Carpinteria, CA Road Trips

Located in California's Central Coast, this city of about 13,000 is most known for its large sandy beach and state park. Los Angeles, the state's largest city, is 77 mi (124 km) to the east and Santa Barbara, the nearest major city, is 10 mi (17 km) to the west.

Seals and sea lions have a rookery at the Carpinteria Bluffs and can be seen from December through May. There are also tide pools in the area that contain anemones, sea urchins, crabs, starfish, snails, fish and octopus. 1 Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park (take 3rd St until it dead-ends at Ash). The estuary is an excellent place for birdwatching. Interpretive trails lead through the marsh, and viewing platforms are also available. The estuary covers an area of 230 acres, 120 of which are owned by the University of California at Santa Barbara and are off limits to visitors.

Visit the beautiful beach. Visit the State park and go shopping in the various antique stores through the town. Ride along the Seaside Shuttle to visit historical sights throughout the city. 1 California Avocado Festival (Avofest), 800 Linden Ave (Carpinteria Ave and Linden Ave), ☏ +1 805 684-0038, [email protected]. Held annually on the first weekend in October, this three-day festival attracts nearly 100,000 visitors and celebrates all things avocado. The festival features over 75 musical acts on four stages, the "largest avocado" competition, the world's largest vat of guacamole, plenty of food, historical exhibits, a children's venue, and an arts & crafts venue. Free. (updated Nov 2015)

A few of the places to eat in Carpinteria are The Spot and Little Dom's. The Spot offers a medium price food selection from burgers to fries to tacos. Taqueria Rincon Alteño, 4414 Via Real. Authentic Mexican restaurant and favorite of locals. Cheap with no frills. Crispy tacos are highly recommended though not for the faint of heart; soft tacos are great as well. Can be crowded. Under $10. (updated May 2019) Clementines, 4631 Carpinteria Ave. A homey comfort food restaurant that feels like you're eating at grandma's. Portions are large (even on the light eaters menu) and include crudités, soup, salad, fresh bread, entree and pie. The pie is delicious and should not be missed. Fried chicken is solid and there is a surprisingly good offering of mostly local seafood. $11-30.

1 Apiary Taproom & Fermentory, 4191 Carpinteria Ave #10, ☏ +1 805-684-6216, [email protected]. M-W 2-8PM, Th 2-9PM, F 2-10PM, Sa noon-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Apiary brews dry mead, hard kombuch, and organic hard cider in small batches from natural ingredients. They serve their drinks here, at the site where they are fermented. They arrange for food trucks to be nearby, or you can bring in your own food. (updated Nov 2024)

Best Western Carpinteria Inn, 4558 Carpinteria Ave, ☏ +1 805 684-0473, fax: +1 805 684-4015. Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 5606 Carpinteria Ave, ☏ +1 805 566-9499. Motel 6 Santa Barbara-Carpinteria North, 4200 Via Real, ☏ +1 805 684-6921, fax: +1 805 566-0387. Motel 6 Santa Barbara-Carpinteria South, 5550 Carpinteria Ave, ☏ +1 805 684-8602, fax: +1 805 566-9097.

Highway 101 goes north to San Francisco and south to Los Angeles. Santa Barbara MTD provides bus service to Goleta and Santa Barbara. VCTC operates buses to those cities as well as Ventura and Oxnard. Greyhound stops in Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Amtrak has a station on the Pacific Surfliner route between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, via Los Angeles. The nearest stop for the long-distance Coast Starlight train, running between Los Angeles and Seattle, is in Santa Barbara or Oxnard. 1 Carpinteria railway station, 475 Linden Ave. (updated Nov 2019) Santa Barbara has an airport which flies to several destinations. Los Angeles International Airport is about 100 mi (160 km) away and has cheaper flights to many more destinations. There is an airport shuttle, Santa Barbara Airbus, which travels 8 times a day to/from LAX.

A great way to get around, given that the city is small and compact. Moving a car can be a hassle, especially in the summer when it is crowded. However, parking is free throughout the city. There was a shuttle bus run by Santa Barbara MTD which traveled in a loop around the city on 20 minutes increments, but it has been suspended since 2020. Another good way to get around. E-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft can be used to get around the city. The Santa Barbara MTD plans to operates a rideshare service called The Wave with designated pickup locations, but it has not yet launched in the city.