A meteorologist somewhere once did some figuring and decided that Ventura has 273 sunny days a year. Daytime temperatures average 70 degrees. Year-round. That is not a typo.

So if you’re wondering when is the best time to visit Ventura? You really can’t go wrong. Come visit us in the spring, winter, fall, or summer. The same warm Ventura sunshine will be ready to welcome you during your vacation.

Least Visited Channel Islands National Park

The five islands of Channel Islands National Park offer precisely the wild silence — and wide distances — you’d expect from one of America’s least visited National Parks. And two of the islands — Anacapa and Santa Cruz — are only a 70-minute boat ride off Ventura’s shore. They’ve been called the Galápagos of North America, and with good reason; a wild and wondrous place where housecat-size foxes (you won’t find the island fox anywhere else in the world) scamper through fields of Seuss-like flowers, and moon and sun shine down on the untamed and the empty.

Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Anacapa, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa islands offer magic and adventure on so many fronts. There’s remote camping, hiking (picture seascapes that steal your breath), sea kayaking (paddling into a sea cave is like descending into the throat of some softly breathing beast), snorkeling and world-class scuba diving, and bird-watching (some of the birds on the Channel Islands — the Island Scrub Jay, for one — are found nowhere else). At night, from certain island campsites on some of the islands, you can see the pinprick lights of civilization flickering like the campfires of some tremendous army. While you breathe in silence, the stars, and the sea.

Life-changing moments are so close at hand. Island Packers Cruises will take you there.

Wondering how to begin planning a trip to Channel Islands National Park? Start here.

Find Your Empty Beach (Ventura’s specialty)

From empty beaches where you can hear yourself think, to surf beaches where you can watch your child catch their first wave, beaches are what Ventura has always done. We have miles upon miles of sand and surf — and, happy plus — plenty of free parking beside it.

Yes, our beaches are the perfect playground (if it sounds like all we do in Ventura is play, well …); surfing, boogie boarding, kite-surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, volleyball, and on and on. Or (highly recommended) you can just plain loll in the sand. Got kids? Lucky you. There are beach playgrounds beside the Ventura Pier and at Marina Park (Marina Park also has a large grassy area with picnic tables, grills, and bathrooms). Harbor Cove Beach (also known as Mother’s Beach), near the mouth of Ventura Harbor, is good for children too; tucked behind the harbor breakwater, it offers calm, safe waters.

And as any beach lover knows, beaches also provide the perfect opportunity to just disappear. Want to get away from everything? Head south along the beach across from Ventura Harbor. Walk beside the drum of the Pacific toward the Santa Clara Rivermouth. Feel the world fall away.

Inside tip for you beach connoisseurs who are willing to go a little farther. Santa Rosa Island (one of the five islands that comprise Channel Islands National Park) has empty, sugar-sand beaches as lovely as any in the world.

Ventura’s Wide Open Waters

The Pacific Ocean is Ventura’s favorite playground — and, if you’re wise in the ways of fun, yours too. Let’s start with world-class waves, from surf spots ranging from C Street (California Street), to the Santa Clara Rivermouth, to Rincon (yes, Santa Barbara claims it, but it’s inside the Ventura County line). Start here with a few tips for beginners.

Ventura’s waters are also a kite surfing epicenter (and, assuming you know what you’re doing, kite surfing opens up great swaths of ocean emptiness). There’s also serene kayaking in Ventura Harbor, with lots of room to move (rent a kayak from Ventura Boat Rentals). Or perhaps a slightly wilder (and emptier still) rendition out at the Channel Islands; Santa Cruz Island has some of the best sea cave kayaking you’ll find anywhere, and Santa Barbara Adventure Company offers guided tours.

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