We got in touch with Captain Sean to help celebrate my girlfriend's 30th and had a fantastic time!…read more We set sail in the morning to the Channel Islands, then kayaked through sea caves, snorkeled in the kelp forests, hung out with the seals, and chilled on the boat with a some drinks, sandwiches, potato salad, and cake. Captain Sean also didn't blink an eye when I had a couple dietary restrictions in terms of provisioning the boat. Overall the experience was definitely an adventure we'll remember and we're already itching to find a way to get back in the sea again.

People were friendly and informative! We saw whales, a massive school of dolphins and seal lions…read morethey were knowledgeable and attentive.

Free Free Free! Donations generously accepted!…read more Great spot if your at the Ventura Harbor. Great educational experience on how important it is to keep our oceans clean and learn more about the local islands creatures and climate. Lots of parking but never enough parking spots during great weather. However the parking is free. You can find by driving all the way to the dead end and it's on the right hand side. There is a store to buy souvenirs. Lots of picture ops. Great views to have a picknick and sightseeing. Most importantly this is a great spot to educate our children the importance on a eco friendly environment for our sea creatures and the local islands. There's a auditorium and a short clip constantly running, That's also free. There's a great sight seeing tower that you can walk up and get your stair climb on. There's also an elevator to get to the top as well.

Happy to see that the displays and the gardens have been Updated. An enjoyable place to visit.read more

My wife and I wanted to do something different and fun for our wedding anniversary, and booking a…read moreride with Sunburst Railbikes turned out to be one of the best decisions we've made. We chose the 1 PM time slot, which is a 2-hour scheduled ride that includes two stops--one in Fillmore and another at Prancer's Farm on the way back. The ride was full with 16 guests, and the guides did a great job leading from both the front and back, making sure everyone felt comfortable and safe. Check-in was quick and easy, and they even provided complimentary popcorn and water, which was a nice touch before getting started. The ride itself was an absolute blast and definitely a solid workout--very similar to cycling, covering just under 10 miles round trip. The carts are super easy to use, with clear instructions from the guides. Each cart comes equipped with a front storage rack, cup holders, a hand brake (which you'll appreciate on the downhill!), an odometer, and a switch to toggle between manual and automatic. The assist mode really comes in handy on the uphill stretch heading toward Fillmore, while the ride back is a smooth and enjoyable downhill cruise. The weather couldn't have been better, and the scenery was incredible. Along the way, we took in beautiful views of avocado and lemon groves, cactus fields, and plenty of wildlife--squirrels, lizards, and even bees hard at work pollinating. It made the whole experience feel peaceful and immersive. On the way back, we stopped for about 20-30 minutes at Prancer's Farm, where we got to see a variety of animals including goats, pigs, bulls, and sheep. There's also a petting zoo option if you purchase tickets. The farm had a fun seasonal setup for Easter, along with a shop where you can buy fresh fruit, beef jerky, and other local goods. Overall, this was one of the most fun and unique experiences we've had. If you enjoy the outdoors, want a bit of adventure, and don't mind getting in a great workout, I highly recommend giving Sunburst Railbikes a try. Hopefully my photos--and this review--help you decide to book your own ride!

I had a nice experience riding the Sunburst. Staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. They…read moregave general instructions of use but I perfected the pedaling and driving (option via a little throttle lever) in the first few minutes. Riding over a moving rattlesnake in between the tracks was a startling surprise! I lived to tell the tale there! The first stop at the end of the route before turning the railbikes back was ok, but I feel there could be some kinda stalls or local art on display during the 15 minute break. Surely some vendors could set up something? The next stop going back was at Prancers Farm which was ok for some local produce. Having said that, a fruit smoothie or ice cream made locally would be a nice touch? I went to go look at the animals but didn't wanna pay $7 each person to do so. After this 30 min stop we went back to the depot. I experienced this adventure in early spring on a day which was maybe high 70s. I'm not so sure I would enjoy this in Summer.

One of the best experiences of our life!!! The boat super…read morecool and comfortable, and our tour guide was awesome. We got to see a big bank of Dolphins, Sea Lions and a Blue Whale. We are definitely coming back, this really was a fun experience.

We went on the 1.5 hour morning outing and saw two separate pods of dolphins which swum around us…read morefor a long time and got up right next to the boat. The boat was small enough to be fast, exciting and close to the animals but large enough to be comfortable and feel safe. We also saw sea lions and heard about the area from our boat captain. I've been on several whale and dolphin boat rides/cruises and this was definitely one of the best. I only took video of the dolphins around the boat and unfortunately, Yelp won't let me post a video. But I added a couple of other pics.

We Had An Awesome Time! June 2025…read moreCaptain Dan and his Bosun, Dennis provided an exceptional sailing trip to Anacapa Island for us. We enjoyed the sail over to the island where we anchored and had a delicious Mediterranean style lunch. We got to see a lot of Sea Lions, a few dolphins, and a huge Mola Mola Sunfish. My future daughter-in-law took her turn at the wheel and really enjoyed being able to do that! We had some pretty big waves on the sail back to the harbor but Captain Dan's and Dennis's sailing expertise navigated us back to the harbor safely. We highly recommend sailing with Sail Channel Islands

Our family was very pleased with Captain Dan and the Sail Channel Islands funeral at sea…read moreservice/experience. Captain Dan is extremely skilled at boating and sailing which made us feel very confident. The boat is beautiful and we had wonderful weather (May 30 2025), overall it was exactly what we were looking for as we said our goodbyes to our Dad. Thank you Captain Dan and Nico! Shelley and Autumn

We had a fabulous time with Manuel, he was very knowledgeable in the history of San Buenaventura…read more We stopped at six local historical restaurants to taste the amazing food & drink items. If you want to do something fun, this tour is a MUST. We shared the tour with an amazing retired couple The Hanks they where great and fun! Until next time Ventura, much love!! Shout out to my company Waterton Property Management for this amazing experience in honor of my 3 year anniversary with the company.

I took the Taste of Santa Barbara Tour in late February 2024. I am 38 and I took my wife and my…read moremother along with me. We all had a great time and learned a lot. The food was delicious and was filling, none of wanted or needed to get more after the tour was over. The amount of walking and sitting time is well balanced, it was probably like walk for 15 and sit for 20. Our guide was a long lime local, very knowledgeable and had answers to just about every question asked. What we really liked is that the tour was small only 6 people, and by the end of the last stop we were sipping wine with our new tour friends and the whole tour enhanced our visit to SB.

great place! we had a terrific experience and will definatly go back. maybe next year or the year…read moreafter

My two brothers and I spent the long Thanksgiving weekend in Solvang and decided to end our trip…read morewith an ATV tour in the Santa Barbara mountains before heading back to L.A. Best decision ever! Although getting to the meeting point was a bit scary as we drove 15 mph through winding roads next to steep cliffs, the views were nice and the ATV experience was totally worth it! We gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost and it took us about 1.5 hours to get to the checkpoint. Luckily Google Maps was on the entire time and we even had an hour to kill on top of the mountain before our 12:30pm appointment. (Also had screenshots of the directions in case we lost service). Upon arrival, we met with the two girls who were wearing face masks and face shields so we felt safe. They had all the sanitizing stuff. They checked us all in, gave us each a mesh covering for our head, pairs of gloves, goggles and helmets. They offered different insurance plans (just like a rental car company), each ranging in price. Then, they walked us over to the ATVs where Jorge was our tour guide. He asked us if we've ever rode before and taught us how to use the automatic ATVs and made us feel comfortable and safe. (Throttle was on the right handle bar and brakes on the left. Second brake was a foot pedal). We drove on wide and narrow trails, over some fun rocky areas, kicking up lots of dust, and he took photos of us the entire time. This was a great family bonding experience and we're all still talking about how fun it was and want to do it again. Know Before You Go: It gets dusty so wear clothes and closed toe shoes that you're ok getting dirty. Give yourself plenty of time to drive to the location because the last thing you want to do is rush through the scary mountain roads. 10/10 would definitely do this again!

This was a great first boat ride for our baby boy. It's only 40 minutes so we didn't have to worry…read moreabout bringing anything or about the kiddo being on the boat longer than he would want. It was really laid back and chill; no scary pirates, only a funny one. While we were waiting to board, we saw fish, crab and a small octopus, about 15 inches long- so cool! The captain was really nice- even helped me on the boat with my baby. He told some really cute pirate jokes and pointed out birds and dolphins as we slowly cruised the harbor. Then he let the kids take turns at the wheel, letting them wear his pirate hat. Wasn't too cold, as the front windows are covered. Would do this again for sure!

Well, I do have to say, the marketing for this "excursion" is very well written. Too bad the actual…read moreevent wasn't nearly as exciting. Our loading time was 12:00, waiting for about 5 minutes to see if anybody else was going to join us. Captain Dave then took all boarding passes, payments, vouchers, etc. Also tried selling some Pirate gear for an additional $5.00 each - things that you can get at the Dollar Tree--all which took another 5 minutes or so. All the kids received pirate stickers though. While leaving, (12:10) the narration started - "see the seal", umm yeah-he's been swimming around for the last 30 minutes. Didn't narrate anything else, other than tell 3 pirate jokes and pointed out the fishermen on the rocks and what could possibly be caught. Rode up to the the break water, blew the horn to scare the birds so they could fly, the Captain says it's like being in the movie "The Birds". Turned around and floated by the kids beach, Coast Guard Station, the fueling dock, then he let the kids drive the boat for about 45 seconds each. Not really narrated much of anything - mainly because he was on the phone most of the time. We got back to the dock at 12:37. So--with leaving late and coming back early - I would say we were shorted 15 minutes. This company either needs another person go along on the rides or stay at dock to answer the phone and actually write down who and how many are coming for the next trip. Dave took about 6 business calls, pretending to write down the name and how many in the party; took 2 personal calls and made additional calls. Too busy to narrate anything that way. This 30 minute tour was nothing like what we were expecting. Captain Jack Sparrow would be embarrassed. AAARRRRRRRGH!

Had a great time with our grandsons on a half day charter. Doug knows the Channel Islands well.read more

An incredible experience! Doug is a knowledgeable Captain who expertly navigated around the Channel…read moreIslands. He brought us to a quiet cove to enjoy lunch (and swimming if desired), showed us sea lions basking in the sun, sea caves where kayaks were exploding, dolphins, and other sites. Being out on Doug's boat for the day was a wonderful experience that our family won't soon forget. Definitely recommend having Captain Doug show you around the Channel Islands.

I really loved this National Park! Not too far from LA in Ventura and you have to take a ferry to…read moreget to it. Your America the Beautiful Pass does not work for the ferry. We went in January so the greenery was still that winter brown but it was not very busy which is nice. We decided to do a kayaking tour with the Santa Barbara Adventure Group so they booked our ferry times for us. Beware of the specific ferry times cause if you miss it your S.O.O.L After the kayaking tour we got to walk a little bit around parts of the island before heading to the ferry. On the way home on the ferry we say killer whales which was truly mesmerizing! One of the best things I've ever seen.

Plan ahead! I didn't... I thought there would be a ferry that takes you to the island, but you need…read moreto book a private company. However, this makes this national park a place to visit without need for a pass. Come for passport stamp, learn about the wildlife, and they even have a little walk trail for all the plants you may find on the islands. Love to pygmy mammoth skeleton, the telescope lens, etc - explore!