Santa Barbara, California: Things to Do on the American Riviera

The American Riviera: red-tiled beauty with an easy, walkable pace

Santa Barbara delivers the Mediterranean without the long flight. Whitewashed, red-roofed Spanish-Colonial buildings, palm-lined boulevards, and a golden crescent of beach give the city its "American Riviera" nickname, and almost all of it sits on flat, walkable ground. State Street runs straight from the downtown shops down to the ocean, where the level waterfront path leads to Stearns Wharf, the oldest working wharf in California. Further down the coast, San Diego anchors the sunny southern end of the state.

Beyond the beach, the beautifully preserved Old Mission, the red-tiled County Courthouse with its elevator-served clock tower, and the tasting rooms of the Funk Zone are all close and easy. Just over the hills, the vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley and the Danish village of Solvang make a gentle day trip. The weather is mild and sunny nearly all year, and the pace is unhurried, which is exactly why it suits a relaxed trip.

Two small things to know. Like much of the California coast, mornings can start gray with a marine layer that usually burns off by midday, so afternoons are the sunniest. And Santa Barbara is not a budget destination, particularly downtown and in nearby Montecito, though the beaches, the Mission, and the waterfront path cost nothing at all.

Flat, walkable, and sunny: the coast here asks very little

Much of what makes Santa Barbara lovely can be enjoyed with very little walking. The downtown core along State Street is level and compact, and an inexpensive electric shuttle runs its length so you never have to climb a hill. The waterfront path from the harbor to Stearns Wharf and East Beach is flat and paved, and even the landmark sights, the Old Mission and the County Courthouse tower, offer easy access and an elevator to the best view. You do not need to hike to see the best of it.

Where to stay in Santa Barbara: downtown, the waterfront, or the Funk Zone

The best things to do in Santa Barbara, from State Street to the Mission

The best day trips from Santa Barbara: wine country, Ojai, and the islands

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  Santa Ynez Valley & Solvang, 40 minutes. Over the San Marcos Pass lies Santa Barbara wine country: dozens of walkable tasting rooms in Los Olivos and Solvang, a storybook Danish village of bakeries and windmills. Join a guided wine tour so no one has to drive, or take the flat main streets at your own pace.
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  Ojai, 45 minutes. A small, artsy valley town famous for its light, its spa resorts, and its citrus groves, with a walkable downtown arcade, galleries, and the level, paved Ojai Valley Trail. A gentle, restorative half or full day inland.
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  Channel Islands National Park, boat from the harbor. One of America's least-crowded national parks, reached by an easy catamaran from Santa Barbara or nearby Ventura. Many travelers simply ride out and back for the whales, dolphins, and sea birds, no hiking required, with the option to land if you are able.
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  Montecito & Butterfly Beach, 10 minutes. The leafy, upscale enclave just east of town, with the elegant Coast Village Road shops, the famed gardens of Lotusland (reserve ahead), and pretty Butterfly Beach across from the Biltmore. An easy, gentle outing.

Best time to visit Santa Barbara: sun, the marine layer, and Fiesta

Santa Barbara is mild and sunny most of the year, but the seasons differ more in sunshine and crowds than in temperature. Late summer and fall are the clearest and warmest, spring is green and fresh, and winter is quiet with whales offshore.

September to October, the sunniest season

This is Santa Barbara at its best. The summer marine layer eases, the skies are clear and warm, and the crowds thin after Labor Day. Temperatures sit comfortably in the 70s. If you want the finest weather, come now.

April to June, mild and green

Spring brings green hills, wildflowers, and pleasant, mild days, with fewer crowds than summer. Mornings can start gray under the marine layer before the sun breaks through, but afternoons are lovely and the light is beautiful.

July to August, warm and lively

The busiest and priciest stretch, with warm afternoons and the famous Old Spanish Days Fiesta in early August, a colorful, crowded celebration worth planning around. Mornings are often foggy; book hotels well ahead.

November to March, quiet and mild

The low season is peaceful and green, still mild by most standards, with gray-whale watching offshore and the best hotel value. Expect a few rainy stretches and cooler evenings, but plenty of clear, pleasant days between.

Getting to Santa Barbara and around town

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  Fly into Santa Barbara or LA. Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is small and just 15 minutes from downtown, ideal when the schedule and fare line up. For more choice, fly into Los Angeles (LAX), about two hours south, or Hollywood Burbank (BUR), and drive up the coast on Highway 101.
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  Take the scenic train. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner rolls up the coast from Los Angeles and San Diego straight to downtown Santa Barbara, a relaxing, car-free way to arrive with ocean views much of the way.
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  Ride the electric shuttle. Downtown and the waterfront are flat and walkable, and the inexpensive electric shuttle runs the length of State Street and along the beach, so you can leave the car parked and skip the hills entirely.
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  A car helps for day trips. You can enjoy the city itself with no car at all. A rental is worth having only if you plan to visit the Santa Ynez wine country, Ojai, or Montecito, where a guided tour is a fine alternative.

Santa Barbara sense: the marine layer, Fiesta, and easy parking

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  Bring a light layer. Even in summer, mornings can be cool and gray and evenings breezy off the water. A light jacket or wrap keeps you comfortable, and you can shed it once the afternoon sun comes out.
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  Save the sun for the afternoon. The marine layer usually clears by late morning. Plan the beach, Stearns Wharf, and wine-country drives for the afternoon, when the sun is out and the red-tiled town looks its best.
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  Stay downtown or by the water. Choosing a hotel near State Street or the waterfront lets you walk or shuttle to most sights and leave the car parked. It is the single easiest way to enjoy the city at a gentle pace.
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  Plan around Old Spanish Days Fiesta. In early August the city fills for its biggest festival, with parades, music, and mercados. It is wonderful but very busy, so book lodging months ahead or choose a quieter week if crowds are not your thing.
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  Use the downtown lots. Santa Barbara's municipal lots and structures offer the first 75 to 90 minutes free and are cheap after that, an easy, low-stress alternative to hunting for street parking.

What travelers say about Santa Barbara: our review roundup

We read recent traveler reviews across TripAdvisor, US News Travel, AARP Travel, Road Scholar reviews, and senior travel forums and summarized what travelers over 50 say about Santa Barbara. The praise is consistent: an unusually walkable, beautiful, and relaxed city where the beach, the Mission, the Courthouse tower, and the Funk Zone tasting rooms are all easy to reach, and where the weather rarely disappoints. Many single out the flat waterfront path and the electric shuttle as making the city effortless without a car.

The common cautions are about cost and mornings. Downtown and Montecito hotels and restaurants run expensive, especially in summer and during Fiesta, and the coastal marine layer can leave mornings gray before the sun breaks through by midday. Travelers also note that a car is helpful only for the wine-country and Ojai day trips, not for the city itself.

Santa Barbara itinerary: 3 gentle days on the Riviera

Day 1, arrival, State Street and the wharf

Settle in downtown, then wander State Street's shops and cafes and stroll out onto Stearns Wharf for the view back to the mountains. An easy seafood dinner by the water is the perfect relaxed start.

Day 2, the Mission, the Courthouse, and the Funk Zone

Visit the Old Mission in the cooler morning, ride the elevator up the Courthouse clock tower for the red-tiled panorama, then spend a sunny afternoon tasting your way along the walkable Funk Zone wine trail near the beach.

Day 3, wine country or the beach

Take a guided day trip into the Santa Ynez Valley and Solvang, or keep it in town with a gentle morning at the Santa Barbara Zoo and an afternoon on East Beach and the waterfront path. A calm, scenic finish.

Flying to Santa Barbara: SBA and the Los Angeles option

Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) sits just 15 minutes from downtown with a useful set of regional flights, the easiest option when the schedule and fare line up. For more choice, most visitors fly into Los Angeles (LAX), about two hours south, or Hollywood Burbank (BUR), and drive up the coast on Highway 101. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner is a relaxing, car-free alternative, arriving right downtown with ocean views much of the way.

Once you are settled near State Street or the waterfront, you barely need a car: the downtown and beachfront are flat, and the electric shuttle covers the main sights. A rental is worth having only for the Santa Ynez wine country, Ojai, or Montecito, and even those can be done by guided tour.

Santa Barbara is also one of the loveliest stops on our Pacific Coast Highway road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, an easy final leg of the coastal drive with the best base towns and hotels along the way.

Santa Barbara FAQ: Fiesta, the train, the marine layer, and wine country