Santa Barbara is no slouch when it comes to sunsets. But the Oxnard Shores may sport the best end-of-day views in California, which puts this sandy stretch of coastline in the running for best in the world.
While our gaze upon the Channel Islands is illuminated by sideways rays, those from these southern Ventura County beaches catch the star slipping just behind the archipelago. That angle turns the low-lying end of Anacapa into the snout of an alligator, lurking just at the surface, ready to snatch a sparkly oil rig treat. The tiny island’s taller western peaks form the head, with the ridges of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa finishing its serpentine back. The color scheme is rainbowotic: deep purples and bright fuchsias, of course, but then topaz and periwinkle and orange sherbet, all swirling into ever-shifting Impressionistic chaos.
I observed as much at the end of 2022, perched on my balcony at the recently rejuvenated Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach , which was an Embassy Suites from 1986 until last October. Now the 250-room, nine-acre spread is part of the Curio by Hilton collection, which puts a lifestylized, Kimpton-esque spin on design and offerings, emphasizing culinary, wellness, and outdoor adventures.
