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Walking along the edge of the harbor, listening to the sound of the sailboat lines clinking in the breeze, watching the seals lazily making their way through the channels and the boats of such varying types and sizes slowing making their way in and out is wonderful.

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.

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.