Having the Beach as Your Backyard

This blog post is an excerpt from IVO's We Gaucho Back: UCSB Freshman Student Guide

There is also something major that is often overlooked and rather serious here that I think it’s time we get into now… going to the beach. At this point you’re probably thinking, “we’re literally on the beach, I’ll be there everyday,” and while that’s completely fine, we definitely need consider the fact that every day can easily turn into every few months. We can’t personally stress this enough, but make time to go to the beach.

We recommend being proactive and take advantage of the proximity you have to the amazing nature that surrounds UCSB! The sereneness of the view we have is easily one of the best things for your mental health in the midst of midterms and finals, which hit a lot quicker here than they do in semester-based schools. 

As far as the beaches themselves, we have a few options to choose from. First, we have Devereux Beach. Dev's, as we call it for short, is a 2-3 minute walk from the end of 68 Block (the last block in IV) and it’s generally the best beach for recreational activities such as spikeball, tanning, tons of surfing, and general hangouts with a large group. This beach is generally a hotspot for everyone here, but there’s almost always plenty of room.

If the tide is low enough, you can walk from Devereux beach along the coastline until you hit Campus Point Beach, which is where UCSB is. Campus Point is pretty casual, and you’ll definitely see more people jogging or walking there as opposed to sands. The cool part about campus point has to be that it’s so easy to access from campus, we definitely recommend it as a study break spot.

In the opposite direction of Campus Point and at the very northern tip of Devereux beach is Coal Oil Point. Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve is a protected plant and animal habitat that is administered by the University. If you keep meandering up the coastline further north you'll find yourself on Sand's Beach, which is the home of the protected snowy plovers species (look them up if you don't know what they look like, they're adorable).

Also, circling back, the coastline you can walk along from Devereux Beach to Campus Point is free real estate, you can drop a towel or set up spikeball anywhere along the coast. If you have walked along Del Playa, you will also notice the handful of stairs that lead you down to the beach - one at the end of each block. Chances are you’ll see some people surfing or on floats in the water, as these are time-honored traditions for UCSB students. The last beach we have in close proximity is Goleta Beach Park. This spot is good for the occasional surf or general recreation as well as fishing, as this park has a pier that is optimal for sunset viewing.