Active and restorative
Bookend the front-country climbs with deliberate recovery, balancing exertion with restorative calm on the coast.
Design This TripStart at dawn with the climb to Inspiration Point on the Tunnel Trail, earning panoramic island views before the marine layer lifts, then recover with a treatment at the Bacara's destination spa.
Paddle or sail the coast with the Santa Barbara Sailing Center, hike the creekside Cold Spring Trail, and refuel on hyper-local plates at Barbareño.
Close the loop with a session in the Hotel Californian's Moroccan-inspired hammam, balancing front-country exertion with deliberate, restorative calm.
What’s inside
A sample rhythm
Climb at dawn
The Tunnel Trail to Inspiration Point before the marine layer lifts.
Recover
A long treatment at the Bacara's destination spa.
Coast and canyon
Coastal sailing, then the creekside Cold Spring Trail.
The hammam close
A session in the Hotel Californian's Moroccan-inspired hammam.
The Santa Barbarawe’d build in
On foot
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.
Santa Barbara (Mission Canyon)
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 siteMontecito
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 siteMontecito
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 siteSanta Barbara front country
The forest agency overseeing the Santa Barbara front-country trail system, with maps, conditions and permit information for area hikes.
Visit official siteMission Canyon
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 siteSpa and stillness
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.
Montecito
An intimate spa offering in-cottage and garden treatments, couples massages and bespoke rituals in the Ranch's serene hillside setting.
Visit official siteMontecito
Rosewood Miramar Beach's signature spa, delivering oceanfront treatments, hydrotherapy and locally inspired wellness experiences.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Goleta)
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 siteSanta Barbara (Riviera)
Belmond El Encanto's hillside spa pairs locally sourced treatments with Riviera views and an outdoor relaxation setting above the city.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
A Moorish-inspired spa featuring a traditional hammam, rhassoul clay rituals and treatments echoing the hotel's Spanish-Moroccan design.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
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 the water
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.
Santa Barbara Harbor
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 siteSanta Barbara Harbor
Private sailing charters, sunset cruises, coastal excursions and Channel Islands trips, plus lessons and yacht rentals from the harbor.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara Harbor
A 50-foot sailing catamaran available for private charters, coastal sails and sunset cruises along the Santa Barbara waterfront.
Visit official siteVentura / Channel Islands
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 siteOffshore
Five rugged islands often called the Galapagos of North America, prized for sea caves, endemic wildlife, kayaking and pristine snorkeling.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara Harbor
Private yacht charters and dinner cruises from the harbor, popular for proposals, celebrations and small-group coastal outings.
Visit official siteWhere to eat
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.
Montecito
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 siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
An intimate downtown bistro devoted to local farms and Santa Barbara County wines, with a romantic patio and a deep, regionally focused list.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
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 siteSanta Barbara (Funk Zone)
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.
Visit official siteSanta Barbara (Downtown)
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 siteSanta Barbara (Waterfront)
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 siteOr another way
Adventure & Wellness
Share what you can already picture. A concierge fills in everything still open and sends back a plan, not a quote.
