Anacapa Island, the Galapagos of California, is beautiful to look at, photograph and hike on. Just an hour from Oxnard by boat, the trip is one of those experiences that won't let you down. Pictured above is a sea lion sitting on a rock at Anacapa.

Only 12 miles from the mainland, Anacapa Island is appox. 12 miles from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard and takes about an hour by daily boat excursions offered by Island Packers, the official concessionaire.

For those seeking great midweek or California beach weekend getaways , the Channel Islands is a national parks governed body of islands that visitors can explore on day trips or campouts near the California coast off shore of Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara. A steward of the islands and partner with the National Parks, Island Packers, runs most the boats over to the islands on a daily basis.

Easy hikes, diving, snorkeling and kayaking are popular at Anacapa Island, a year round, accessible island trip offered through Island Packers. Landing Cove on Anacapa and two destinations on Santa Cruz Island, Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoners’ Harbor are all accessible throughout the year. During certain days of the year with very low tides, Frenchy’s Cove at Anacapa Island is accessible for tidepool exploring. Of the destinations that offer shore access for diving and snorkeling, Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands have some of the more desirable diving habitat including rocky reefs and kelp forests.

The good: Beauty beyond compare. Flower-studded plateaus are sometimes filled with nesting seagulls that create their nests both on top of the bushes and in the vegetation. A large percent of the seagulls in Southern California are born on Anacapa Island, an oasis and safe harbor for these birds. Very gentle Southern California climate keeps the island pleasant. While rats exist on the island and are predators to the nesting gulls' eggs and baby chicks, there are not many animals of danger to humans.

Down side: Sometimes there are so many small flies that if you don't keep moving, they land on you and cover your clothing and skin. For those who don't like bugs, it can be annoying. Also, there are no trees, no shade and no water. Also the island is not very big. It is just five miles in length and fairly narrow in width. 

Exploration is permitted on the East islet accessed by the Landing Cove, and a small beach on the West islet called Frenchy’s Cove. The middle islet and most of the western islet remain a wilderness area set aside for the endangered California brown pelican and other nesting birds. As you stand on the cliff where the top photo was taken (above), you can watch pelicans swoop and dive gracefully from their protected habitat on the middle, untouchable islet (small island.) Like planes coming in for a landing at Camarillo Airport, they sore massive, steady and often in clusters. OUt on this mountain plateau, they are amazing to watch. Tours are offered through www.islandpackers.com.
 

The Channel Islands are the most important nesting grounds for seabirds on the West Coast. Though damaged by decades of cattle and sheep ranching, the islands still sport an impressive array of native plant life. Whales, orcas, and dolphins pass offshore. Tide pools, a vanishing habitat on the mainland, are doing well on Channel Islands.

Rangers conduct walks on San Miguel, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands. Call (805) 658-5711 for tour information or (805) 964-7839 for Santa Cruz island. 

Visitor Center in Channel Island Harbor, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, contains the park headquarters, featuring exhibits, hands on displays and slide and film shows about the islands.  Mon.- Fri. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Sat.&Sun. 8 am - 5 pm (805) 658-5730

Our favorite hotels in the area for Channel Island day trips are: Sheraton Four Points Resort is the closest hotel to the boats departing Ventura. The hotel is great! It has some bay view rooms, restaurant on site and spacious grounds to wander. I liked the bed in my room, too. Another room that's recently renovated and a quick 10 - 15 minute drive to the harbor is Crowne Plaza Hotel Ventura Beach. This hotel used to be a Holiday Inn. It's the one you can see from the 101 Freeway. It overlooks Ventura Pier where there's a great restaurant and bar for evening sunsets. Or you can walk downtown.  In Oxnard, we keep going back to Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach. It's on the beach. That says it all.