Ventura: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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The city's full name is San Buenaventura, after the mission that Junípero Serra founded here in 1782, the last of the nine he founded himself. Downtown grew around it, and the few blocks between the mission and the hill above hold most of the town's history. This walk takes about two hours and is mostly flat, with one steep climb to the cross; the aqueduct ruins at the end are a short drive north.

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A short history of Ventura

The city's full name is San Buenaventura, after the mission founded here in 1782 by the friar Junípero Serra, the last of the missions he founded himself in California. The American town that grew up around it was incorporated as a city in 1866. At the start of the 20th century oil was discovered in the area, and the oil fields in the hills above the city brought it growth. Today it is a medium-sized coastal city from which boats leave for the Channel Islands.

The ten best sights in Ventura

1
Mission San Buenaventura
The mission church downtown; the small museum holds its two wooden bells
2
Albinger Archeological Museum
A dig beside the mission with layers from the Chumash to the Chinese of the 1800s; short opening hours
3
Museum of Ventura County
County history and a hall of tiny hand-made historical figures
4
San Buenaventura City Hall
The old courthouse on the hill; look up at the row of carved friars' heads
5
Olivas Adobe
A two-storey ranch house of the Mexican era, in a park near the harbour
6
San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct
Stone ruins of the mission's water channel beside the road north; a five-minute stop
7
Ventura Pier
A long wooden pier off the promenade; walk to the end at sunset
8
Surfers Point
The town's main surf break, by the fairgrounds; good for watching from the bike path
9
Father Serra Cross
A short steep climb to a cross above downtown, with views to the islands
10
Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center
Free exhibits and a tower to look at the islands; start here before a boat trip

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Ventura →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ventura:

Free walking tours in Ventura

Serra's last mission

Albinger Archeological Museum · Excavations here in the 1970s, ahead of a building project, uncovered some 3,500 years of history in one plot: Chumash living floors, the foundations of an early mission church and objects from a later Chinese community. The finds stayed on site and the dig became a museum.
Mission San Buenaventura · Serra founded the mission on Easter Sunday 1782. The museum keeps two wooden bells, carved from single blocks, which are thought to be the only ones of their kind among the California missions.
Museum of Ventura County · One gallery is given to the work of George Stuart, who spent decades making small, hand-sewn figures of historical people. Hundreds of them exist, and the museum rotates which are on show.
San Buenaventura City Hall · Built in 1913 as the county courthouse, its facade carries a row of terracotta friars' heads under the cornice, a nod to the mission below. The county moved its courts out decades later and the city took the building.
Father Serra Cross · A cross on this hill is said to mark one first raised in the mission's early years. In 2000 the city sold the small plot under it to a private group to settle a dispute over a religious symbol on public land.
San Buenaventura Mission Aqueduct · Chumash labourers built this aqueduct around 1805 to carry water about 11 km from the Ventura River down to the mission's gardens and fountain. Floods later destroyed most of it, leaving these masonry pieces by the road.

Pier, surf and a tin shed

Ventura is a working beach town rather than a resort, and its coast was built for surfing, oil and the railway at once. This route goes from the pier to the surf break, past the birthplace of an outdoor brand, and north along the old coast road to the point that surfers call the Queen of the Coast. Half a day by car or bike; there is a bike path all the way to Emma Wood, and beyond it Highway 1 runs right on the sand.

Ventura Pier · The first pier here went up in 1872 so that ships could load the farm produce of the county. Rebuilt several times after storms, it is one of the longest wooden piers in California.
Surfers Point · Waves kept washing out the bike path and car park here, so in 2011 the city moved them inland and rebuilt the beach and dunes in their place. It became a well-known example of managed retreat, letting the shore move instead of walling it off.
Patagonia · Yvon Chouinard began forging steel climbing pitons in Ventura in the 1960s, in a tin shed near the beach. His gear company grew into Patagonia, which still has its headquarters here around the original shed.
Emma Wood State Beach · The beach sits where the Ventura River meets the sea, and its estuary is a resting place for migrating shorebirds. Railway, freeway and old highway all squeeze between the cliffs and the water here.
Mussel Shoals · Just offshore is Rincon Island, an artificial island built in 1958 to drill for oil, joined to the beach by a causeway. Its palm trees and walls were designed to look like an island rather than a rig.
Rincon · Rincon Point sits on the line between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and in winter long swells wrap around it into some of the most perfect waves in California. Surfers have called it the Queen of the Coast for decades.

Islands and the valley

Ventura looks out on five islands of the Channel Islands National Park, and on a clear day they seem close enough to swim to. This route covers the harbour from which the boats leave, then turns inland up the Ventura River to the lake and the valley town of Ojai. A full day by car if you skip the boat; with an island trip, take two. Ojai is hotter than the coast in summer and colder at night.

Olivas Adobe · Raymundo Olivas, a rancher of the Mexican era, built this two-storey adobe in 1847 on his Rancho San Miguel. Its wooden balcony in the Monterey style was a sign of wealth at a time when most houses had one floor.
Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center · The islands were made a national park in 1980. They are home to the island fox, a cat-sized fox found nowhere else on earth, and the park brought it back from near extinction in the early 2000s.
Island Packers · The boats run to Anacapa in about an hour and to Santa Cruz Island a little longer, and dolphins often ride the bow. On Santa Cruz Island, Painted Cave is one of the largest and deepest sea caves in the world.
Lake Casitas · The reservoir was built in the 1950s to supply the county's water. In 1984 it hosted the rowing and canoeing events of the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Ojai · The valley runs east to west, so at sunset the Topatopa Mountains at its end catch the last light and glow pink. Locals call it the pink moment, and many stop what they are doing to watch.
Bart's Books · An outdoor bookshop founded in 1964, with most of its shelves under the sky. Books on the shelves outside the gate are sold on trust: you drop the coins through a slot in the door.

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Getting to Ventura and getting around

Santa Barbara Airport · The nearest airport with regular flights, about 45 minutes up the coast
Ventura Station · A bare platform by the beach where the Pacific Surfliner stops; walk to downtown in ten minutes
Ventura Transit Center · Gold Coast Transit and county buses meet here by the Pacific View mall

Cheap eats in Ventura

Ventura's cheap food is Mexican and from the sea: fish tacos by the pier, ceviche and shrimp cocktails downtown. The county around it grows lemons, avocados and strawberries, so a picnic from a farm stand costs little. Sit-down seafood at the harbour is the treat.

Spencer Makenzie's · Fish tacos and fries near the beach, about $10-18
Beach House Tacos · Tacos by the pier, about $5-7 each
McConnell's Ice Cream Parlor · Santa Barbara's ice cream, a scoop about $6
Andria's Seafood Restaurant · Fish and chips at the harbour, about $15-22
Limon y Sal · Mexican seafood downtown, about $15-25
Peirano's Market & Delicatessen · Sandwiches by the mission, about $12-16

Museums in Ventura

Mission San Buenaventura · Church, garden and a small museum
Museum of Ventura County · County history and George Stuart's figures
Albinger Archeological Museum · An open dig by the mission
Olivas Adobe · A rancho house with tours on weekends
Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center · Free exhibits about the islands

Nature and day trips near Ventura

Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center · The gateway to the islands, with a lookout tower
Emma Wood State Beach · Cobble beach and river estuary birds
Lake Casitas · Picnic and boat rental in the hills
Ojai · Oak valley and the pink moment at sunset
Rincon · Point break and tide pools at low tide

Things to do in Ventura with kids

Island Packers · Boat trips with dolphins and seasonal whale watching
Ventura Pier · Fishermen and pelicans on the pier
Ventura Harbor Village · Carousel, boats and ice cream at the marina
Harbor Cove Beach · Calm, protected water for small children
Surfers Point · Watch surfers and ride the beach bike path

Where to eat in Ventura

Lure Fish House · Seafood from sustainable sources downtown
Cafe Fiore · Italian dinner and a lively bar on Main Street
Brophy Bros. Restauraunt & Clam Bar · Seafood with a view of the harbour
Peirano's Market & Delicatessen · A casual dinner by the mission
Limon y Sal · Ceviche and aguachile downtown

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Frequently asked questions about Ventura

What is there to see in Ventura?

The top sights in Ventura are Mission San Buenaventura, Albinger Archeological Museum and Museum of Ventura County. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Ventura?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ventura without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Ventura?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ventura, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Serra's last mission.

How do you get to Ventura and get around?

The main ways are Santa Barbara Airport, Ventura Station and Ventura Transit Center. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Ventura, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ventura that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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