Santa Barbara, California what to visit

Santa Barbara and its suburbs spread across slopes between the Santa Barbara Channel to the south and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the north. This sunny section of coast trends from east to west, the longest transverse section of the West Coast. Santa Barbara lies 92 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 105 miles south of San Luis Obispo. US 101/CA 1 passes through the city, paralleling the coast and allowing easy access to the city’s attractions and beaches.

Santa Barbara Attractions
Santa Barbara, one of California’s most beautiful cities, offers lots to do and see. It’s a great place to walk around and explore the many attractions along palm-lined streets set with whitewashed buildings topped with red-tile roofs. Most of Santa Barbara’s attractions are within walking distance of downtown as well as most hotels. Instead of driving places, park your car and take an urban hike. If you need refreshment, there are lots of restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops where you can stop and rest tired feet.
Don´t miss:
Santa Barbara Courthouse
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Moreton Bay Fig Tree
Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Santa Barbara Zoo
Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens
Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve
Isla Vista County Park
Arroyo Burro Beach County Park
Shoreline Park
East Beach
Leadbetter Beach

Information about Santa Barbara
The pleasant city of Santa Barbara, population 88,410 (2010), and its section of Pacific coast are a premier coastal destination with an almost perfect climate; a wide range of visitor attractions, museums, and cultural venues; historic landmarks; five colleges and universities; great sandy beaches; lots of restaurants and accommodations; and an unrivaled outdoor life. This California gold coast is nicknamed the American Riviera for its bucolic Mediterranean climate and similarities to the French Riviera.
Santa Barbara is, however, quintessential California with a laid-back atmosphere. Reflecting its Spanish colonial history, Santa Barbara’s streets are lined with whitewashed stucco buildings and homes topped with red-tile roofs and rows of palm trees.
Paleo-Indians inhabited the area as long as 13,000 years ago, leaving behind fluted spear points as evidence of their passage. When explorer Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo sailed up the Santa Barbara Channel in 1542, thousands of Chumash lived here. The area was named in 1602 by Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino after his ship and crew narrowly averted disaster in a channel storm on December 3, the eve of the feast day of Santa Barbara.


santa barbara, california