Iconic
Montecito
San Ysidro Ranch
A storied 1893 hillside ranch of private cottages with fireplaces and outdoor showers, long beloved by honeymooners for its rustic seclusion and impeccable service.
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California · Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, the American Riviera.
A fireside cottage in Montecito, blue whales off the harbor, Pinot in the Sta. Rita Hills. We plan the days only the Riviera can string together.
The destination, curated
Santa Barbara pairs red-tile Spanish charm with a coastline of whales and wild islands and a wine country an hour inland, often inside the same unhurried week.
Ways to experience Santa Barbara
Six trips, one place.
Start with the version of Santa Barbara you came for. Each is designed end to end, with the activities and stays that fit.
For two
Luxury Honeymoon
The American Riviera at its most romantic, where hillside seclusion and oceanfront glamour sit a short drive apart. We weave both into the week.
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For families
Private Family Villa
Three pools, 78 acres and direct beach access keep every generation happy, with easy island adventure a ferry ride away.
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Active and restorative
Adventure & Wellness
Bookend the front-country climbs with deliberate recovery, balancing exertion with restorative calm on the coast.
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For groups
Private Group Retreat
Reunions, milestones and offsites, on a Riviera built to host the whole group at once.
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For food lovers
Food & Chef Experience
The county's most characterful rooms, paired with farmers-market mornings and the cool-climate terroir of the Sta. Rita Hills.
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Comfortable and inclusive
Accessible Luxury Travel
Single-destination beachfront resorts and a flat, palm-lined waterfront make Santa Barbara an easy luxury base, with the best views coming without a climb.
ExploreWhere to stay
Montecito hideaways and Riviera classics.
Santa Barbara keeps its great hotels close to the sand and the hills, from cottage ranches in Montecito to terraced estates above the city.
Hilltop classic
Santa Barbara (Riviera)
Belmond El Encanto
A meticulously restored 1918 estate of bungalows terraced into the Santa Barbara hills, with sweeping ocean views, a lily pond and a refined Riviera atmosphere.
Visit official siteBeachfront grand
Montecito
Rosewood Miramar Beach
An opulent oceanfront resort on a private stretch of Montecito sand, with two pools, the Manor Bar and a polished residential elegance.
Visit official siteCliffside resort
Santa Barbara (Goleta)
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara
A sprawling 78-acre oceanfront resort with three zero-edge pools, a destination spa and direct beach access along the Gaviota coast just north of the city.
Visit official siteMoorish-chic
Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
Hotel Californian
A stylish Spanish-Moorish hotel at the gateway to the Funk Zone, with a rooftop pool, Majorelle-inspired interiors and walkable access to State Street.
Visit official siteHistoric grand dame
Montecito
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
A landmark 1927 Spanish-Colonial estate on Butterfly Beach in Montecito, with lush gardens, a celebrated oceanfront setting and a storied Coral Casino beach club across the road.
Visit official siteWhere to eat
Farm-to-table terraces and Funk Zone tables.
The county's farms and fishing boats set the menus here, from a fireside dinner in a century-old citrus house to inventive shared plates near the beach.
Romantic
Montecito
The Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch
Set in a century-old granite citrus-packing house, this celebrated restaurant pairs estate-garden ingredients with a fireside terrace for one of the region's most romantic dinners.
Visit official siteWine-country bistro
Santa Barbara (Downtown)
Bouchon
An intimate downtown bistro devoted to local farms and Santa Barbara County wines, with a romantic patio and a deep, regionally focused list.
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Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
Loquita
A lively Funk Zone destination for authentic Spanish tapas, wood-fired paella and gin tonics, capturing the city's Spanish heritage in a festive setting.
Visit official siteSeasonal shared plates
Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
The Lark
The anchor of the Funk Zone dining scene, set in a former fish market and serving inventive, shareable seasonal plates sourced from the Central Coast.
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Santa Barbara (Downtown)
Barbareño
A chef-driven restaurant celebrating the foods native to the Santa Barbara region, with a creative tasting-menu sensibility and hyper-local sourcing.
Visit official siteWaterfront seafood
Santa Barbara (Waterfront)
The Santa Barbara FisHouse
A longtime waterfront seafood favorite across from East Beach, serving fresh local catch, sushi and a patio steps from the sand near Stearns Wharf.
Visit official siteIn the vines
Sta. Rita Hills Pinot and the Urban Wine Trail.
Cool-climate Pinot and structured Syrah define the valleys an hour inland, while a walkable trail of tasting rooms keeps the wine country steps from the beach.
Estate Pinot and Syrah
Sta. Rita Hills (Lompoc)
Melville Winery
A benchmark Sta. Rita Hills estate known for cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah, with a Mediterranean-style tasting patio amid the vines.
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Sta. Rita Hills
Sanford Winery
One of the founding estates of the Sta. Rita Hills, farming the historic Sanford and Benedict vineyard and pouring elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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Los Olivos
Fess Parker Winery
A family-owned Santa Ynez Valley landmark with a sweeping vineyard terrace, well known for Syrah, Rhône blends and a relaxed wine-country welcome.
Visit official siteSyrah specialist
Ballard Canyon
Stolpman Vineyards
A leading Ballard Canyon estate celebrated for structured, age-worthy Syrah and Roussanne, with both a vineyard and a Los Olivos tasting room.
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Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
Municipal Winemakers
A flagship of the walkable Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail, pouring approachable, characterful wines with a casual, design-forward vibe steps from the beach.
Visit official siteDowntown winery
Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
Santa Barbara Winery
The city's oldest winery and an Urban Wine Trail cornerstone, offering tastings of estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a working downtown facility.
Visit official siteOn the water
Whales offshore, the Channel Islands by ferry.
The harbor sends you out to blue whales in season and to five wild islands often called the Galapagos of North America, with sea caves and pristine snorkeling.
Whale watching shifts with the season: gray whales pass in winter, blues and humpbacks in summer and early fall. We time the trip to the run.
Whale watching
Santa Barbara Harbor
Condor Express
A high-speed catamaran running year-round whale-watching and dolphin cruises from the harbor, with naturalists aboard and frequent blue and humpback sightings in season.
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Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara Sailing Center
Private sailing charters, sunset cruises, coastal excursions and Channel Islands trips, plus lessons and yacht rentals from the harbor.
Visit official siteCatamaran cruises
Santa Barbara Harbor
Channel Cat
A 50-foot sailing catamaran available for private charters, coastal sails and sunset cruises along the Santa Barbara waterfront.
Visit official siteIsland ferry
Ventura / Channel Islands
Island Packers
The concessioner ferry to Channel Islands National Park, carrying visitors to Santa Cruz, Anacapa and the outer islands for hiking, kayaking and wildlife viewing.
Visit official siteWild island adventure
Offshore
Channel Islands National Park
Five rugged islands often called the Galapagos of North America, prized for sea caves, endemic wildlife, kayaking and pristine snorkeling.
Visit official sitePrivate yacht events
Santa Barbara Harbor
Celebration Cruises
Private yacht charters and dinner cruises from the harbor, popular for proposals, celebrations and small-group coastal outings.
Visit official siteSpa and stillness
Garden cottages and ocean-view sanctuaries.
Santa Barbara's spas range from in-cottage rituals in a hillside ranch to one of the largest destination spas on the Central Coast, all steps from the sea or the hills.
Garden cottage spa
Montecito
The Spa at San Ysidro Ranch
An intimate spa offering in-cottage and garden treatments, couples massages and bespoke rituals in the Ranch's serene hillside setting.
Visit official siteBeachfront luxury
Montecito
Sense, A Rosewood Spa
Rosewood Miramar Beach's signature spa, delivering oceanfront treatments, hydrotherapy and locally inspired wellness experiences.
Visit official siteDestination resort spa
Santa Barbara (Goleta)
The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara
A 42,000-square-foot destination spa with relaxation gardens, a wide treatment menu and ocean-view facilities, among the largest on the Central Coast.
Visit official siteHilltop wellness
Santa Barbara (Riviera)
Spa at El Encanto
Belmond El Encanto's hillside spa pairs locally sourced treatments with Riviera views and an outdoor relaxation setting above the city.
Visit official siteMoroccan hammam
Santa Barbara (Funk Zone)
The Spa at Hotel Californian
A Moorish-inspired spa featuring a traditional hammam, rhassoul clay rituals and treatments echoing the hotel's Spanish-Moroccan design.
Visit official siteDowntown day spa
Santa Barbara (Downtown)
Float Luxury Spa
An independent downtown day spa near State Street, well regarded for massage, facials and couples treatments in a calm, contemporary setting away from the resorts.
Visit official siteOn foot
Front-country ridges and creekside canyons.
The Santa Ynez Mountains rise right behind the city, with short, steep climbs to panoramic island views and shaded canyon trails along year-round creeks.
Front-country trails offer little shade and run hot in midsummer. We schedule hikes for the cooler, clearer days of fall through spring.
Panoramic ridge hike
Santa Barbara (Mission Canyon)
Inspiration Point (Tunnel Trail)
A roughly 3.5-mile round-trip climb in Los Padres National Forest, rewarding hikers with sweeping views over the city, coastline and Channel Islands.
Visit official siteCreekside climb
Montecito
Cold Spring Trail
A classic shaded canyon trail following a year-round creek into the front-country mountains, with forks leading to ridgeline vistas and waterfalls.
Visit official siteLoop with ocean views
Montecito
Romero Canyon Trail
A popular front-country loop of trail and fire road climbing through chaparral to broad views of Montecito, the coast and the islands.
Visit official siteTrail network
Santa Barbara front country
Los Padres National Forest
The forest agency overseeing the Santa Barbara front-country trail system, with maps, conditions and permit information for area hikes.
Visit official siteNative garden trails
Mission Canyon
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
A 78-acre native-plant garden laced with gentle trails along Mission Creek, blending easy walking with redwoods, meadows and a historic dam.
Visit official siteThe landmarks
The Queen of the Missions, State Street, the wharf.
Red-tile architecture, a historic pier over the Pacific and oak-dotted vineyard back roads give Santa Barbara its unmistakable Spanish-Riviera sense of place.
Queen of the Missions
Santa Barbara (Riviera)
Old Mission Santa Barbara
The 1786 Franciscan mission known as the Queen of the Missions, with twin bell towers, a rose garden and a museum chronicling California's early history.
Visit official siteSpanish-style artery
Santa Barbara (Downtown)
State Street
The city's palm-lined main thoroughfare of red-tile architecture, boutiques, galleries and sidewalk cafes, anchored by the landmark county courthouse.
Visit official siteHistoric pier
Santa Barbara (Waterfront)
Stearns Wharf
California's oldest working wooden wharf, offering harbor and mountain views, seafood, an aquarium and a scenic walk over the Pacific.
Visit official siteArts and wine district
Santa Barbara (Waterfront)
Funk Zone
A walkable warehouse district near the beach packed with urban tasting rooms, murals, galleries, breweries and casual eateries.
Visit official siteSeafaring heritage
Santa Barbara Harbor
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
A harborside museum celebrating the region's maritime history with interactive exhibits, a working periscope and Channel Islands lore.
Visit official siteVineyard drives
Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country
The rolling oak-dotted countryside around Los Olivos, Solvang and Santa Ynez, laced with vineyard back roads ideal for a slow scenic drive.
Visit official siteOn the course
Oceanfront links and Santa Ynez fairways.
Golf here runs from a clifftop public course often compared to Pebble Beach to a working guest ranch framed by sycamores and grazing cattle in the valley.
Oceanfront public links
Santa Barbara (Goleta)
Sandpiper Golf Club
A dramatic clifftop public course along the Pacific, often compared to Pebble Beach for its ocean-hugging holes and sweeping coastal views.
Visit official siteResort ranch course
Solvang
The Alisal Ranch Golf
A scenic 18-hole course set on a working guest ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, framed by sycamores, oaks and grazing cattle.
Visit official siteMountain valley course
Santa Barbara (San Marcos Pass)
Rancho San Marcos Golf Course
A Robert Trent Jones Jr. course in the Santa Ynez River valley along Highway 154, blending native terrain with mountain backdrops.
Visit official siteHillside public course
Santa Barbara (Goleta)
Glen Annie Golf Club
A public hillside course in Goleta with ocean and island views from elevated tees and a popular grill overlooking the back nine.
Visit official sitePrivate heathland gem
Montecito
The Valley Club of Montecito
An acclaimed private 1929 Alister MacKenzie design, regarded as one of the finest and most exclusive courses in Southern California.
Visit official sitePrivate hilltop club
Montecito
Montecito Club
A historic private club restored with a modern Tom Fazio course and clubhouse, offering ocean views above the Montecito coastline.
Visit official siteWhen to go
Timing is the whole trip.
September and October shine
The finest months arrive in early fall: warm, clear and quieter than peak summer, with harvest energy filling the wine country.
May Gray and June Gloom
Late-spring mornings can be overcast and cool along the shore as the coastal marine layer settles in, usually burning off by midday.
Whales year-round
Gray whales pass in winter, blues and humpbacks in summer and early fall, so the harbor offers naturalist-led trips in nearly every season.
Best hiking in the cool season
The front-country trails offer little shade and run hot in midsummer, so fall through spring brings the cooler, clearer days for climbing.
Your Santa Barbara
Let us build the Santa Barbara you came for.
Tell us the shape of the trip you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.