A cross has stood in the spot on the hill overlooking Ventura since the late 1700s, roughly since Junipero Serro founded the San Buenaventura Mission. Surrounded by a beautifully maintained garden, the cross looks directly over to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands, with a view that takes in the entire Ventura coastline – from the curve of the Ventura beaches as they sweep over from Oxnard, across downtown Ventura’s quaint rooftops, and over to the Pacific Coast Highway’s jumping off point to Santa Barbara. To the right of the cross, a few stepping stones beckon. They lead to short, off the beaten path trails either down to a dramatic tree or up the hill to an even wider view.
CONNECTING FOOTPATHS
Ventura Botanical Garden
Parking lot
