Hidden Gems: Carpinteria
TLF IC Camilla Catlin spent the formative years of her career in the fine jewelry industry, scouring the globe for the world’s most beautiful products. Hidden Gems is her field guide to the special spots she’s discovered along the way.
Driving along the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco, top down, listening to “Hotel California” or just a whole lot of Tom Petty, it’s easy to cruise past the classic beach town of Carpinteria. Carp is five exits away from Montecito and 15 minutes from Santa Barbara, so most people skip it in favor of those nearby greatest hits. I understand; it doesn’t have the curb appeal of its picture-perfect neighbors but driving by would mean missing out on a quintessential California beach town that is definitely worth a walk-around.
Quintessential Carpinteria
Linden Avenue is the main drag – wide, lined with odd little shops, bisected by train tracks and dead-ending onto a gorgeous beach. I like old-school, local one-of-a-kind places that are slightly bizarre, and Carp has those in spades. There are kooky resale shops and dusty “antique” stores (with names like Whimsy and Traveling Pants), an excellent health food market that makes smoothies in the back, a surf store packed to the rafters with neoprene and even an actual record store. The dining options are equally off-kilter and excellent: The Spot, which sells burgers out of a wooden shack by the beach, Esau’s Cafe, with an impressive array of vintage ‘70s surfing posters, Lucky Llama for your acai bowl fix (sit outside for a quintessential California atmosphere…sometimes they have live music!) and Taqueria Rincon Alteno, which is in a strip mall on Via Real and is local x 1,000. Go for a walk along the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve outside of town for stunning views along this magical stretch of coastline and watch the light change on the mountains behind you as the sun sets.
Honorable Mentions Nearby
Ojai
I recommend a detour inland between Carp & Ventura to check out this hippy-crystal, horsey town. Definitely stop by outdoor bookstore Bart’s Books, because aren’t you curious about how that all works? It’s been around since 1964.
Montecito
This popular stop is on everyone’s hit list, but if you don’t make a point of visiting Lotusland then I’ll never forgive you. It’s is a 37-acre botanic garden which was originally the passion project of Polish opera singer Ganna Walska – she spent over 40 years collecting plants and designing the grounds according to her inimitable flamboyant taste. I’m not really a plant person, but these plants are more special than most and the whole place is visually stunning. Reserve in advance.
Summerland
This place is forever etched in my memory as the home of The Sacred Space. Room after incense-y room of objects are for sale here, including Himalayan beaded jewelry, tiny carved wooden Buddhist statues, tea, incense, and antique boxes. This shop is a rabbit warren of rooms with an unexpected meditation garden in the back. You will be served tea in a wooden pavilion while sitting on embroidered cushions overlooking quiet fountains and koi ponds. For a moment, you will forget where you are.
Where to Stay
