East Beach

East Beach was great for taking a walk and enjoying the scene. The sand was clean, unlike some of the other beaches in the area that leave your feet covered in a sticky, black tar. There was plenty of parking and easy access to the beach.

Santa Barbara beach is a superb long sweeping stretch of sand. It is well maintained and a peaceful place where locals and tourists clearly like to spend time whether that be during the day or, catching the sunset. Lifeguard stations are dotted along the beach as a precaution for any unplanned incidents..! A nice place to visit or simply wall along if visiting Santa Barbara.

Chill little beach. No waves, good for small children and riding jet skis 👌🏽 there’s a small skatepark nearby also

Beware and stay away from the black dots on the beach, that's tar. If you unfortunately step on it (like many of us, go getting a bottle of baby oil or sunscreen spray. That will get you out of the awkward situation. Thanks bystanders for the big help!

Beautiful beach adjacent from West Beach. East Beach seems to be calmer and quieter than West Beach in my opinion. Been to Santa Barbara many times and this part is absolutely brilliant. There are a few hotels /motels across the street on Cabrillo. Volleyball courts are available, the parking lots for the beach are $3 an hour per car. The Zoo and historic cemetery are are just a few blocks away. Definitely would recommend a stroll or bike ride this way!

So many volleyball nets and games going on. Everyone is friendly, too. click the photo to see the full panorama.

Always the best beach to pull right up jump out and absorb the ions. Grass dunes and sand. Has it all. Restrooms at ends and middle area. Bike and waking paths. Perfect choice anytime.

Stunning stunning stunning beach! Especially for sunset. We were walking distance from our hotel so this was the go-to beach while in the area. Soft sand, clean coastline. Highly recommend checking out East Beach!

I live in Los Angeles, but I go to the beach more often in Santa Barbara than I do at home. The traffic, the parking, the crowds--everything is just kind of annoying when the population to beach ratio is as high as it is in L.A. Santa Barbara is a small city that hugs the coast, and even during peak travel weekends, there's more than enough beach to go around. East Beach is Santa Barbara's main beach, running through a long stretch of Cabrillo Boulevard, where you'll find Chase Palm Park and a high concentration of hotels and restaurants. It's huge and scenic, and I've mostly enjoyed it without getting into full beach mode, from the park or the adjoining restaurants. We spent a couple hours here the Saturday afternoon of 4th of July weekend. It was a busy weekend in town, with plenty of traffic on the way up and long waits at both our hotel check-in and the casual restaurant where we got our breakfast. But when we walked to the beach, we were met with an expanse of soft sand and a truly negligible number of people. No one was around to witness me trying to sculpt an airplane while my boys laughed and dumped water on it whenever it started to take shape. The tide was gentle enough to enjoy some easy wading. My little one (whose name is Wade, incidentally) got scared when the waves came up higher, but we all had a lovely time. The only thing I didn't like was the amount of tar that got on our feet. Small price to pay, though, and it does come off with some oil. I'm not even a beach person, but it seems like a waste to come to Santa Barbara and stay dry for an entire weekend. East Beach is an amazing place for a quiet day of sea and sand.

Move on! DO NOT STOP HERE Wish I took pics of all the washed up oil!!!!! The ocean is full of this stuff it's washing a shore. It looked like black stones but they were clumps of this stuff! Disgusting! Do better with this beach and ocean Santa Barbara. Our feet and hands were a mess sticky tar. Impossible to clean. I felt like the little duck on the Dawn commercials! Horrible experience! I put in a call to the city and reported it. That's stuff is toxic AF

Truly one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara! Free and paid parking available, along with showers & an awesome restaurant!

If you're looking for a place to watch the sunset, play volleyball or tan...this is it. They have showers where you can rinse off, spacious bathrooms and a new playground. They have so many volleyball nets up, if you come on weekends or holidays arrive early to secure your spot. They also have back up parking on the side or you have to pay for the parking lot space. This beach is also super close to the zoo, Milpas street and Montecito.

Family friendly beach with clean restrooms, playground and close parking. This is our go to beach whenever we're in the area.

If I could describe East Beach in one word it would be GORGEOUS! Imagine a beautiful beach with cerulean blue water and clean sand lined with tall palm trees with mountains in the background. That would be East Beach. Parking is also free along the street lining the beach too. I could spend hours here taking in the beautiful scenery and the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

our hotel was nearby here so we spent quite a while walking alongside the beach. It is so nice so clean and just absolutely wonderful. I love how there's just unlimited stretch of sand. It's really nice scenery and it's not populated compared to the Santa Cruz main beach where we're from.

The next family friendly beach other than the pier side where the water is much calmer. This side the beach water comes in a bit harder and is great for first time boogie and body surfers. Skim boards not so much as there are alot of people near the waterline. Halfdome tents and umbrellas are recommended and friendly. For those with pop up tents, I recommend setting up at the parking lot line. This is so thst Lifeguards Emergency Truck can drive by. The Pavillon is now open and the bathrooms are clean and updated. The restaurant too is now open. Parking is not as plentiful and you have to pay. The parking is monitored so pay. The breeze is great that goes with the sun rays. So add sunscreen!! Have fun and happy trails!!

The journey here was tough, because we came during the last day of "summer" last year in the fall. I would say that East Beach is semi kid friendly, because it invites all types of people from the general population. If you come in the afternoon, it will be nearly impossible to find a good spot to camp out near the beach, but there will be some spaces on the sand that may only require a minute walk or so. Parking is not that difficult, as long as you are able to find a spot. You'll likely have to walk everything quite a long distance. If you bring a cart, it is only semi useful, because you cannot really wheel it through the sand. So I would bring a strong friend or two if you are going to come here for a longer period of time and need lots of equipment, food, and drinks. The highlight is definitely the gorgeous views around sunset. From the view of the beach, if you head to the right side, there are some jagged cliffs that you can hike, to enjoy water pools, grand views of the sunset, and take some pictures.

It's been 9 years since I've updated my review of one of my favorite places in SB. As an avid beach volleyball player, I am here 2 to 3 times a week. Things have changed a bit. There is now back-in diagonal parking (instead of parallel) parking along the beach. *Note: You will get ticketed if you park nose-in., The parking rate for the lot is now $2.50 per hour. The East Beach Grill has been replaced by an upscale restaurant Reunion (super yummy). If you want to play casual volleyball, it's best to come after 12pm, because the serious volleyball players (and volleyball camps) are there during the mornings. There are often dolphin and pelican sightings. There are not a lot of people who sunbathe here. Mostly a volleyball beach. Come check it out!

This is a great little in town beach. I typically street park and walk to it. It's a wonderful place to catch sunset and walk on the sidewalk path or on the sand. It's well maintained and clean. There are bathroom facilities. It's typically busy but quiet overall. This is one of many lovely beaches in Santa Barbara. Be sure to have a visit on your next beach day.

We came to SB on Memorial Day to see the ocean and relax. There is a parking lot close to Sterns Wharf that has paid to park (cash or card), it cost $4.00 for two hours for us. Parking was really close to the sand so that would have been great if we went out to the sand, but we just walked along and then to the wharf. Nice enough place, bathrooms were open too so that would be good except for the liquid floor covering...ewwww.

My 600th Check In . Visiting beautiful Santa Barbara with our grandchildren. This playground is right on the beach and very clean. Parking is only $2.00 per hour. Perfect place to enjoy with kids

Nice beach spot! Not too busy/crowded. Cute park area too. However, my feet got plastered in tar. Would not recommend if you don't like getting dirty, but if you can look past that, this is an amazing patch of the coast! Love it!

Clean, expansive beach with a good amount of sand! I feel that sand-filled beaches in Santa Barbara aren't what they used to be. Over the years, I've noticed that either the tide has raised or the sandy area has just deteriorated. East Beach is an outlier as it has always had a great, large sandy area. It's the ideal spot to sit out and relax without feeling you're too close to anything around. This is also one of the cleaner beaches in the area, aside from the slough which is pretty dirty. I feel that the sand is mostly free of debris or seaweed which is a plus if you're trying to lay out or just enjoy your surroundings. The beach offers two parking lots, outdoor showers, the use of bathrooms in the renovated bath house, volleyball courts, and great panoramic views. Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands are very visible on a clear day, and the Chase Palms to the north provide a nice backdrop. Whenever I come here, I typically park parallel on Cabrillo as there's usually ample spots. The parking will fill up on weekends, especially Sundays when the Art Walk is going on. That said, I've never felt that the beach has ever been overly crowded. Just a mild, flat place to enjoy the ocean breeze and take in the amazing views.

There are so many incredible traits about this beach I don't even know where to start.. There's tons of public parking (free and paid options), its right next to the zoo so tourists you can park and walk to both, there's a cafe if you get starving from playing at one of the many beach volleyball courts, they have restrooms if the ocean isn't your port-a-potty of choice, and during Spring/Summer weekends there's SUP & kayak rentals right there on the beach. The beach itself is very clean and well up kept. There's vast amounts of sand space so no matter how busy, you and your friends will always find somewhere to set up camp. In the Spring and early summer the flowers are all blooming and the plants are photogenically beautiful. If you're looking for a place to start your long walk on the beach or single run along the water, east beach is your babe as you can go in either direction (on low tide) for quite some distance.There's a little market not too far walking distance, a Habit around the corner, and Chase Palm Park is close which is great for dogs to run around. I, personally, love going for a run after work from East Beach Cafe area to the pier and back. I see a lot of cool dogs, love looking up at the palms, and enjoy the perfect ocean breeze cooling me off as I go. Wish I was there now!

I was able to park about 200 yards to the eastern end of the park, across the street, and grab a shady spot on the grass with a decent view of the beach, and people-watch, while enjoying snacks. Decent weather in the afternoon, not too hot, not too cold. I'm used to meter parking, or exorbitant parking fees in l.a., so this was a pleasant surprise.

Love love love our pristine beach Great community ocean swims One of Santabarbara's jewels

Great spot for a quick lunch, small and not fancy but eclectic and great food. Love their poke taco's.

A great beach in Santa Barbara that's very well maintained and always exceptionally clean. Loads of beach volleyball courts that often hosts tournaments. Access to use the courts is fairly easy on all but the most popular sunny weekends when beach goers flock to the sand and surf. Speaking of surf they water here is very approving you want I get your feet wet or go for a swim. While it may seem odd to talk about the sand those who frequent the beach will understand when I say this stretch of beach has sand that's very kind to bare feet with its smooth texture and the beach itself is comparatively level with no vegetation or dunes to navigate. Public parking lots are fairly affordable but public parking can be found just a couple blocks away if you want to save some cash. Alcohol is not allowed but if you're discreet and aren't making a scene you shouldn't have any issues. Dogs are also allowed but must be on a leash. All in all a great beach that's very large and easy to access.

Great beach! Volley ball courts are world class and everyone is very nice! Always a pleasure to be here!

We hung out at this beach in April since we were staying at the Hilton Resort across the street. It was open during shelter in place but not crowded at all. Relaxing & clean.

This beach was very clean and perfect for a Sunday morning walk. It was walking distance from where I was staying and it was a great way to get some exercise. Today, we were able to enjoy the local artists showing off beautiful paintings, crafts, jewelry and much more at Chase Palm Park. This is a great location for families to come and enjoy the day on the beach, sightseeing, picnicking, and visiting the local businesses. Pets are welcomed as long as they are on a leash.

This is one of my favorite beaches in Santa Barbara for many reasons! First of all this beach is pretty clean and there is tons of sand. Even when there is high tide in Santa Barbara, you are able to come to this beach because of the large amounts of sand. That being said there is always somewhere to sit since there is so much sand. I came to this beach on the Fourth Of July and there was still alot of places to sit because of the amount of sand it has. This beach has volleyball courts which is awesome! There are a ton of them too making it a fun place to come post it up for the day with some friends. There are always people here playing volleyball if you just want to join in on someone's game you might as well just ask them. There are also a few BBQ's and picnic tables if you are looking for somewhere to do that as well. They even have trash bins even by this area as well. Right now there is no bathrooms, but there are in the works of putting new ones in. There is also paid public parking nearby and tons of street free parking too. This beach is located near tons of the hotels on the beach so if you're looking for a beach near your hotel this could be the place. In the summertime they do stand up paddleboard rentals here and kayaks too. This beach is one of the best in SB because of the location, the cleanness, and the sand! I would highly recommend this beach to anyone.

After chowing down hardcore on some McConnell's and Rori's ice cream BOTH (yea...we lost our minds in Santa Barbara going hamm on ice cream), we needed to take a loooooooooong walk. Why not East Beach? We walked out of our cars, straight onto the beach. -There was no obnoxious crowd. -No stupid parking fee. -No annoying bike path with wanna be actors and supermodels -No chicks twirling on poles/wanna be pole dancers at the beach begging for the attention like, "Look at meeeeeeee!" None of that. Just birds, sand, water, sky. (as it should be) Gorgeous! This place is the anti-Los Angeles.

My girls and I enjoyed relaxing at East Beach. It was clean and peaceful. There are several hotels and restaurants nearby.

Beach is located to the left of the pier. Pretty clean but in the morning I saw a lot of homeless people sleeping on the beach. Not dog friendly but it was empty so I played a little fetch with my pup.

If you're looking for a super clean and quiet beach, this is it!! Definitely one of my favorites. We stopped by here after wine tasting because it was a short walking distance. I was really surprised to see it so empty and clean which made for great pictures. Was awesome that we had a whole section of the beach just to ourselves. A lot of birds were chilling on the sand. Killer sunset and so peaceful~

Easy parking, wide beach front, many sand volleyball courts, great place for a walk, also have a playscape for little ones.

Who doesn't like a nice beach on a warm sunny day? First time here and set up shop by volleyball nets. My first question at a beach is 'where are the bathrooms' ? We had 3 portapotties right behind us which will do. Not ideal but will do. As for parking you have to pay at the lot where we were at. The only other issue ( if you can have at a beautiful beach) is .... getting in the water it was sand.... then rocks.. then sand. The water seemed dirty with rocks, wood and some seaweed. Didn't bode too well for the littles. Overall had a great family time at a beautiful beach!

This beach was conveniently located just across the street from our hotel, the Hyatt. My son found a few broken shells everywhere, and my husband managed to find a tiny sand dollar that was in tact! The water was nice, but the beach was a bit dirty. There was seaweed and litter. The worst part was one foot of mine was covered in black spots that stuck like crazy glue. It seemed to be like tar bits, but I really have no idea what it was. My husband and son went in the water more and had "clean feet", and only one of mine got it. Another couple at the Hyatt said the same thing happened to one of them. So the problem does not seem to be huge, but it certainly will be a reason to head to another beach.

East Beach is one of the best in Santa Barbara and not as touristy. Parking is somewhat limited but depending on the time of day you should be ok. People are always playing beach volleyball here so there's that as well. The picnic tables are chill but watch out for strange people.

I made a solitary, single-lady trip for myself to Santa Barbara, and I really loved coming there. Before I left SB, I knew I had to stop by the beach and lay in the sun. Unlike the beaches in San Diego (and don't get me wrong; I LOVE San Diego), it's not crowded here, even on a Saturday. Not only was it super easy to get to (no crazy traffic I had to fight), parking was very easy to find and I could lay my beach blanket and watch the waves and people. I only stayed here for a handful of hours, and by the time I had to leave, I felt really sad. I'm hoping that I can make this an annual trip, maybe this time with a couple other people. :)

I LOVE the beach, who doesn't? East beach in Santa Barbara is another great one to stop at. Not too full, peaceful, serene, clear waters and soft sand. Take a break from the every day stressful lifestyle and plump down, watch the waves, smell the air, better than therapy!

One of the main beaches off of Cabrillo. Definitely a good spot. The beach has volleyball a sidewalk for riding bikes and walking and a nice grass area before you get to the beach

Pro: not crowed, clean for most part, good grill restaurant with good food so it's convenient, bathroom close by,lifeguards, parking is cheap and convenient Con: tar world! Bathrooms are not clean, showers are turned off, feels run down. St. Barbara you have plenty of $$ to put back in your beaches. Embarrassing for tourists to see this to represent such a beautiful town.

Found out I had half a day free in Santa Barbara and decided I wanted to spend it on the beach. This was one of the first beaches that came up when I googled for Santa Barbara beaches. It was a nice beach, nothing too special. It had good views of the water and the pier.

Great location as a Santa Barbara tourist. Located right at Stearns Wharf, where you can find public restrooms, restaurants, Santa Barbara water taxi, and the Sea Center. The land and sea shark tour starting point is close by, and even a skate park if you or your kiddos have an interest. Closest parking lot to the beach requires payment, but if you're lucky, you could find street parking for free. East beach, itself, is nice enough. There is washed up seaweed that attracts flies, which is annoying when sunbathing. Plenty of sand to share when large tour groups come to visit.

Like any PCH beach, East Beach in Santa Barbara is no exception in terms of beauty except it's also cleaner than most! It'll be a shame not to at least see this beautiful stretch of sand across the Pacific Ocean coast when you are in Santa Barbara. Street parking may be hard to come by at festive times so you may need to park in the paid lot at the nearby Sterns Wharf, but it'll be worth it to at least stop by!

In a town filled with beaches, only Butterfly Beach and Hendry's top it at five stars. I've spend many days reading on the beach, taking a stroll with my dog on the the sidewalk. ( not sure if Actual beach is dog friendly). In spring and summer (and December 2013 when in the 80s) I've gone down and enjoyed listening to my music laying on my towel. It brings back memories of doing the same in my teen age years. Sometimes after visiting my relatives graves at the cemetery I come here to process my feelings in nature. Visit, you won't be disappointed.

We always come here with our cat at night, dressed like hobos and without another soul all around us.

Great for volleyball, families, bikers, friends, runners, kids, dogs, etc. Definitely a nice place to take a nap or watch the sunset and even people. Parking is free and not that difficult to find just remember to arrive early for best selection. Sand is very warm, beach is beautiful and waves are mellow. Palm trees are everywhere which makes it fee & very "Southern California" in the Central Coast & that to me hits the jackpot. :)

We wanted to spend the day at the beach; we were traveling through California on our Honeymoon. We chose this part of the beach because our hotel lady recommended it. It's close to the bathrooms, public baths (when California has the water turned on) and a snack bar. The sand was fine and clean; the view was spectacular!

If ur one of those people like me, who don't go out to the water or play volleyball on the sand, u can rent a bike (they even have four person bikes!) or a segway to enjoy the beach view while working off some of those calories from eating/drinking on State Street!

If you're a local, you know that East Beach is the beach for some great eye candy. All the young volleyball players head out here for beach volleyball, and usually their girlfriends come along to watch and/or play. There are probably about 10-12 courts and nets set up for everyone, and it's on a first come basis. And yes, it does count if there is a ball left on the court. It's saved so don't think about trying to steal it. Parking is somewhat of a major issue. But you can park for free along Shoreline Drive, or on some of the cross streets. A parking lot is located kind of close for a small fee. I'm not sure how much it is these days, but paying for parking here is based on the Honor system, so bring cash in small bills. The beach itself is really clean and open with plenty of room to spread out. The sand is way soft and makes the perfect bed for laying out for a tan. If it gets too hot for you, you can always walk up towards the grassy area and lay under the palm trees. But with all the athletes around, don't expect it to be quiet or to have much privacy here. If I had to choose my favorite beach of all the beaches Santa Barbara has to offer, hands down, no questions asked,.. it would be East Beach. Okay, so let's review. If you're heading to East Beach, be prepared for the parking situation, bring lots of water and snacks because there aren't really any cafes close by, and don't forget over sized sunglasses so you can people watch without looking like a creep. Let the summertime fun commence! :)

Some great eye candy is on this beach Joan states in her review. Well, thanks for the compliment. I watch what I eat. I run even when not trespassing. And I enjoy a good multi-vitamin now and again. Ok: The beach. It's swell. The sand is great for feet, and the mind.

From afar, this beach looks perfect. Golden sand, deep blue water, kids & adults alike frolicking in the waves. This beach begs you to kick off your shoes & feel the sand between your toes. But beware, there are also tar globs all over this beach and they are nearly impossible to scrape off your feet! I was quick to blame the ugly oil rigs off the coast for this unfortunate phenomenon, but found that these are actually naturally occurring tar balls. Apparently there are some pretty major oil seeps right off the coast of Santa Barbara. It is estimated that about 10,000 gallons of oil each day seep into the ocean in the SB area. Yuck! So enjoy this beach from afar, or wear some old shoes that can be left outside so tar isn't tracked into your house/apartment/hotel room. If you do go barefoot, be sure to have some nail polish & a scrubber handy. You'll need it.

I made it to Santa Barbara just in time to watch the sunset. Amazing. Santa Barbara hardly lets me down.

Well you drive down the road by the beach and finally, the last area is east beach. The whole beach for miles here in Santa Barbara is wonderful! The sun, the sand, the beautiful people, the tans, the volleyball, and on and on... Calling it crowded or not, call parking hard or not depends on your personal place of origin, and your consciousness. There were plenty of places to park (from my point of view) and lots of people, but still lots of open space. You decide. Come on out and enjoy the sun, the ocean, the beach, and the people!

It's the beach. It's Santa Barbara. If I win the lottery, I shall live right here. It's really, really awesome.