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DOWNTOWN

Downtown Ventura is a haven for independent, unique boutiques. The wine-and-cheese shop Paradise Pantry specialises in obscure labels; the organic clothing store Korazon Organics stocks bamboo T-shirts, and Betty B sells an eclectic mix of handcrafted jewellery, hand-tooled leather belts and hand-carved wood bracelets — along with beautiful ocean photography.

You can taste the finest Californian olive oils at We Olive, sample exquisite truffles at Trufflehounds Fine Chocolates, get yourself kitted out for a day on the waves at Wetsand Surf Shop or adorn your home with retro surf signs from B. on Main. Even the antique and second-hand stores feel creative and fun, with shelves full of gumball machines and Wizard of Oz clocks.

California State University Channel Islands set up an art gallery in a brick building that was once the office of Erle Stanley Gardner, a lawyer who wrote fiction in his spare time. If Gardner’s name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you’ve heard of Perry Mason? Yes, Gardner, attorney and author, created Perry Mason in this very building.

Stick around after the sun sets. Ventura really comes to life after dark, with music streaming out of tapas bars, bistros, cantinas and lounges. A slew of excellent restaurants have opened in the past few years – rivalling the best in LA, but with Ventura-low prices and Ventura-generous portions.

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