Santa Barbara
Vacation Planning Guide

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Looking for that perfect California beach vacation? A Santa Barbara vacation is one of the best California vacations you can take.

Want to tour Santa Barbara’s Wine Country? Santa Barbara County has everything you need for a first-class holiday.

Santa Barbara County’s temperate climate and stunning natural beauty encourages outdoor activities of all kinds.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see people jogging or cycling wherever I go.

Santa Barbara Things To Do

Contrary to popular belief, it’s entirely possible to have a great Santa Barbara vacation without spending a fortune.

Look at all the free and discounted things you can do in Santa Barbara County:

Santa Barbara Beaches

The beach along the Santa Barbara, California waterfront is composed of three individual beaches. Leadbetter Beach lies to the west of the harbor. West Beach is between Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf, and East Beach is east of Stearns Wharf.

You definitely want to spend some time along the waterfront during your Santa Barbara vacation. This is Tourist Central for a reason; there’s so much to do here.

Visit Stearns Wharf. Download your map of this Santa Barbara pier.
if you’re feeling nostalgic, have breakfast at the original and only remaining Sambo’s Restaurant.
Have lunch at Brophy’s at the Harbor. Download your Santa Barbara Harbor map for more other places to see at the harbor.
Go whale watching in Santa Barbara.
Stop at the Shoreline Cafe on Leadbetter Beach for a toes-in-the-sand dining experience.
Santa Barbara rentals are available for just about anything you need for fun in the sun at the ocean. Rent wheels on the waterfront: bicycles, Segways, surreys, and in-line skates. Rent a jet ski, jet boat, kayak, rowing scull or pedal boat.
Large yachts are available for rent to qualified sailors and Santa Barbara sailing lessons are available for the newbie.
Try stand up paddling or learn to surf on your Santa Barbara vacation. You’ll see people windsurfing and kite boarding, too.
Pack a picnic and play volleyball on East Beach.
Have Sunday Brunch @ the Biltmore.
Stroll through Santa Barbara County’s Arts & Crafts Fair at Chase Palm Park every fair weather Sunday and several Special Holiday Saturdays. A Santa Barbara tradition since 1965.
Eight farmers markets operate every week throughout Santa Barbara County, rain or shine. Download this farmers market schedule to find the one nearest you.
There’s a Carriage and Western Art Museum in Pershing Park, across from the Harbor. If you’re interested in the Old West and antique Western carriages, wagons, horse tack, bridles and saddles, this is definitely worth a stop.
East of Stearns Wharf at the corner of Cabrillo and Garden you’ll find the Santa Barbara Tourist Center, Skater’s Point skate park and the Chase Palm Park carousel.

Santa Barbara Tours

Taking a guided tour is a good way to spend some time during your Santa Barbara vacation. Here are a couple of self-guided tours you’ll enjoy:

If you’re in good shape and up for a challenge, try one of these Do It Yourself Bike Rides. There are several places in Santa Barbara County to rent a good bicycle. Conditions in Santa Barbara County are perfect for cycling. In fact, Tour de France athletes often train here.

Walk inland from East Beach on Anacapa Street, and you’ll be surrounded by several Santa Barbara wineries. For wine tasting in the vineyards, take one of my self guided Santa Ynez winery tours.

State Street in Santa Barbara, California

Continue walking up State Street into charming Old Town. You might need the whole day to explore the shops, restaurants, and extraordinary architecture there. Lower State Street is also the heart of Santa Barbara’s night life.

The Red Tile Walking Tour is a self guided tour of Santa Barbara’s historic downtown. An earthquake destroyed much of Santa Barbara in 1925. This happened during the height of the Spanish Colonial architectural revival.

Santa Barbara leaders adopted the Spanish style and mandated its use in re-building many of the city buildings. The white stucco walls and red tile roofs have become symbolic of Santa Barbara, California.

I was awestruck the first time I saw the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. It’s a National Historic Landmark and a MUST SEE during your Santa Barbara vacation.

If you’re interested in seeing more of Santa Barbara’s Historic District, download a map of the Red Tile Walking Tour.

Go for a drive. Pack a lunch and take my exclusive self guided scenic tour. You won’t believe the stunning views from the top of the mountain range behind Santa Barbara. This drive takes you past the Knapp’s Castle ruins, a picnic table at La Cumbre Peak, and two paraglider/hang glider launches.

Santa Barbara Attractions & Activities

Well-known Santa Barbara attractions include the Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens, and Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. Your Santa Barbara vacation need not be limited to visiting these famous attractions.

There are lots of ways to do a wine tour: by limo, personal driver, pedicab, jeep, bus and bicycle. In Santa Barbara Harbor, there are sailing tours, SCUBA tours, and kayaking tours.

Do you love to fish? There are 21 lakes and reservoirs where you can go fishing in Santa Barbara County. Or take advantage of the ocean and try deep sea fishing on your vacation.

The Stow House Museum and Rancho La Patera in Goleta is an historic California lemon ranch. From the Railroad Museum there, take a scenic day trip to San Luis Obispo in a vintage Pullman railroad club car.

Lotusland Bath House A beautiful pond at Lotusland.

Several Montecito estates are open to the public. If you’re interested in rare plants, take the Lotusland tour. This tour does not include inside the home. I was a little disappointed by that, but the gardens are magnificent.

Another Montecito estate which is open to the public is Casa del Herrero, essentially unchanged since 1925. Many local residents still haven’t discovered this local treasure.

Rather play golf during your Santa Barbara vacation? There are almost too many Santa Barbara golf courses to count.

There are two National Parks in Santa Barbara County. Lots of places to go hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and camping in California. Los Padres National Park includes much of the mountain range between Santa Barbara and the wine country.

The islands just offshore are part of Channel Islands National Park. If the islands beckon you, follow this link to plan your island trips.

Have you ever dreamed you were flying? Make this a Santa Barbara vacation you’ll never forget. Take paragliding lessons or hang gliding lessons and learn to fly like a bird!

Santa Barbara Events

One great way to plan a Santa Barbara vacation is to schedule it around an event you’d like to attend. There are several historic performing arts venues in Santa Barbara: The Granada, The Arlington Theatre, The Lobero, the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez.

Upcoming events include:

Santa Barbara International Film Festival – January 26 – February 5, 2012.

Banff Film Festival – February 27-28, 2012 – Arlington Theater.

As you can see, there are plenty of things to do and see on your Santa Barbara vacation. And the discount programs make it more affordable than you might think. So, pack your bags and come enjoy a California beach vacation in Santa Barbara County.

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