Travel Eye on Santa Barbara (California, USA)

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Overview:

Santa Barbara lies between the Ynez Mountains and California's Central Pacific Coast. And with the sea, mountains, valleys and the coastal foothills wrapped around the city, it is no wonder that Santa Barbara is visited by thousands of tourists every year.

You can get to Santa Barbara by driving about two hours north from Los Angeles on Highway 101. On the way, you will pass some great scenery as the road snakes between the coastal mountains and many isolated surfing beaches

The major attraction in Santa Barbara is its beautiful broad beach fringed by rows of palm trees and pristine parks. It resembles the gorgeous beach at Santa Monica in northern Los Angeles, but without any of the surrounding congestion, traffic or air pollution

Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is small, but it hosts a nice selection of daily flights from many major western cities. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train offers a half dozen trips a day from Los Angeles and San Diego to Santa Barbara.

A low ridge of hills with spectacular views of the harbor nearly surrounds the city. Many beautiful but costly homes adorn these ridges and hillsides.

This part of the California Coast is often called the California Riviera, as it is a beautiful vacation destination but a very expensive place to live.

Locality:

The city of Santa Barbara is located on the California coast approximately 90 miles (150 km) north of Los Angeles. It is somewhat sheltered from Pacific Ocean weather by a group of uninhabited rocky isles, known simply as the Channel Islands, situated 30 miles to the west across the Santa Barbara Channel. Its beautiful beaches and sheltered waters offer a great environment for swimming, boating and sunbathing.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

If history is your thing, most of the city's historical sights are conveniently situated in the downtown area and can be seen in a couple of hours by taking the self-guided Red Tile Walking Tour, which begins at the County Courthouse, one of Santa Barbara's most famous landmarks. It even has a long pier accommodating restaurants, shops and amusement attractions.

To the north and south of downtown Santa Barbara, there are numerous narrower beaches ideal for surfing. Near Carpinteria, about 15 miles south of Santa Barbara, Rincon Point is reputedly the finest surfing spot in California.

From the harbor basin in Santa Barbara, you can rent kayaks or sailboats. You can go on whale-watching cruises, on fishing charters or on boat excursions to the Channel Islands nature preserves. You can rent bicycles and pedal cars nearby.

We'd be hard-pressed to pick favorites, but don't miss the Museum of Natural History, Mission Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, the Botanic Garden, Stearns Wharf and our perfectly charming zoo.