San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, California has an unusual service, especially for a public beach: a concierge.
Park administrators don’t call Anne Dominguez “janitor,” but it’s okay for visitors to call her that. She has been a special events coordinator at San Buenaventura State Beach for the past 12 years. She helps church groups, corporations, fundraising committees, and even families orchestrate the details of a beach picnic event.
Space for 3,000 bathers
And with good reason. The day-use beach is so busy and large that it requires a full-time staff member to help visitors, especially groups, to make their visit unforgettable.
The beach is arguably the perfect picnic spot for large groups. It begins just south of Ventura’s 1,700-foot-long municipal pier and runs south for two miles, with a small lagoon. In its central area, the boardwalks frame bathing beaches attended by lifeguards. Behind the sand dunes, the beach offers enough picnic areas, grass, barbecues, parking lots, and the all-important showers for 3,000 people. It is the largest day-use picnic area on a state beach in Southern California, according to state parks officials.
Anne has helped facilitate events ranging from the annual Aids/Lifecycle fundraiser for cyclists, which draws thousands of participants, to corporate team-building picnics and families planning a baptism.
He especially enjoys helping church, school, and youth groups, as many of the children who participate are making their first visit to the beach. For these children, being at the beach is enough of a thrill, says Anne. But she can help group organizers find kid-friendly hotels, prepare picnic meals at barbecue areas, even recommend vendors for bouncy hopping and other activities.
He also likes to arrange for the lifeguard staff to give a talk so the kids have a water friendly experience.
“We want everyone to know what to do in the water,” she says.
Hotels near Ventura
The beach is close to the Crowne Plaza just to the north near the Ventura Pier and the Marriot to the south just a few feet walk from the entrance to the state beach. Families and smaller groups can also find small-scale hotels and bed and breakfasts within a short walk or drive.
San Buenaventura State Beach is also a good “hub” beach for vacationers looking for a Southern California beach vacation that includes not only sun and sand, but also day trips. Ventura Harbor is two miles south, with restaurants, shops, and chartered boats for whale watching and trips to the Channel Islands National Monument. The seat of the monument is actually located in the port. Santa Barbara is a half-hour drive north, the Camarillo Premium Outlets shopping area is a half-hour south, and Ventura itself has plenty to draw tourists, in its charming downtown and precinct Ventura county fair right on the ocean.
To get to San Buenaventura State Beach, take US Highway 101 to the Seaward Avenue exit in Ventura. Turn south on Harbor Boulevard, turn left on Harbor, then left again on San Pedro Street. The entrance to the state beach is at the end of the block.
The cost of entry is $8 per vehicle. Groups larger than 30 people may require a permit fee. The park recommends that large groups call ahead for reservations. For families and groups of less than 30 people, the park is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
