Santa Barbara
Sightseeing
A small museum in the heart of downtown, a quick visit here will give you a nice overview of the city, so I recommend stopping here first. From here, if you are interested, it’s an easy walk to other historical spots.
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Santa Barbara Historical Museum
136 E De La Guerra StA small museum in the heart of downtown, a quick visit here will give you a nice overview of the city, so I recommend stopping here first. From here, if you are interested, it’s an easy walk to other historical spots.
Our prettiest public garden, and right downtown. Plenty of spots for a picnic - for a light lunch grab some snacks from Cantwell’s Deli two blocks away on State, or for giant delicious sandwiches (or salads) stop by South Coast Deli three blocks away on Chapala.
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Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
1500 Santa Barbara StOur prettiest public garden, and right downtown. Plenty of spots for a picnic - for a light lunch grab some snacks from Cantwell’s Deli two blocks away on State, or for giant delicious sandwiches (or salads) stop by South Coast Deli three blocks away on Chapala.
Our favorite museum! Some easy walking/hiking trails around the surrounding area.
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Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
2559 Puesta Del SolOur favorite museum! Some easy walking/hiking trails around the surrounding area.
A lovely place for a picnic or lawn games on a sunny day. Lots of varieties of roses. The historical mission offers tours on certain days. Near Rocky Nook Park and the Museum of Natural History. From here you can also drive up APS for night views of the city and the ocean.
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Mission Rose Garden
420 Plaza RubioA lovely place for a picnic or lawn games on a sunny day. Lots of varieties of roses. The historical mission offers tours on certain days. Near Rocky Nook Park and the Museum of Natural History. From here you can also drive up APS for night views of the city and the ocean.
No trip to SB is complete without a stroll out on the water. The Sea Center is a fun stop for families (and is included with Natural History Museum admission)
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Stearns Wharf
217 Stearns WharfNo trip to SB is complete without a stroll out on the water. The Sea Center is a fun stop for families (and is included with Natural History Museum admission)
Ganna Walska Lotusland
695 Ashley RdIncredible botanical gardens. Pricey but beautiful and expansive
Food scene
The Palace Grill
8 E Cota St
The Lark Santa Barbara
131 Anacapa StWorth the visit for their expansive salsa bar alone (pistachio, avocado, and peanut are favorites), the food is excellent and authentic. Seating is all outdoors and limited, and they get very busy at lunchtime.
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Mony's Mexican Food
217 Anacapa StWorth the visit for their expansive salsa bar alone (pistachio, avocado, and peanut are favorites), the food is excellent and authentic. Seating is all outdoors and limited, and they get very busy at lunchtime.
Test Pilot
211 Helena AveDelicious tiki drinks in a historic prohibition jail building
Rusty's Pizza Parlor
Best delivery pizza on this coast!
Barbareño
205 W Canon Perdido StAmazing elevated food in a cozy and relaxed setting at a reasonable price. Best deal in town!
The Black Sheep "SB Brasserie"
Amazing elevated food in a cozy and relaxed setting at a reasonable price. Best deal in town!
Dog Friendly
Santa Barbara is a very dog friendly town. Butterfly Beach in Montecito allows dogs, and Hendry’s/Arroyo Burro Beach between the Mesa and Hope Ranch has both on-leash and off-leash areas. Beautiful sunset views and a nice bar/restaurant too. There is an enclosed dog park in mid town where State & De La Vina meet, with separate big dog and little dog areas (wood chips, not grass)
Butterfly Beach
Outdoor patio with fire pit tables. They even have desserts for dogs!
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Corner Tap Beer Bar and Eatery
1905 Cliff DrOutdoor patio with fire pit tables. They even have desserts for dogs!
This beach boasts pretty views and good cocktails at the Boathouse restaurant (grab one to go and sit on the sand for sunset).
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Hendrys Beach
This beach boasts pretty views and good cocktails at the Boathouse restaurant (grab one to go and sit on the sand for sunset).
Best beer selection in town, and very people- and dog-friendly staff!
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Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop
116 Santa Barbara StBest beer selection in town, and very people- and dog-friendly staff!
Neighborhoods
(See our other guidebook for more) For wine enthusiasts and/or families the nearby Danish village of Solvang is worth a day trip. If it has recently rained, Nojoqui Falls (just off the 101 North, on your right at to Solvang) will likely be running, and is an easy short hike. There’s also a seasonal Blueberry Picking Farm on this route.
The other way to get up to Solvang is the 154, which goes by Lake Cachuma, and there’s a semi-hidden spot called Cold Spring Tavern that has live bands and tri tip sandwiches on the weekends.
Solvang
(See our other guidebook for more) For wine enthusiasts and/or families the nearby Danish village of Solvang is worth a day trip. If it has recently rained, Nojoqui Falls (just off the 101 North, on your right at to Solvang) will likely be running, and is an easy short hike. There’s also a seasonal Blueberry Picking Farm on this route.
The other way to get up to Solvang is the 154, which goes by Lake Cachuma, and there’s a semi-hidden spot called Cold Spring Tavern that has live bands and tri tip sandwiches on the weekends.
Reizigersadvies
Manieren om te besparen
Twism
Can be downloaded for free from the app store. Lots of two-for-one deals on dining, wine tasting, spa services, etc.
Manieren om te besparen
Visitor’s Center
They often have 2-for-1 wine tasting coupons, etc