Santa Barbara travel guide
Where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Things to do in Santa Barbara, planned over three days
Best time to visit Santa Barbara
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best season. Clear skies, warmest ocean, whales still feeding and Santa Ynez harvest in full swing. October is the value sweet spot.
Gray whale migration, waterfalls after rain, peak surf and lowest prices except holidays. Rain can close roads.
Wildflowers, gardens and Mission roses, with prices below summer until May Gray thickens late in May.
Peak crowds and prices. June Gloom keeps coastal mornings grey. July and August bring the full event stack and Fiesta.
What's on
- Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival October
Local lobster, uni and crab straight off the boats, plus harbour tours, on one October Saturday.
- Santa Barbara International Film Festival early to mid February
Ten days of screenings and star tributes at the Arlington and downtown theatres. Town fills and prices spike.
- I Madonnari Street Painting Festival May
Chalk artists cover the Mission plaza in huge pastel paintings over Memorial Day weekend.
- Earth Day Festival April
Free weekend of green living stalls, music and food in Alameda Park.
- Summer Solstice Parade weekend nearest the solstice, late June
A wild, costumed, motor-free parade up State Street and a weekend party in Alameda Park.
- California Wine Festival mid-July
An afternoon of tastings from dozens of California wineries by the beach.
- Santa Barbara Wine + Food Festival late June
Local wineries and restaurants pour and plate on the lawns of the Natural History Museum.
- July 4 fireworks over West Beach July 4
Fireworks over West Beach.
- Old Spanish Days Fiesta early August, five days
The defining event since 1924, with Fiesta Pequeña at the Mission and markets at De la Guerra Plaza.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Free working courthouse with murals, tiled stairs and a clock tower panorama over red roofs to the islands.
Old Mission Santa Barbara
The Queen of the Missions from 1786, with twin towers, a museum, church and gardens above the city.
Mission Rose Garden
Free rose garden across from the Mission with mountain views, a local picnic and sunset lawn.
Funk Zone
Former warehouse blocks now holding 20+ tasting rooms, breweries, galleries and restaurants by the waterfront.
Municipal Winemakers
Laid back Funk Zone tasting room for easy drinking local wines, a good first stop on the Urban Wine Trail.
Melville Winery
Estate pinot noir and chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills, poured in a calm Funk Zone room.
Santa Barbara Winery
The county's oldest winery, founded in 1962, an easy tasting stop a block from the beach.
Margerum Wine Company
Doug Margerum's Funk Zone tasting room for Rhone-style blends and a good rosé on the patio.
Where to stay in Santa Barbara
Funk Zone and Waterfront
first trip, best all-round base
Sleep between the beach and downtown and walk to the harbour, wine trail, dinner and the Amtrak station.
Downtown and State Street
shoppers, theatre and car-free convenience
A few blocks inland around the Courthouse and theatres, with the farmers market on your street and strong mid-range value.
East Beach
families and resort-style stays
Bigger resort hotels with pools across from the wide sand, by the Zoo, quieter at night.
The Riviera and Mission area
views, quiet and romance
Hillside garden hotels with city and ocean views, a five minute drive from State Street.
Montecito
luxury and celebration trips
Hedged lanes, Coast Village Road cafes and Butterfly Beach, ten minutes east and a different world.
Upper State and Goleta
car trips, UCSB visits, golf and points stays
Chain hotels, the mall, airport and UCSB. Rational with a car and a reason, not a default visitor base.
Think twice about
- Lower State Street and waterfront underpasses late at night
The most visible unsheltered population in the city, around the station, Highway 101 underpasses and waterfront parks. Fine by day. At night use lit, populated streets.
- Upper State Street motel strip
A wide car oriented strip of older motels and fast food, a 30 plus minute walk from the waterfront. Listings calling it downtown are stretching the map.
- Goleta or Carpinteria booked as Santa Barbara by accident
Both are pleasant but 10 to 20 minutes on Highway 101 from the Funk Zone, so you drive and park for every coffee, beach and dinner.
- Unpermitted whole-house rentals in Montecito and the Riviera
Rental, occupancy and noise rules are enforced, and hillside streets have narrow access and fire season evacuation sensitivity. Hotels and licensed inns are lower risk for groups.
Best restaurants in Santa Barbara
The Lark
Seasonal shareable California cooking on a fire pit patio, the dinner locals book for visiting friends first.
Loquita
Tapas, wood fired dishes and paellas for the table on a bougainvillea patio at the Funk Zone entrance.
Barbareño
Small room defining Central Coast cuisine, from Santa Maria barbecue to the eggamuffin tribute.
The Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch
Classic romantic dining in a stone former citrus packing house at San Ysidro Ranch, the anniversary dinner.
Bettina
Naturally leavened wood fired pizzas and natural wine at the Montecito Country Mart, small and always full.
Sama Sama Kitchen
Indonesian and Southeast Asian street food ideas through California produce, with a twinkly back patio.
Los Agaves
Carefully cooked Mexican plates on Milpas Street, with halibut ceviche tostada and a self serve salsa bar.
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company
Crab shack counter on Stearns Wharf for live Santa Barbara uni, steamed crab, lobster rolls and cioppino.
Outdoor things to do in Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz Island
Day trip by Island Packers ferry from Ventura to hike cliff loops, spot island foxes and kayak sea caves.
Anacapa Island
The second island day trip, with dramatic cliffs, a lighthouse view and 157 steps up from the landing.
Condor Express
Fast catamaran whale watching in the Channel, gray whales in winter and humpback and blue whales in summer.
Mondos Beach
The gentle beginner surf break south toward Ventura, where schools run lessons with board and wetsuit included.
Rincon Point
World class winter point break at the county line. Go to watch on a good swell day, not to learn.
Leadbetter Beach
The mellow in town practice break by the harbour for easier surfing close to the waterfront.
Santa Barbara Harbor
Rent a kayak or paddleboard at West Beach and paddle the waterfront, calmest in the morning.
Inspiration Point
The signature town hike, 3.5 miles round trip from Tunnel Road to a view over city, harbour and islands.
Best hotels in Santa Barbara
Rosewood Miramar Beach
True beachfront resort on Miramar Beach with bungalows, two pools, a spa and beachfront dining.
Hotel Californian
Luxury base in the Funk Zone, one block from beach and station, with a rooftop pool over the zone.
Belmond El Encanto
Seven acres of terraced gardens on the Riviera, bungalows, a zero edge pool and ocean view dining.
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
Self contained resort west of the city by Sandpiper, with coves, three pools and a large spa.
Kimpton Canary
Downtown all rounder a block off State Street with a rooftop pool, restaurant and free bikes.
Hotel Milo
Relaxed garden courtyard beach hotel across from West Beach, the easy family and group pick.
Moxy Santa Barbara
Playful Funk Zone hotel with small clever rooms, a pool and a bar that doubles as the front desk.
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
Big full service resort across from East Beach with a large pool, tennis, spa and bike rentals.
Is Santa Barbara expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $160 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $340 a person |
| Splurge | $750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden: a few days ahead
- Santa Barbara Zoo: a few days ahead
- Santa Barbara Harbor sunset cruise: weeks ahead
- Lotusland: weeks ahead
- Santa Cruz Island: weeks ahead
- Anacapa Island: weeks ahead
- Condor Express: weeks ahead
- Sandpiper Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Months ahead: Rosewood, San Ysidro Ranch and El Encanto for summer, Fiesta and film festival dates, plus Lotusland tours.
- Book Stonehouse, The Lark, Loquita and Barbareño weekend slots when you book the hotel.
- Weeks ahead: Island Packers ferry and Santa Cruz kayak tours, Sandpiper and Glen Annie tee times, Condor Express in blue whale season, summer sunset sails.
- Days ahead: Botanic Garden timed entry on weekends and zoo tickets online.
Is Santa Barbara safe?
- Violent crime against visitors is low. Visible homelessness concentrates around waterfront parks, the station and underpasses.
- Do not walk dark park or underpass routes alone late. Use State, Anacapa and Cabrillo.
- Car break-ins happen at beach lots and trailheads. Leave nothing visible in the car.
- Ocean and trail risks: cold water, rip currents, tar, rattlesnakes, poison oak and heat on exposed ridges. Swim near lifeguards.
- Hillsides burn and winter storms can close Highway 101. Check conditions in fire and storm weather and never ignore an evacuation order.
Santa Barbara travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Full dinners on Stearns Wharf by default. The wharf is for the walk, the view and the Sea Center, plus Shellfish Company specifically.
- Paying Funk Zone hotel prices then driving everywhere anyway. The premium is walkability.
- Driving yourself between Santa Ynez tastings. Highway 154 over the pass is winding and patrolled. Use tours, shuttles or a designated driver.
- Expecting a tropical swim. The water is cold and June can stay grey until midday.
- State Street shopping as the headline. The promenade has real vacancies. Come for food, wine, coast and mountains.
- Solvang as a full day for wine lovers. It is a 90 minute bakery stop. Give those hours to Los Olivos.
Getting around Santa Barbara: public transport and more
- No car needed based in the Funk Zone, Downtown or East and West Beach. The visitor ribbon is walkable and flat for bikes.
- Rent a car by the day only for the Ventura ferry, Santa Ynez, golf and Ojai, or book a tour instead.
- Amtrak Pacific Surfliner stops in the Funk Zone, about 2.5 to 3 hours from Los Angeles on a scenic coastal run.
- Santa Barbara Airport is in Goleta, about 15 minutes from downtown.
- Downtown city garages are the sane parking choice. Hotel parking runs $30 to $60 per night.
- Highway 101 bottlenecks Friday northbound and Sunday southbound. Build slack into airport and ferry departures.
Who Santa Barbara suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Santa Barbara your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store