The Best Things to See and Do in Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA is known for having great beaches, seafood, architecture, views, and so much more. White santa buildings with red roofs and palm trees at every turn are pretty hard to miss out on. In this post, I’ll be telling you the best things to see and do in Santa Barbara, California.

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Stearns Wharf

Basically in the middle of the harbor and the beach, Stearns Wharf is a long Wharf with great views all around. When walking on the wharf, you can see the beach on the left and the harbor on the right. It’s an amazing spot to take photos, and you can even see the Channel Islands in the distance. The Channel Islands are a group of islands that stretch along the southern coast of California. Another cool thing about the wharf is that there’s a few stores on it, so you can buy souvenirs, ice cream, and snacks.

East Beach & West Beach

One of the best beaches in Santa Barbara is East Beach. You can see the wharf towards the west, and just past the wharf, you can see another beach, West Beach. Both beaches are pretty similar, so I wouldn’t worry about which one to choose. Also, they’re right next to each other, so if you wanted to go to both, then that would be easy to do. There are also some great restaurants near the beaches, one of them being Chad’s Cafe, a popular breakfast place.

These beaches are near the harbor, Stern’s Wharf, and downtown Santa Barbara, so getting places from there won’t be difficult.

Tangerine Falls Hike

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One of the most popular hikes in the Santa Barbara area is the Tangerine Falls hike. During the hike, you’ll cross streams, see ocean views, and even some incredible views of mountains and cliffs.

However, the hike can be very rocky and steep in some parts, so I recommend good shoes for the trail. Also, the waterfalls are sometimes dry, but the views and the nature makes the hike a super enjoyable experience nevertheless.

Santa Barbara Downtown

A view facing downtown

Santa Barbara Downtown is known for the town’s signature white buildings and red roofs, but it is also home to some awesome restaurants. There’s a whole section of downtown closed off from cars just to put out outdoor dining for restaurants, because of the pandemic.

Some restaurants I would recommend are Joe’s Cafe, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, and Los Agaves.

Go on a Cruise

There are multiple cruises to take in Santa Barbara, some of them being the sunset cruise and the whale-watching cruise. You can pre-book the cruises online, or in some places, you can buy tickets at the moment.

You’ll be able to see wildlife, take great pictures, and relax. I would recommend booking tickets here.

To wrap up this post, some of the best things to see and do in Santa Barbara are going to Stearns Wharf, East and West Beach, hiking to Tangerine Falls, going to Santa Barbara Downtown, and taking a cruise.

Thanks for reading!