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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For two
Bougainvillea cottages and oceanfront glamour.
The American Riviera at its most romantic, where hillside seclusion and oceanfront glamour sit a short drive apart. We weave both into the week.
Design This TripBegin amid the bougainvillea-draped cottages of San Ysidro Ranch, where a private fireplace and a hot tub under the oaks set the tone, then drift down to dinner at The Stonehouse for a fireside, candlelit meal.
Spend lazy mornings on Butterfly Beach, a sunset sail aboard the Channel Cat, and an afternoon tracing the Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail hand in hand.
Trade the hills for the surf.
For a grander finale, move to Rosewood Miramar Beach, swapping hillside seclusion for oceanfront glamour, a couples treatment at the spa, and Champagne at the Manor Bar as the surf rolls in.
What’s inside
- A bougainvillea-draped cottage at San Ysidro Ranch
- A fireside, candlelit dinner at The Stonehouse
- A sunset sail aboard the Channel Cat
- An afternoon on the Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail
- A grand finale at Rosewood Miramar Beach
A sample rhythm
- 01
Settle into seclusion
A private transfer to the Ranch, a cottage fireplace and a fireside first dinner.
- 02
Beach and bottles
A slow Butterfly Beach morning and the Funk Zone Urban Wine Trail.
- 03
Out on the water
A Channel Cat sunset sail along the waterfront.
- 04
Oceanfront close
A move to Rosewood Miramar, a couples treatment and Champagne at the Manor Bar.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Santa Barbara Harbor
Channel Cat
A 50-foot sailing catamaran available for private charters, coastal sails and sunset cruises along the Santa Barbara waterfront.
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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.
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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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Montecito
Sense, A Rosewood Spa
Rosewood Miramar Beach's signature spa, delivering oceanfront treatments, hydrotherapy and locally inspired wellness experiences.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Luxury Honeymoon
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.