Ventura County piers

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Don’t tell San Francisco, but Coronado Ferry Landing in San Diego may have the most jaw-dropping city views in the state, including a snazzy skyline, Navy craft, the Coronado Bay Bridge and the traffic (sailboats to freighters) in the channel. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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All aboard for spectacular views of the bay. Board a craft at Coronado Ferry Landing for the 15-minute cruise across the bay to downtown San Diego. Prepare to be dazzled. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Just after sunset, surfers return to shore on the southern side of the Oceanside Pier. At 1,954 feet, it’s the longest wooden pier along the West Coast. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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The Oceanside Pier provides a perfect vantage point for watching waves -- in this case, huge ones -- crash into the beach. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Trim cottages line both sides of Crystal Pier in San Diego County. Each of the 21 lodgings comes with a small, private deck that looks out on the water and provides some privacy. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

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From the San Clemente Pier, the view of land trumps the view out to sea. Cliffs showcase buildings and homes that riff on classic Spanish Colonial design. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A surfer rides a wave near the wooden San Clemente Pier at sunset. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Sunset at the Manhattan Beach Pier -- early morning or late afternoon, it’s a photo op waiting just for you. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Pier 39 is the biggest outdoor, multistory shopping mall sitting on/masquerading as a pier in California. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

June 29, 2012 2:01 PM PT

Ventura County piers (south to north)

Port Hueneme Pier

Overview: A pier that feels away from it all. It was opened in 1968 and is one of the few in the state that doesn’t prohibit bicycles. Neighborhood kids seem to make the 1,400-foot span a destination.

Background: This pier has a peculiar shape: It heads out from the beach, turns left for about 50 feet and then straightens out again, leading to an octagonal shape at the end.

Notable views: Long expanses of beach in both directions; an excellent view of Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands on days with good visibility.

Parking: 50 cents a half-hour, $3 all day, in the lot at the foot of the pier.

Directions: Take Highway 1 to the Hueneme Road exit, go west until it turns into Port. Follow Port to Ventura Road, turn left and follow it to Surfside Drive. Turn left again and follow it all the way to the Port Hueneme Beach Park.

Ventura Pier

Overview: The well-maintained, well-lighted 1,600-foot wooden pier has a variety of things going for it. Foremost is the large oval cut-out that allows visitors to peer at the pilings and water below. Two eateries deserve attention: Eric Ericssons is a full-bar, sit-down restaurant with a seafood-heavy menu (seafood entrees $20 and up); Beach House Tacos offers specialty tacos (from $3) and taco plates (from $3.95).

Background: Since 1872, when the first wharf was constructed, more than a dozen storms have destroyed or damaged structures on the site, but Ventura has rebuilt time again. It also has a unique financial support system to ensure fiscal stability: The nonprofit Pier into the Future raises money to fund expenses as varied as exhibits on the pier and underwriting repairs. An annual fundraiser drew more than 1,000 people last year.

Notable views: Amtrak trains whiz past its base; sea views reveal Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands.

Parking: $2 an hour when leaving the gated lot; $5 all-day parking for the lot serving nearby San Buenaventura State Beach.

Directions: From Highway 101, take the Seaward Drive exit to Harbor Drive. Turn right and follow it for three-quarters of a mile to the pier.

More: https://www.ventura.com/points_of_interest/citypier

-- Christopher Smith