Santa Barbara is a coastal city with a population of about 100,000 located
in Southern California, about 1.5 hours north of Los Angeles. Santa
Barbara is nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountain Range (1,483 m alt.) to
the North and the Pacific Ocean to the South. Because Santa Barbara lies
on a South-facing coastline, the ocean lies to the South of the city
unlike in the rest of California where it lies to the West. Although it is
a small city, Santa Barbara has a vibrant tourism industry with tourists
coming to visit from all over the world. I invite you to learn more about
this city and hopefully it will inspire you to visit someday.
What to See 👀
Santa Barbara has a variety of Spanish Colonial buildings dating back
to the 1800s that are open to the public. In addition to these
historic buildings, Santa Barbara also boasts several museums like the
Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), the Santa Barbara Museum of
Natural History, and the Ty Warner Sea Center. A stroll on the beach
is not complete without a visit to Stearns' Wharf where you can watch
people take their shot at catching fish or visit one of the many
establishments on the pier. Click on the links for some more ideas!
What to Do 🌵
In addition to the architectural sites, Santa Barbara boasts access to
some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. In the same day,
you can go for a walk along any of the city's many beaches and then go
for a hike in the mountains. Less than an hour away, you can visit a
multitude of wineries in Central California's wine country. There are
all sorts of tours that include things like bike riding or even making
wine!
What to Eat 🌮
Santa Barbara features great local cuisine. As it is along the ocean,
there is excellent seafood. In fact, uni from Santa Barbara is known
throughout the world for its delicate taste. The Mexican influence on
the city is also very strong and you will find many places to have
tacos and also more exotic dishes. Of course, no meal is complete
without dessert. The 70-year old McConnell's ice cream is still the
town's favorite!
