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 GOLETA
Just
8 miles west of Santa Barbara, Goleta is a jewel of California’s
Central Coast, nestled narrowly between the Pacific Ocean
and the Santa Ynez Mountains. The area enjoys a year-round
Mediterranean climate, with an average temperature of 68
degrees. Goleta’s beaches, golf courses, parks, museums,
performing arts, shopping, and restaurants offer more recreation
than visitors may have the time to fully enjoy.
Goleta
provides a variety of recreational opportunities for families.
Besides sunbathing on the beach, visitors may avail themselves
of our many designated trails, engage in a variety of water
sports, view the seasonal migration of the monarch butterflies
on the Coronado Preserve, enjoy birding in the famous Goleta
Slough area, fish at the Goleta Pier, play volleyball at
Goleta Beach, and much, much more.
Goleta
Beach amenities include nearby restrooms, a grass picnic
area, grills and tables, showers, a lifeguard on duty, restaurant/snacks,
a fishing pier, a children’s playground, a 29-acre paved
bike trail system, volleyball courts, horseshoes, birding,
tidal pools, and a boat launch. Extra pluses are free parking,
a dog-friendly area, and close proximity to the University
and the airport. (The Goleta Beach coastline faces south
rather than west; visitors who forget this may experience
a sense of vertiginous surrealism at sunset, when the sun
seems to be setting in the north!)
For
those who enjoy spending their time on the green, Goleta
is home to a variety of golf courses—Glen Annie, Ocean Meadows,
Twin Lakes, and the worldfamous Sandpiper Golf Course. Situated
directly on the coast, Sandpiper borders the Santa Barbara
Shores County Park, which offers 118 acres of undeveloped
open space with open trails to the beach.
There
are several picturesque parks in the area ideal for picnicking
and hiking. Lake Los Carneros County Park has been designated
a natural, historical, and cultural preserve. The park is
a sanctuary for herons and ducks but also features several
walking paths within 138 acres of natural beauty. Stow Grove
County Park, dominated by a large redwood grove and many
picnic areas, is also of historical significance. Since
1872, the park was the picnic grounds for the historic Stow
family; in 1965, it was given to the county.
The
Goleta Valley is rich in history. It was home to the Chumash
and Canalino peoples for thousands of years, and several
expeditions led by the Spanish passed through Goleta, establishing
presidios and missions. This history has been preserved
at the South Coast Railroad Museum, the Victorian Stow House,
Goleta History Museum, and the Maritime Museum.
Arts
and culture also abound in Goleta. Numerous cultural performances
and activities take place throughout the year, from the
UCSB Arts and Lectures Program and Goleta Valley Schools,
to live theater productions by a number of community companies.
There
are also several shopping areas in Goleta: Calle Real, Fairview,
Magnolia, Turnpike, The Plaza, Old Town Goleta, and Camino
Real Marketplace. These centers are home to antiques shops,
movie theaters, grocery stores, a bowling alley, boutiques,
coffee shops, outlet shopping, restaurants, and more.
Goleta
offers a variety of restaurants that range from Italian,
Mexican, and Japanese to Chinese and American. The dining
in Goleta allows one to experience many different tastes,
as well as great atmosphere. Goleta Beach is the only spot
on the coast to have a beachside restaurant with a great
view of the ocean and the University of California, Santa
Barbara.
The
California Lemon Festival is held annually on the 3rd weekend
of October. The festival is Goleta’s most honored community
event. Produced by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce,
this highly anticipated festival features a host of food
booths with specialties such as lemon chicken and lemon
meringue pie, and presents arts and crafts vendors, local
music groups, and plenty of kids’ activities.
Santa
Barbara Airport, host to many intra- and interstate commercial
airlines, is located in Goleta. The airport provides air
transportation to and from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle,
and many other destinations. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner
train also runs regularly through the area. Goleta is 108
miles north of Los Angeles along the Ventura Freeway 101,
a section of the historic Pacific Coast Highway that runs
the length of the California coast.
Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce
800-646-5382 • 805-967-4618
www.goletavalley.com
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