West Beach Boardwalk

Santa Barbara, California Print   Leave a comment

Description

Because it is situated on a wide, open beach, and is lined by rows of skyhigh palms, the West Beach boardwalk area feels expansive and lovely. At sunset, it's nice to come down here where the water and sand are shiny in the golden light, and join the rollerskaters and bike-riders for a walk. You can walk all the way east to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge lagoon that borders Montecito, or west past the Los Banos del Mar pool (see hours below) and the harbor to Leadbetter Beach! Another option is to walk to the end of the pier and grab an icecream cone!
If you're hungry, eat at Sambo's just across the road from West Beach! They are very busy on weekends, but if you come early you can get a table outside, which is the only way to go! Their Caramel Apple pancakes are out of this world! They are open for Breakfast and Lunch. The sidewalk on the Sambo's side of Cabrillo Blvd is lined with tropical flowers.
The bike path gets very crowded on weekends, especially in the summer, so if you have a wobbly little child with you on a bike or scooter, choose a weekday or stay on either of the far ends, near Leadbetter Beach or near the Andree Clark Bird Refuge lagoon (avoid areas near Stearns Wharf, the pier).
On weekends, there is a memorial, called Arlington West, to the soldiers who have died so far in the Iraq War. It started as a small project, but now there are over a thousand crosses and many informative plaques. People come from afar to see this memorial in the sand. The names of the soldiers are on their crosses, and family members come to take pictures of the cross of their loved one. It is very sad, but good for kids to see so they can know what is going on right now in our country.
On July 4th, West Beach is where the fireworks are viewed. It's a wonderful place to sit amongst massive crowds and watch the spectacular show. These are the best fireworks I've ever seen! Bring a blanket to sit on (the sand is freezing!) and a sweater because it can be cold once the sun goes down. Come early so you can get a spot to sit. A word of warning- you will really thank me for this one- well, actually you'll be blissfully unaware of how bad it could have been- avoid walking back to your parking spot via lower State Street. It is terrifying to cross under the freeway there. There are masses of people getting themselves worked up into a frenzy. We almost got pushed into the train tracks as a train went by. People set off fireworks right by your face against the wall under the freeway. It felt like a stampede could happen at any moment. There is no other way to get to the parking garages on State Street, except via Castillo Street near the harbor, or via Garden Street, but it's worth it to walk out of your way and avoid the freaky experience we had.

Photo Gallery

West Beach is a very wide expanse- see the pier (Stearns Wharf) in the distance.	Peddling a surrey at West Beach.	Bikeriding at West Beach.
The dolphin statue at the base of the pier.	Watch the sailboats from West Beach.	Just east of the pier.
The sidewalk by Sambo's is lined with flowers and palms.	Tropical flowers are everywhere if you walk along Cabrillo Blvd on the Sambo's side of the road.	Pretty shrubs and green lawns, near Sambo's.
July 4 fireworks at West Beach!	Sambo's with its fantastic patio looking out on West Beach.	The wonderful palms and mountain views.
The wide sidewalk that runs near the bike path.	Rows of sky-high palms and old-fashioned streetlights.	The thousands of white crosses in the sand at the Arlington West memorial.
Arlington West memorial with ocean behind.	Sand sculpture of two soldiers, at Arlington West memorial. A man carves this anew every weekend.

Directions

From the 101 Freeway Southbound, take the Castillo Street exit. Turn onto Castillo Street towards the ocean. At the end, turn left on Cabrillo Blvd (yes, there's Cabrillo, Castillo, and Carrillo- now that was a brilliant person naming the streets!!) and park along the road.
From the 101 Freeway Northbound, take the Garden St exit. Turn towards the ocean, and then right onto Cabrillo Blvd. Follow Cabrillo Blvd along past the pier and then park along the road.
Los Banos del Mar Pool is located at 401 Shoreline Dr. Hours to swim are Mon-Sat 2:15-3:45 in summer. Cost is $1 for kids and $4 for adults. Closed on swim meet days. Call (805) 966-6110.

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

Visitor Ratings

Overall Visitor Rating:

Ken 01/29/2010 14:04	i do like this LIFE is GOOD.
Scott 10/15/2009 14:31	The beach itself isn't the best, but Santa Barbara is very interesting. Lots of great architecture around downtown and the courthouse, Spanish culture and mexican restaurants. A downer is that it's expensive, but for the first timer, definitely a good introduction to California, and easier to navigate than LA.
Steph 10/15/2009 13:24	Great, laid back atmosphere. A great place to do some serious r&r. Great bars and sunsets!! Nice hotels.
Chris 10/01/2009 14:45	beach volleyball, friendly people, peace baby....
Melissa 10/01/2009 14:03	Be sure to hit up Sambos for a stack of pancakes!!
Nicole 09/13/2009 21:46	Perfect palm-fringed beach. Ate at Sambo's every morning!