The Mesa are of Santa Barbara is one of the most desirable areas in town. Its location extends from Santa Barbara City College to the well-known Arroyo Burro Beach, or “Hendry’s Beach” as most locals call it. This area of town constantly wins the “best neighborhood” award in local polls- its close proximity to the Santa Barbara harbor, State Street, and the beaches of downtown Santa Barbara attribute to the desirability. Residents of the Mesa love their accessibility to the beach via 3 stairways at different locations along the bluff. One location is at Shoreline Park, a wonderful 15-acre bluff-top park with bike and pedestrian trails, picnic tables and large children’s play area.

A second location, named “1000 Steps” is located at the foot of Santa Cruz Blvd. This is a favorite access by locals to walk their dogs and take sunset strolls. The third location is at the end of Mesa Lane, in the older neighborhood of the Mesa with its quaint one-of-a-kind built homes.

At the west end of the Mesa, you will find The Douglas Preserve, formerly known at the “Wilcox Property”; it is now left in its natural state and preserved as a beautiful and peaceful retreat, which many people visit to walk their dogs. Others call this the Mesa “Dog Park”. It is well known as on of the best hang-gliding areas of the entire western coast. This is a result of the direction the coastline faces and the influence of the cliff, which acts as a wind buffer, allowing enthusiasts to ride the strong wind currents back and forth beyond the bluff.

Below this park is Hendrys Beach, known as the “Dog Beach” of Santa Barbara, as this is one of the few places in Santa Barbara that dogs are allowed to roam off leash. A staple of this beach, is the famous locals favorite, known as The Boathouse- a restaurant that has beautiful inside and outside seating with epic views of the coast and ocean.

Besides these  Mesa focal points, there are a lot of great parks all over the Mesa. Next post we will highlight some of the other parks in this area, as well as locals favorites for food and shopping.