Santa Barbara Travel Guide
What to Do in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara feels a lot like you transported yourself to a European city on California central coast. It’s a place where you can transport yourself into a Nancy Meyers movie in an instant and feel like you’ve truly escaped. Welcome to the American riviera where you can sip wines grown on the hillsides you can see, wander around a city of mission style buildings, relish in the history and soak up the sun.
I make a trek to Santa Barbara every few months, so I’m not sure how I’ve gone so long without doing a full travel guide! It’s one of my favorite weekend trips from LA, and also one of the best girls trip weekend spots. I have so many favorite spots, it’s hard to choose. Peep the list below for some of my faves!
Santa Barbara Travel Guide
Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage, set the tone for Santa Barbara’s timeless charm. Nestled between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, the city offers a perfect blend of wine country delights, fine dining, and palm tree-lined streets. I’ve been visiting Santa Barbara since my high school days, so it’s absurd that it’s taken me over a decade to finally create a travel guide for a place that feels like my second home. It’s also where McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams was born in the 1950s, bringing some of the most iconic sweet treats to life. Spend your days sipping local wines, soaking up the sunshine, and taking in the history at Mission Santa Barbara, which has stood since its founding in 1786. With its sandy beaches, al fresco dining, and beautiful sunsets, it’s no wonder so many celebrities choose to call this area home. Here are a few of my favorite spots in this enchanting seaside escape.
WHERE TO STAY:
Drift Hotel: $ Located right in the heart of downtown this hotel is a great location, with a modern feel and has the cutest coffee shop and bar downstairs aptly named Dusk and Dawn.
The Leta Santa Barbara Goleta: $ A cute boutique hotel in Goleta, just a skip away from Santa Barbara.
Palihouse Santa Barbara: $$ I love Palihouse hotels, and this location is no exception. Such a cute spot with classic Santa Barbara mission-style architecture and a super cute pool.
Hotel Californian: $$$ A little more pricy, this luxury hotel is stunning and right by the water. You can see the ocean from the pool and it’s the perfect place to stay for a honeymoon or wedding night.
San Ysidro Ranch: $$$$ If you’re really splurging, this is the place to go. If feels like a literal Nancy Meyers movie set. The property is stunning.
GO SIGHTSEEING
With its old California mission charm and perfect weather, Santa Barbara is the perfect place to wander around and get inspired. My favorite place to see is the Santa Barbara courthouse. They screen movies there sometimes, and you can walk to the top of a lovely view of the city and ocean. One of my favorite things to check out is all of the architecture around town. There are a bunch of buildings by architect Jeff Shelton, and they’re so funky and cool to look at. It’s always nice to walk along the beach, or walk down the pier for a pretty view. Stop by the Santa Barbara Mission for a bit of history, and you can also check out the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and MOXI for some art! Here’s a quick list of things to do around town:
- Walk around the Santa Barbara Courthouse
- Walk down the State Street promenade
- See Old Mission Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
- Do a walking tour of Jeff Shelton’s architecture around town
- Walk to the nearby beach West Beach
- Santa Barbara Museum of Art and MOXI
- Drive to Hendry’s beach
- Hike Hot Springs Canyon Trailhead
- Get tickets to see the cacti at Lotusland
GRAB A COFFEE
When you need a boost, there’s a good amount of great local coffee shops in town. My favorites are Dawn, CAJÉ, Dune, and The French Press. Here’s a quick list of my go-to spots:
- CAJÉ Coffee Roasters
- Dawn
- Handlebar
- Dune
- Dart
- The French Press
EATS AND DRINKS
For being a small town, the Santa Barbara/Montecito area has a great dining scene. There’s a good number of Michelin-nod restaurants, and a great variety of types of food. I rounded up all of my favorite food and drink spots here.
Loquita: Spanish tapas are one of my favorite things in life, and this spot might be my favorite in Santa Barbara. So much so that we went here on our wedding night. Highly recommend getting pretty much everything there, and going with a group so that you can try a bit of everything. It even has a Michelin Bib Gourmand becuase yes, it’s that good.
Satellite: Wine bar with great wines and vegetarian food. My favorite place to grab a bottle of wine, get some delicious food and people watch. You absolutely have to get the yoga pants salad, focaccia, and cheese board. An absolute favorite spot of mine.
Bibi Ji: Amazing Indian food and natural wine is the perfect combination you didn’t know you needed. This hot pink restaurant doesn’t miss with any dish and is perfect to get lots of dishes and share. Don’t miss the mango lassi drink when you’re there! There’s a reason Michelin gave this one a nod. If there’s one place you eat, it should be Bibi Ji. Be sure to make a reservation because it fills up fast.
Bettina: You can miss the pizza here when you’re in town. They have good cocktails, wine and a super cute space in Montecito. Another one that Michelin loves too!
Merci: This one is a quick drive down the 101 to Montecito for some yummy French food. Perfect for grabbing a baguette sandwich in the afternoon, or a pastry and coffee in the morning. Plus, I love the vibes of this little space.
Oat Bakery: This cute little organic Scandinavian bakery is the perfect place to stop by and grab a few loafs of bread. Dreaming of their olive focaccia now!
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams: You have to grab an ice cream in it’s original location.
Mister Softee Santa Barbara: Another yummy ice cream spot. I love soft serve and this place really hits the spot.
Test Pilot: The best tiki drinks are at Test Pilot, a fun tiki bar in the heart of the funk zone. This is a fun spot to stop by if you want to take a break from drinking wine.
La Paloma Cafe: If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, this is the place to go. It’s an easy-going, ranchero-style restaurant with good cocktails and
Flor de Maiz: Great Mexican food, with lots of delicious tacos and yummy cocktails on the water. They also have a happy hour on weekdays!
Sama Sama Kitchen: A fun farm to fork restaurant with Southeast-Asian-inspired cuisine. They also recently got a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide.
Bar Lou: A new French Riviera-inspired restaurant focusing on farm-to-table cuisine by the group that owns Little Dom’s in LA.
The Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch: If you want that Nancy Meyer’s vibe, this is the place to go. It’s a stunning, massive property that hosts weddings and includes a luxury hotel, but there’s also a restaurant on site that you can get dinner or lunch at.
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach: If you want a classic spot, head to Boathouse. This restaurant on the beach is kind of touristy, but you can see the ocean from practically any table. It’s the perfect place to get breakfast or lunch and then stroll down the beach after.
Santa Barbara Public Market: If you’re looking for a lunch option this big indoor market is a great spot to head to. You’ll have lots of options for everyone. My favorite is Corazon.
GO WINE TASTING
Wine tasting is the essential part of a Santa Barbara trip! There’s an abundance of local wineries, and you can hop around and do tastings for the perfect day. Visit the funk zone for winery hopping, or do a day trip to the Santa Ynes valley. In the funk zone Municiple Winemakers is my favorite, and there are a ton you can see on the Urban Wine Trail. My top are Municiple, Potek, and Pali Wines. For the most coastal views, head out to the pier for a wine tasting at Deep Sea. Get a cheese plate and enjoy the ocean views! There is so much local wine and beer in the funk zone, you could essentially spend a whole week trying them out. I’m listing a few favorites here:
- Potek
- Frequency
- Municipal Winemakers
- Pali Wine Co
- Lama Dog
- Deep Sea
- Pali Wines
- Topa Topa Brewing Co.
Looking for a day trip to add onto your Santa Barbara trip? Try visiting Ojai or Los Alamos for a day of wine tasting. See my travel guides here.
Want more travel guides? Check out my travel section here!
