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Beaches Parks and Attractions
Butterfly Beach
Location: In Montecito – 2 miles S. of SB
About: This beautiful beach is across from the Biltmore Hotel. It is one of the few places in the Santa Barbara area to see the sunset over the water. However be advised there are no public facilities.
East Beach
Location: In SB – Cabrillo Blvd at Milpas St
About: East Beach is located near the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. There are lots of activities including volleyball, swimming, sunbathing, and a bike path. There is also a beach house and snack bar.
Stearns Wharf
Location: In SB – State Street at Cabrillo Blvd
About: Pier at the bottom of State Street with galleries and restaurants. Also a wide-open beach & skate park nearby. The Sunday art and craft fair that extends from Stearns Wharf almost to East Beach is always fun for locals and tourists.
More Info: Website
Ledbetter Beach
Location: In SB – The West end of Cabrillo Blvd. (Take a right from State St.)
About: A long strip of sand flanked by green grass at the base of the city college. The Shoreline Beach Cafe offers diners tables on a patio or even in the sand. Outdoor showers, restrooms, a grassy picnic area combine to make this beach popular for the young and active. The normally light surf draws beginning surfers, windsurfers, swimmers and sailboats. Every Wednesday night you can participate or just watch the scene at “Nite Moves,” a 0.5K ocean swim and 5K run with live music and food.
Hendry’s Beach (Arroyo Burro)
Location: Just north of downtown SB – Take Las Positas (225) exit (West) off 101. Las Positas ends at Cliff Drive. Take a right at the T and go ¼ mile to the beach entrance on the left.
About: A great place to take a walk along the beach, especially at sunset. The Boat House sits on the beach and is a nice place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is arguably one of the most picturesque of all beaches in SB. Also, drive up the steep hill just past the beach entrance and go through Hope Ranch for some impeccable real estate. It’s nestled below the Mesa bluffs which offers great hiking.
Chase Palm Park
Location: Ocean side of Cabrillo Blvd starting at Stearns Warf.
About: Idyllic Palm tree lined grass park provides a buffer from the sandy beach and the street. Most weekends until noon it hosts an arts & craft fair where local artisans, woodworkers, glass blowers and hobbyists showcase their work.
Goleta Beach Park
Location: 10 miles north
About: long sandy beach with pier. The Beachside Grill nestled at one end of the beach, is a full-service restaurant and bar with outside dining. Small surf makes it ideal for swimming and a favorite with college students from the nearby UCSB. There are picnic areas and BBQ grills off the sand. Picturesque, as many calendar and postcards are shot from here. Also, try one of the great sandwiches from the bait shop/food stand at the entrance to the pier.
Elings Park
Location: 101 to Las Positas. Go towards ocean. It will be on the left.
About: Park at the top of the road. There are hiking trails, picnic tables, an amphitheater, BMX track, Remote Control Car track, & large grass fields. Don’t be surprised if you see a game of rugby being played on one of the fields or a wedding taking place at the top of the hill.
Leisure Activities
Sandpiper Golf Course
Location: 11 miles North of SB. From 101 north exit Winchester canyons turns left & go back over the freeway. It shares an entrance with The Bacara Hotel & Spa.
About: Championship golf course rated by Golf Digest in the top 25 public courses in the country. Opened in 1972, featuring beautiful rolling fairways and challenging greens in a seaside links-style. 7000 yards, rating of 74.5. A personal favorite & not as expensive as you may think, especially midweek or evenings.
More Info: Website 805-968-1541
Santa Barbara Municipal Golf Club
Location: 101 to Las Positas go toward the mountains, left on McCaw.
Description: “Muni” is a picturesque 6,014 yard par 70 with great mountain views. The picturesque facility also boasts a practice putting green and driving range, golf shop, etc.
More Info: Website 805-687-7087
Las Positas Tennis Courts
Location: 1002 Las Positas Rd. (805) 564-5517
About: Open daily. 6 courts lighted M-F until 9pm. Shower & Lockers available.
Municipal Tennis Courts
Location: 1414 Park Pl at Old Coast Hwy. (805) 564-5517
About: 12 hard courts open daily including an enclosed stadium. 3 courts Lighted M-F until 9pm. Shower & Lockers available.
Pershing Park Tennis Courts
Location: 100 Castillo St (805) 564-5517
About: M-F 5pm to 9pm on 4 courts; weekends all day on 8 hard courts.
Santa Barbara High School Tennis Courts
Location: 1031 Nopal St (805) 564-5517
About: 6 hard courts open M-F after 5pm & weekends all day.
Swimming: Los Banos
Location: Downtown Santa Barbara waterfront – between Stearns Wharf and the Harbor
About: 50-meter, outdoor. Lap/open swim daily. On-duty lifeguards, lockers, spring board. Also, wading pool & weight room. Small fee charged. 805-966-6110
Swimming: Carpinteria Community Center
Location: 10 Miles south of SB
About: Community Swimming Pool, Close to the Best Western hotel in Carpinteria. Open all day on weekends. 805-566-2417
Swimming: University of California
Location: UCSB Campus – 7 miles north of SB
About: University aquatic center with several pools and a diving facility. Swim, Dive & Aquatic fitness classes taught.
Mackenzie Park Lawn Bowling Club
Location: Mackenzie Park. Las Positas & McCaw Ave on the East side of Las Positas.
About: Lawn Bowling. Classes on Sat. M,W,F 11am-4pm; Sat 10am-4pm (805) 563-2143
Santa Barbara Lawn Bowling Club
Location: Spencer Adams Park. 1216 De La Vina St.
About: Lawn Bowling. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun 11am-4pm (805) 965-1773
Hiking
Locations: You can find great hikes all over Santa Barbara and surrounding areas.
Walking
Why drive when you can walk or bike?
Surfing
Locations: There are lots of good surf spots for every skill level.
Circle Bar B Stables and Guest Ranch
Location: 20 miles North of SB
About: Ride on their 1,000 acre of unspoiled coastal countryside with breathtaking views of the Pacific & wildlife. Also offer Dinner Theatre, Deluxe Guest Ranch Rooms, Pool & Spa.
More Info: Website 805-968-3901
Sea Landing Jet Boats Jet Skiing
Location: Santa Barbara Harbor
Description: Rental of Jet Skis, kayaks. Also offer Whale watching, sport fishing Island Excursions, Scuba Diving
More Info: 805-963-3564
Santa Barbara Adventure Company
Location: Varies
About: Guide Company offers Ocean Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Surfing Lessons, Rock Climbing Group Trips, Wine Country Tours.
Highlights: These are all guided tours.
More Info: Website 805-452-1942 888-773-3239
Stardust Sport Fishing
Location: Departs from SB Harbor
About: ½ day sport fishing aboard the 65’ Stardust. Morning and mid-day departures are offered. They include everything even food & drinks.
More Info: Website 805- 963-3564
Channel Islands National Park
Location: Departs from Ventura (30 min S of SB, or Oxnard 40 min S of SB)
About: Nature Discovery tour of the Channel Islands National Park. A variety of tour itineraries are offered: Hiking, camping, kayaking, snorkeling, sight-seeing or try the dinner cruise.
More Info: Website 805- 642-1393
Condor Express Harbor and Channel Cruises
Location: Departs from the Santa Barbara Harbor
About: Offers a variety of excursions into the Santa Barbara Channel aboard the all new high-speed 75-foot catamaran. May thru November they offer blue whale & humpback whale watching trips.
More Info: Website 805-882-0088 or 888-7-WHALE
Museums/Galleries
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Location: Downtown Santa Barbara
About: Since it’s founding in 1941, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art has developed a unique identity with strengths in the following areas: Ancient Art, Asian Art (Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Tibetan), French and English 19th and early 20th Century Art, 19th and early 20th Century American Art, International Modernism, Works on Paper, Photography, and Contemporary Art. Influenced by the community as a whole and by individual collectors of major importance, the holdings of the Museum have taken on a character specific to this institution.
More Info: Website 805- 963-4364
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Location: Behind the Mission
About: The Museum features eleven exhibit halls focusing on regional natural history, including birds, insects, mammals, marine life, paleontology, Native Americans and the Chumash Indians.
More Info: Website 805-682-4711
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Location: In SB at West Beach /Harbor.
About: The museum's structure was formerly known as the Old Naval Reserve Center, which was built by the Federal Government's Works Project Administration (WPA) program during the late 1930s through early 1940s.
More Info: Website 805-962-8404
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Location: 136 E De La Guerra
Description: Santa Barbara's rich multicultural history is represented with artifacts from Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, "Yankee" and Chinese culture. The Gledhill Library contains rare literary and visual documents including 50,000 historic photographs. Two early 19th century buildings, the 1817 Casa Covarrubias and the 1836 Historic Adobe are adjacent to the Museum. Free entry.
More Info: Website 805-966-1601
El Presidio State Historical Park
Location: Santa Barbara and E Cannon Perdido
About: The last in a chain of four military adobe fortresses built by the Spanish along the coast of Alta California, then a wilderness frontier.
More Info: Website 805-965-0093
Miscellaneous
Stearns Wharf
Location: In SB – State Street at Cabrillo Blvd
About: Pier at the bottom of State Street with galleries and restaurants. Also a wide-open beach & skate park nearby. The Sunday art and craft fair that extends from Stearns Wharf almost to East Beach is always fun for locals and tourists. The wine tasting room and Santa Barbara shellfish company are personal favorites.
More Info: Website
Walking Tour of Santa Barbara Architecture
Location: In Downtown SB
About: Led by trained docents of the Architectural Foundation, the 1½ hour tour explores hidden courtyards, secret fountains and original adobes. Photographic opportunities abound and our leisurely pace invites relaxed enjoyment. View at first hand varying architectural traditions and appreciate close up Santa Barbara's hallmarks: hand-made tiles, wrought iron detailing, stonework, balconies, doorways, arches and fragrant plantings.
More Info: Website 805-965-6307
Farmer’s Market
Location: Various locations throughout SB, at least one everyday somewhere nearby.
More Info & Schedule: Website 805-962-5354
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Location: Foothills above SB – Mission Canyon Rd above foothill, look for the signs.
About: 1000 species of rare and indigenous California plants illustrating representative habitats or landscape applications. Walk through meadows and canyons, a redwood forest, across historic Mission Dam, and along ridge tops that offer sweeping view of the Channel Islands.
More Info: Website 805-682-4726
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