Jalama Beach Surfers in Late Summer
Jalama Beach
is a semi-hard-to-get-to beach off of Highway 1, on California’s central coast. You have to have commitment to go there*, it’s at least a 30 minute drive from Lompoc, the closest town. It’s around an hour, maybe longer, from Santa Barbara.
Pre-Spanish colonization, this was the land of the Chumash. In fact, most of the idyllic central California coast was Chumash land, from Pismo to Malibu. Spanish colonization forced much of the indigenous population into missions, severing generational traditions and imposing European religion upon them.
I’ve heard sharks are particularly fond of this stretch of ocean, so be careful to not get in their way too much. It is their home, after all.
*Note: it is $10 to enter the Jalama Beach park, which is good for the whole day.
If you’re feeling energized and not a surfer, do the 10.8 mile out-and-back hike to Point Conception, walking south along the sand. It is mostly a flat beach walk, so be sure to check when high-tide is on the day you want to go, and plan accordingly. You’ll end up at a preserved lighthouse ( it’s on private property though), before you turn back. Bring a windbreaker, snacks, good shoes, and wear sunscreen.