Ventura Travel Guide

Oxnard and Ventura are shoreline communities with the Coast Range in their backyards and the Pacific Ocean at their doorsteps. Ventura's Mission San Buenaventura, founded in 1782, was the last mission to be dedicated by Franciscan Junipero Serra. Be sure to tour the new 31-mile Scenic Coastal Drive that weaves through the coastal cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard and Ventura.

Just off the coast, the Channel Islands National Park, an archipelago comprised of five islands, is the only U.S. wildlife sanctuary of its kind. It can be reached by boat or plane from Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor or Ventura Harbor. Head for the big island of Santa Cruz to stroll on pristine beaches.