Converted warehouses and buildings decorated with graffiti murals and contemporary art pieces set the tone for this hopping section of town. Surfboard shapers, winemakers and up-and-coming chefs all practice their crafts here. Walk the largest part of the Urban Wine Trail — a self-guided trail of 20+ tasting rooms representing Santa Barbara County wines — and easily discover why Santa Barbara’s wine country is easily world class.
Harbor Cove Beach or Mother’s Beach, is a favorite among families with young children because the harbor’s breakwaters provide safety from big swells. The beach also has beautiful views of the entire Ventura coastline and hills, small lapping waves, and windblown sand dunes. It’s also across the street from Ventura Harbor Beach, which has restaurants, ice cream shops, and an arcade. Ventura Pier is right there too!
The Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) is a 107-acre world-class site with spectacular views of the California coastline, verdant agricultural vistas, the Channel Islands, and Ojai’s Topa Topa peak. With a 40-year master plan and already over 30,000 plants in the ground, the Gardens represent the five Mediterranean climate zones of the world; Chile, the Cape of South Africa, Southern Australia, the Mediterranean Basin, and California.
For those of you looking for a hike, this beautiful 132-acre park with miles of hiking trails plus open grass areas, a nature center, playgrounds, and trails, is the perfect getaway for a day. Nestled behind the beautiful suburbs of Ventura is Arroyo Verde Park. It is a park that withholds all the things that you would look for from a checklist of park potentials. It is dog-friendly, has trails that are sprinkled with beautiful wildflowers and butterflies, playgrounds for children, and picnic areas shaded by leafy trees.