Updates

Point Sal is one of my favorite places to go in the springtime when the wildflowers are in bloom. While I love the acres and acres of golden poppies and bush lupine you can find on the tip-top of Figueroa Mountain, there is something very special about the wildflowers you find on the steep windswept coastline leading to the point.

The walk along the edge of the cliff at sunset is one of the nicest you will find anywhere. The steps leading down to the beach at the end of Mesa Lane is nearby, making a very nice loop walk to Arroyo Burro via the beach and back up the trail.

The trestles at the mouth of Arroyo Hondo Canyon are very picturesque, as is the beach below. The climb down to the beach is only the start of the adventure.

Hidden at the foot of San Ysidro Road, Eucalyptus Lane provides beach access both to Fernald or Hammond’s points. There are excellent tide pools, long stretches of beach, and a host of beautiful homes to enjoy.

Great sunset views, a harbor seal preserve and plenty of beach to explore in either direction.

The cliffs near the parking area for the Loon Point beach walk soar upward like a bird in flight. Below them is an isolated stretch of beach leading to Lookout Park, as well as a delightful stroll around Loon Point, if the tide permits.

Just having a quaint beachside restaurant at the ocean’s edge makes this beach a nice place to visit. The coastline in either direction provides access to long stretches of relatively deserted beach.

The park is long and thin, encompassing almost a mile of the bluffs just west of Santa Barbara Point. There are plenty of places for picnics and barbecues, equipment for the kids to play on, and a stairway leading down to the beach, where you can enjoy a quiet walk along the cliffs.

East Beach is quintessential Santa Barbara: wide stretches of soft, white sand, palm-lined boulevards, the red-tiled roofs of the East Beach pavilion, and one of California’s most picturesque combinations of wharf and harbor. The beach walking is good too.

Mesa Lane is a nice alternative access point to Arroyo Burro on the really warm days when there are huge crowds there. Ninety percent of the people who visit Arroyo Burro rarely venture more than a half mile in either direction, which means if you drop down from Mesa Lane you won’t see too many people.