Jalama Beach is a little town away from it all. To get there, it's a long drive through nothing but rolling hills and a few ranches. Once you near the beach you look down from high above onto a cute surfer town. Stop along the road and watch the sets of waves rolling into land.

It costs $10 to enter the campsite where you can access the beach and a great little playground with an ocean view. Here your kids can have a blast on the monkey bars or rock back and forth on a sea horse. There are slides and baby swings. A spot with thick grass and palm trees provides a lovely spot for a picnic.
For your picnic you can buy a burger or sandwich at the snack shop. There are plenty of picnic tables with ocean views around the campground where you can eat your food. Or you can eat inside if it's a cold day. Watch out for the seagulls that descend on you and try to grab your food- it was a little too much like "The Birds" on the day I was there.
Jalama Beach is a rough beach and not for swimming. Experienced surfers, windsurfers, and kite surfers enjoy the wild waves. I was surprised by how many people there were at this beach- I had expected it to be deserted since it's so far from everything, but there were people from all over the world (a group of young aussies, a German family, visitors from France) camping here.
The closest large town is Lompoc.

Directions

Jalama Beach is located at 9999 Jalama Beach Rd, Lompoc CA 93436.
It takes about an hour to get to Jalama Beach from Santa Barbara and 45 minutes to get to Jalama Beach from Lompoc.
From Highway 101 northbound, take Highway 1 to Lompoc but before you get to Lompoc, turn left when you see the sign for Jalama Beach. There's a left turn lane. It's a long, slightly winding road down to the beach.
If coming from Highway 101 southbound, follow the signs to Highway 1 and continue on Highway 1. About four or five miles after Lompoc town, turn right when you see the sign for Jalama Beach. Follow the long, slightly winding Jalama Rd to the beach.
It costs $10 to enter the beach park.

Click on map for interactive view