How to Spend the Perfect Weekend in Santa Barbara

With its trademark Spanish architecture, beautiful beaches, and endless attractions, Santa Barbara is truly one of the most inviting cities you’ll ever visit. A thriving arts scene adds to the allure that has led countless celebrities to call this seaside haven home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Don’t miss the Mission Santa Barbara, with its large, lovely chapel overlooking the town and ocean. Founded in 1786, the mission offers excellent tours of its structures and gardens; the neighboring Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is another splendid site.
2. Show me the Monet! The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is one of the best in the west, and its focus includes European masters ranging from Matisse to Rodin; ancient artwork and Asian treasures add to the array.
3. Stop by Stearns Wharf, a lively pier with seafood restaurants, a few shops, and the Ty Warner Sea Center, a marine museum with live tide pool and plenty of hands-on learning activities.
4. By law, you must spend at least several hours at one of Santa Barbara’s awesome beaches. Okay, it’s not really a law—but it would be a crime to miss out on seductive stretches of sand such as West Beach or Hendry’s Beach.
5. Visit the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, focused on native California plants and criss-crossed with miles of hiking trails. A retail nursery and garden gift shop are also on site.
6. Zoom to the zoo. The cozy but compelling Santa Barbara Zoo is a place kids will love, with a mini-train circling its perimeter and the chance to hand-feed giraffes and other creatures.
7. Spend some time on State Street, running from the beach to Victoria Street, where you can shop at plenty of boutiques and gift shops. Antiquing on Brinkerhoff Avenue is another favorite pastime for Santa Barbara shoppers.

Tips & Warnings

• Wine enthusiasts should consider a visit on the third weekend of April, when the popular Vintner’s Festival always sells out.