August day at East Beach.
Party down at East Beach- a busy Sunday on the sand. Notice the tiki warrior station!	East Beach boardwalk- a happening scene on summer weekends. Grab a beer, sit under the umbrellas, and people watch!	Crowds hang out and watch the beach volleyball games.
The Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse, where the snack cafe is located. Behind it- the Radisson Hotel tower.	Cold day at East Beach- notice the 2 brave souls in the water.	Kids play in the sand at East Beach, while a jogger heads toward the lovely red cliffs.
Audience participation during hula dancing at the Sandcastle Festival.	Hula dancing at the Sandcastle Festival.	Kids like to watch the hula dancing!
A Sandcastle Festival entry.	Awesome Pacman sand sculpture- typical for nerdy Goleta!	Starfish sand sculpture and the sea beyond.
Octopus sand sculpture and the Cabrillo Bathhouse Pavilion beyond.	Beautiful sand castles...aaah this is the life!

Directions

From Highway 101, exit at Milpas Street. Turn towards the ocean. Turn left on Cabrillo Blvd and then turn right into a parking lot. There are two parking lots for this beach: one before the historical white Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse building and the other after it. The second parking lot has the playgounds and tiki warrior fences.
The parking fee is paid by the honor system- you stick dollar bills into the slot that has the same number as your parking space. You can use your car key to get the dollars to slide in all the way.
There are restrooms inside Cabrillo Pavilion Bathhouse, the fancy white Spanish building.

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

Jessica 11/25/2009 20:50	awww i wish i could have gone this year...i'm sad i'm missing it and all the fun...i had a blast last time =D
JH 11/06/2009 15:20	Simply amazing, Pacman, bear, octopus...beats a tired sandcastle anyday!!
Darline 10/01/2009 13:43	a great event!
Carey 09/09/2009 14:37	Great beach. East Beach Grill is great too. We get breakfast (or just a cup of coffee) and then let our baby run wild on the beach. She loves chasing the birds. There is also a playground there.