Leadbetter Beach is conveniently located within minutes of downtown Santa Barbara. Good but not great sand. It is the west coast and feels like the sun is setting to the north and not west over the ocean. Tough to get good sunset pictures. However, it is close to places where you can book a sail boat ride or rent kayaks or paddle boards. And you can walk to the peer and to a seafood restaurant that looks like a dive but has excellent clam chowder.

Stopped for a brief looksee. It was winter and not the time to be sitting around taking in the sun on beach chairs. But I suspect come March, things will be more relaxing. This is not a destination beach. Just a place to stroll to if you're staying nearby or stopping off for the day. Not a surfers beach. And, at times, there's some tar balls washing up from the planted oil rigs. Pay parking is available and just uphill on the roadway is an overlook with lots of additional parking. If fact, if you have the energy, you can park up there and walk down.