San Buenaventura State Beach


Along the waterfront off Hwy 101, this long white-sand beach is ideal for swimming, surfing or just lazing on the sand. A recreational cycling path connects to nearby Emma Wood State Beach, another popular spot for swimming, surfing and fishing.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Mission San Buenaventura

1.44 MILES

Ventura’s Spanish-colonial roots go back to this last mission founded by Junípero Serra in California in 1782. A stroll around the mellow parish church…

2. Museum of Ventura County

1.49 MILES

This tiny downtown museum has an excellently eclectic collection that includes exhibits on the local Chumash people and rotating exhibitions of local…

3. Ojai Valley Museum

12.57 MILES

Tiny museum in a beautiful restored church on Ojai's main street. The rotating exhibitions are usually related to the town, and there's a small tourism…

4. Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room

12.57 MILES

Inside downtown’s historic firehouse, Ojai Vineyard pours tastes of its delicate, small-batch wines. It's best known for standard-bearing Chardonnay,…

5. Agriculture Museum

13.81 MILES

This part of California is renowned for its fresh produce and the Agriculture Museum looks at the machinery that helped the state become the vegetable and…

6. California Oil Museum

13.88 MILES

Tells the story of Santa Paula’s ‘black bonanza’ with modest historical exhibits that include an authentic 1890s drilling rig. It's free though a donation…

7. Santa Paula Art Museum

13.89 MILES

Rotating painting and photography exhibitions, often with a local theme, take place in this gleaming white building in the center of town.

8. Meditation Mount

14.23 MILES

Ojai is famous for the rosy glow that emanates from its mountains at sunset (some days) – the so-called ‘Pink Moment.’ The ideal vantage point for…