Mussel Shoals

Mussel Shoals

Mussel Shoals is a small beach community located along the 101 Freeway between the cities of Ventura and Carpinteria. The area is known for its beautiful coastline and ocean views. Beach houses in Mussel Shoals offer residents the opportunity to enjoy the ocean and sandy beach year-round with views of the islands as well as Rincon Point. There’s a hotel along the road, Cliff House Inn, where you grab a bite to eat at Shoal’s Restaurant.

Surf

Mussel Shoals is fairly well known to the surfing community. Located just down the coast from the world-famous point break of Rincon, the beach here is also known as “Little Rincon” and can produce some pretty good waves.

Beach

Of all the beach communities along the Rincon, Mussel Shoals has the best beach. Enjoying a dry sand beach is mostly a year-long opportunity on the western side of Mussel Shoals. All the other Rincon beach enclaves generally have “wet beaches” where the sand does not dry out between high tides.

History

Until the 1930s, the area from Bates Road down to Mussel Shoals (then known as Mussel Rock) was referred to as La Conchita.

Like many coastal areas in Southern California, Mussel Shoals began to transform into a beach community in the early 20th century. The allure of the stunning coastline, mild climate, and access to the Pacific Ocean made it an attractive location for development.

The most recognizable feature of Mussel Shoals Beach is the long pier stretching out from mid-beach. The pier leads out to a small island adorned with a number of palm trees. The island is, in fact, a man-made oil platform. Built-in 1958 for use by the oil industry, the pier and “island” shifted through bankruptcy and current ownership by the California Coastal Sanctuary.

Facts & Figures

Mussel Shoals is a small beach community with around 50 homes.