General Info

THINGS TO DO

Carpinteria's splendid natural setting and small town charm remain relatively undiscovered. Yet visitors who spend time in this peaceful seaside city, located in the fertile Carpinteria Valley just 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, have a way of returning year after year.

They come to soak up sunshine at the beach, or simply to enjoy the small town pleasures of Carpinteria, where tree-shaded streets, parades and craft shows evoke a gentle way of life.

Carpinteria is home to a world-renowned surfing area at Rincon Point, and a beautiful swimming beach. Over 800,000 visitors come annually to swim, picnic, fish and hike at Carpinteria State Beach Park. Encompassing wooded groves and 4,000 feet of ocean frontage, the park offers overnight camping and the best surf-fishing and tide-pooling for miles around.

Dozens of antique stores, small shops and restaurants are clustered along the main streets of Carpinteria, making the Area a browser's paradise. Shoppers can sample prime fruit, vegetables and flowers - bounty from the surrounding hillsides - and chat with local growers at the weekly Carpinteria Farmers Market.

Once a year, the town's normally peaceful streets turn into a midway of adventure during the rollicking California Avocado Festival, an October spectacle devoted to good eating and family fun. Those in search of quieter pleasures can bike tranquil mountain roads, enjoy Sunday matches at the scenic Santa Barbara Polo Club, stroll through the excellent Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, or take in a play performed by the local theater group, Seaside Theatre Company.

Nature smiles kindly on the Carpinteria Valley, where fruit trees blanket the hillsides, sandy beaches stretch in the sun, and daytime temperatures range between 60 and 80 degrees. A variety of motels, quaint bed and breakfasts, and fully-furnished beachfront rentals welcome visitors to the Valley year round.