Ventura Boat Rentals at Ventura Harbor Village

Ventura Boat Rentals, located at Ventura Harbor Village at 1575 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura rents out electric boats, paddle boats, kayaks, power boats, surf bikes. jet skis and sail boats to the general public.  They also offer narrated harbor tours on weekends and select holidays, public dinner cruises, sunset cocktail cruises, private charters, private parties and public holiday tours. 

Visit www.venturaboatrentals.com or call 805.642.7753 for more information.

We enjoy exploring the Ventura Harbor, thanks to Ventura Boat Rentals.  Lots of small crabs hang out in these rocks.

Lake Casitas Recreation Area in Ventura

The Lake Casitas Recreation Area is operated by the Casitas Municipal Water District, which supplied water to 70,000 people and hundreds of farms in western Ventura County, encompassing Ojai, the Ventura River Valley area, the city of Ventura to Mills Road, the Rincon and beach area to the ocean and the Santa Barbara County line.

Lake Casitas is a reservoir that was completed in 1959, with a capacity of 254,000 acre feet. The lake was used for canoeing and rowing events for the 1984 Summer Olympics. While swimming is not allowed in the lake because it is a water supply, boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing is indeed allowed here.

There are a lot of fun things to do in the Lake Casitas Recreation Area:

• Camping: There are over 400 campsites at Lake Casitas. More information and reservations at www.casitaswater.org/recreation/camping.

• The Casitas Water Adventure is a summer water park with a lazy river, splash pad, lagoon and aquatic play structure (removed in summer 2022 - currently under construction). www.casitaswater.org/recreation/casitas-water-adventure

• Boating and Fishing: Described above. You do need to have a fishing license if you are age 16 or older. Boat rentals, fishing licenses, bait and tackle and more is offered at the on-site Casitas Boat Rentals. casitasboatrentals.com

• Picnicking: You can enjoy picnicking and exploring at 13 different picnic areas at Lake Casitas. it’s also a nice place for bike riding. www.casitaswater.org/recreation/amenities/picnic

• Disc Golf: Coyote Point Disc Golf Course overlooks Lake Casitas and is set in rugged terrain with concrete tee pads. Free of charge. www.casitaswater.org/recreation/amenities/disc-golf

Day use hours are 6 am to 7:30 pm daily. $10 entry fee for vehicles during off season (Labor Day to Easter) and $20 on weekends during “on” season (Easter to Labor Day). Or you can be a cheapskate like me and park on Santa Ana Road and walk in. Location is 11311 Santa Ana Road, Ventura. For more information, visit www.casitaswater.org/recreation or call 805-649-2233.

Front entry to Lake Casitas Recreation Area in the summer of 2022.

Gondola Paradiso at Channel Islands Harbor

Founded in January 2014, Gondola Paradiso provides luxury Venetian-style cruises through the canals of the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard.

Cruises leave from Seabridge Marina, located off South Victoria Avenue at the Channel Islands Harbor, 1301 S. Victoria Avenue, Oxnard. To book a cruise, call (805) 612-4475 and for more information visit www.gondolaparadiso.com.

Channel Islands Boat Rides - Island Packers

Since 1968, Island Packers has provided reliable, enjoyable transportation between the Ventura/Oxnard Harbors and the Channel Islands National Park & Marine Sanctuary.

Island Packers has scheduled trips departing out of the Ventura and Oxnard Harbors and is the only exclusive boat concessionaire with authorization to transport guests to the Channel Islands National Park. Three 149-capacity catamarans and one 81-passenger mono hull vessel provide half and whole day trips year round to the Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands, with trips to the Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands from mid-April through the fall months.

On a personal note, we've been on Islands Packers boats a number of times and they are a class act. Great service and responsiveness.

Marine Wildlife Cruises (which do not land on the island) depart from the Harbor for 3 hour narrated cruises along the shores of Anacapa or Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. Highlights include sightings of sea lions, harbor seals and marine bird life, along with the opportunity to view whales and dolphins during the channel crossing. Island Packers also offers whale watching cruises - which, depending on the time of year, are a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the Pacific's most magnificent creatures. While pods of dolphins can be seen nearly year-round, whales are a far more seasonal bunch:

• Late December-Mid April: Gray whales

• April-September: Humpback and Minke whales

• Summer & Fall: Giant Blue whales- not only the earth's largest mammal, but thought to be the largest known animal ever to have existed.

Whales aren't all these cruises have to offer, however. A trip to the Channel Islands can also mean sightings of rare birds! Though difficult, pelagic birding can be incredibly rewarding - but the real treasure trove is on the Islands themselves.

Santa Cruz Island is also home to the gem of the Channel Islands birding community - the Island Scrub-jay! The Island is the only place in the world this bird is found, and is highly sought after for avid bird enthusiast's 'life lists.'

For schedules, directions, tickets and more information, visit www.islandpackers.com, or call (805) 642-1393. Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Island Packers has two locations:  Ventura Harbor, 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105B, Ventura and Channel Islands Harbor, 3600 S. Harbor Boulevard, Oxnard.

Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park

Click the image below for information about visiting Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park, just an hour to hour and half boat ride from Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbor.