Devereux Beach, also known as West Campus Beach, is on the east side of Coal Oil Point in Isla Vista. Just inland from the beach is the west campus of the University of California Santa Barbara, the Devereux Lagoon, and the Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve. During low tide at Devereux Beach there is an abundance of tide pools to explore throughout the point. To the west of Devereux Beach, and around the point, is Sands Beach. Camino Majorca Beach is the next named sandy spot to the east.

  • Amenities: Tide Pools
  • Activities: Beach Walking, Hiking, Surfing, Whale Watching
  • Dog Policy: Dogs allowed on leash

There is a prominent derelict structure at Devereux Beach, remnants of a cement beach house with a stone chimney that was one of several structures in the area during the 1920s when Coal Oil Point was known as Campbell Ranch. "The jailhouse" and "the jail" are common nicknames for the structure, covered in constantly-changing graffiti art. It's been photographed and covered with graffiti thousands of times and has become everybody's shared landmark.

The Devereux surf spot is an exposed reef and point break that has reliable waves. Surfers enjoy this surf spot that has a solid right hand break. Winter is the best time of year for surfing Devereux and the best wind direction is from the northeast. The ideal swell angle is from the west during mid tide. Beware of rocks because Coal Oil Point has plenty of them. When the surf is up Devereux can get crowded. It is not a particularly great wave but the proximity to UCSB all but guarantees a steady stream of students.

The bluffs above Devereux Beach is great for whale watching and is the official spotting location of the Gray Whales Count organization. Gray Whales Count is a research and education project, in which observers (counters) on land monitor the passage of gray whales migrating northbound through the near shore of the Santa Barbara Channel, along a corridor extending approximately 3 miles from shore.

Parking

The closest parking to Devereux is at Camino Majorca Beach in Isla Vista where Camino Majorca road hits the ocean. There are stairs where you can walk straight down to the beach (then right/west) when the tide is low enough. A trail on the bluff also takes you west to Devereux where there are several paths down to the beach.

Panoramas