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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Comfortable and inclusive
The Riviera, gently reached.
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.
Design This TripChoose a beachfront base like Rosewood Miramar Beach or the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, both single-destination resorts with step-free pool decks, paved beach access and attentive staff who smooth every transition.
Stroll the flat, palm-lined waterfront promenade and roll out onto Stearns Wharf for ocean views without a climb, then enjoy a relaxed tram-and-trail visit to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
Comfort at the center.
Tastings along the level Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail and a calm harbor cruise with Celebration Cruises deliver the region's pleasures with comfort and ease at the center. We confirm step-free routes, transport and tables in advance.
What’s inside
- A step-free beachfront resort base
- The flat, palm-lined waterfront promenade
- Ocean views from Stearns Wharf without a climb
- A tram-and-trail visit to the Botanic Garden
- A calm harbor cruise with Celebration Cruises
A sample rhythm
- 01
Easy arrival
A step-free beachfront resort and a confirmed accessible room.
- 02
Promenade and pier
The flat waterfront promenade and Stearns Wharf without a climb.
- 03
Garden by tram
A relaxed tram-and-trail visit to the Botanic Garden.
- 04
Level pours, calm water
The Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail and a calm Celebration Cruises harbor sail.
The Santa Barbarawe’d build in
The pieces that fit this trip.
Where 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 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.
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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.
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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 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.
Visit official siteUrban tasting room
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.
Visit official siteSailing charters
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 siteOr another way
More ways to experience Santa Barbara.
Accessible Luxury Travel
Let’s design it around you.
Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.