By: Kelly Potts
Las Varas Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, spans 1,800 acres of various terrains, including mountains, pastures and white sand beaches, and is what listing agent Anthony Punnett of Douglas Elliman Real Estate calls, “a direct link to the ancient past.”
Punnett states that the next owner of the property, which features a World War II-era observation post and a ranch manager’s house from the 1920s, should have a sense of the history and heritage of the area. “It’s so unspoiled, it’s as it was for hundreds of years,” says Punnett, “You can almost imagine the Spanish Galleon pulling up there.”
The ranch has two active creeks, meadows, canyons and foothills offering panoramic views of the coast and Santa Ynez Mountain range, and oak forests leading up to an 18-acre lake at the foot of the mountains. There are 520 acres of pasturelands with lemon and avocado orchards, eucalyptus, live oak and juniper, as well as manmade improvements (such as the Hacienda-style main home) that enhance the natural feel of the property. There’s also a reservoir at the top of the canyon, where one could fish and hunt. Punnett says, “It has everything you’d want to see in California, wrapped into one.”
Las Varas Ranch has two private access points onto a two-mile stretch of private beach — a rare feature that Punnett considers his favorite aspect of the property, noting that he’s never seen this before in California.
Just 15 minutes away from Montecito, 100 miles from Los Angeles and in close proximity to a regional airport, the $108 million ranch provides an ease of access that is extraordinary and unique. “There’s total privacy and seclusion, which is an interesting thing about the property, since it is so vast you could consider it your own state,” says Punnett.
“You’re living amongst nature; you can build whatever home and comforts you’d require, but at the same time, you’re in unspoiled wilderness.”
Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate
