Santa Barbara, California's Riviera
Spanish colonial-style architecture between the sea and the Santa Ynez Mountains, with an 18th-century mission, a wooden wharf and wine country an hour away.
Plan your Santa Barbara getaway
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Santa Barbara hotels
Live rates for 3 nights and 2 adults, from the waterfront to State Street.
Santa Barbara favorites
Mission history, quiet beaches and a wine valley: how to spend your days in town.
- 1786Year the Santa Barbara Mission was founded
- ≈2 hDrive from LAX without traffic
- ≈15 minFrom SBA airport to downtown
- ≈45 minTo the Santa Ynez Valley wineries
Santa Barbara in pictures
Mountains, ocean, the mission and the details of the County Courthouse.
- Bridges at sunset, archival photo · Charles O'Rear (Public domain)
- The coast and mountains from space · This image uses high-resolution digital topography data from NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) at JPL-Caltech [1]. It is in the public domain in the United States. (Public domain)
- Palms, beach and mountains · Dori (CC BY-SA 3.0 us)
- Stearns Wharf from the beach · Don Ramey Logan (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- The mission's twin towers · Eugene Zelenko (thanks to my friends Nickolov family for generous help and company) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- The courthouse tower's clockwork · Patrick Pelletier (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Santa Barbara travel FAQ
Getting there, when to go and what to do on California's Central Coast.
When is the best time to visit Santa Barbara?
The weather is mild all year. September and October usually bring the sunniest, warmest days. May and June often start with cloudy mornings from the marine layer. November to March is cooler with occasional rain, but crowds are thinner.
Which airport should I fly into?
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is about 15 minutes from downtown and handles domestic flights, so from Mexico you will usually connect. Many travelers fly into Los Angeles (LAX) and drive about 2 hours up the coast, or ride Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train.
What documents do I need from Mexico?
A valid passport and a valid U.S. visa. If you plan to rent a car in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara, also bring a valid driver's license and a credit card in the driver's name.
How many days do I need?
A long three-day weekend covers the mission, the courthouse, Stearns Wharf, State Street and the Funk Zone. Add a day or two to tour Santa Ynez Valley wineries or take a boat to the Channel Islands from Ventura.
Where should I stay in Santa Barbara?
The waterfront along Cabrillo Boulevard puts you by the ocean and Stearns Wharf. Downtown around State Street is ideal for walking to restaurants and shops. Montecito is the most exclusive and quiet option. For a wine-focused trip, Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley have hotels surrounded by vineyards.
Why does Santa Barbara look like a Spanish town?
After the 1925 earthquake, the city rebuilt with a Spanish colonial-inspired look: white walls, red-tile roofs and courtyards. The best example is the County Courthouse, completed in 1929, whose El Mirador tower has one of the best views in town.
Is the Santa Barbara Mission worth visiting?
Yes. Founded in 1786 by Franciscan friars, it is known as the Queen of the Missions for its twin-towered facade. You can tour the church, cemetery and gardens, and from the front lawn you can see the city all the way to the ocean.
How do I visit the Santa Ynez Valley wineries?
The valley is about 45 minutes from downtown on Highway 154 over the mountains. It is home to Solvang, a Danish-style village, and dozens of wineries. If you are tasting, a tour with transportation is the safest choice. In town, the Funk Zone packs tasting rooms a few blocks from the beach.
What are Santa Barbara's beaches like?
They have gentle surf and face the Channel Islands, great for walking, paddleboarding and sunsets. East Beach is wide and family-friendly, and Butterfly Beach in Montecito is famous for its sunsets. The Pacific stays cool most of the year.
What should I eat in Santa Barbara?
Local seafood such as spot prawns and sea urchin, county wines, especially pinot noir and chardonnay, and a taqueria tradition locals love. The downtown farmers market gathers fruit, vegetables and products from across the region.
Keep your Santa Barbara hotel on your phone and explore the Central Coast with your booking always at hand.
