Ventura Travel Guide, California

If you are dreaming about a perfect destination where you can go and relax while having the time of your life, Ventura is your answer. It is as friendly and attractive a city as it can get. The locals are nice and the surroundings are just as beautiful, with long and not crowded beaches, a beautiful harbour where you can have endless possibilities to relax lying in the sun, do some water sports, ride your bike on miles of bikeways or walk around its beautiful parks.

Probably one of the reasons there are so many options at hands is that the city’s location is unique. It lies among rolling foothills and the Pacific Ocean offering a breathtaking landscape. And for the picture to be complete there is a thriving cultural scene providing culture vultures with various programmes and venues.

How to spend your time in the city is not a frequent question asked as the city itself jumps at you and delivers the options. There are fine home décor shops wine bars, coffee houses, fashionable restaurants, charming bed and breakfasts and more. And what you will love more about the city is its low key and friendly feel that makes every visitor feel at home.

Most of the venues and attractions are to be found in the downtown area which has recently put on new airs due to the revitalisation work. It is also a pleasant area to have a walk and get the feel of the city, but there are many other areas where you can have a stroll. There are the beautiful parks which are quite a few covering an area of 700 acres. In such a vast space there is enough space for everybody and for any kind of event. The parks offer numerous options to unwind, you can ride your bike, visit historical sights, play tennis, go skateboarding while in the parks situated on the beachfront you can surf, sail or if you fancy fishing the pier is the best spot for it.

The city’s parks are a wonderful combination of green spaces and historic sights attracting both locals and tourists. Being there is relaxing, entrancing for young children and interesting for adults if they can give in to the charm of the place. Depending on your level of interest for golf you can find plenty of golf courses in the city’s park system.

With so many green spaces you will forget you are in a city, but there are plenty of building too and of the most notable are the San Buenaventura City Hall, the Ventura County Museum of History & Art and Mission San Buenaventura.

San Buenaventura City Hall is a building dating 1912 standing on the hillside. This neoclassical building is not only beautiful to look at but it also offers a great view of the old downtown. The Ventura County Museum of History gathers together great exhibits of local painters and photographers depicting Ventura County from its origins to the present and collections including artefacts from the Mexican-American War, Chumash treasures. Here is the place where you can find all the information you need about the city’s history and its surroundings. Another historic sight is the Mission San Buenaventura, a beautiful church hosted in a building dating 1815. Around the mission there are other interesting things to see as an old olive press and an antique water pump.

Ventura’s neighbourly atmosphere and beautiful scenery create a warm community full of opportunity for all those who visit or live here.