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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA weekend in Santa Barbara really is the epitome of the laid-back California lifestyle, and I\u2019m all for it! Who can say no to sipping cocktails in year-round sunshine and palm-lined beaches with the Santa Ynez Mountains as a dramatic backdrop?! Definitely not me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After moving to San Francisco<\/b><\/a> almost a decade ago (whoa, where does the time go?!), we\u2019ve spent countless weekends in Santa Barbara. It\u2019s honestly one of our favorite places on the entire California coast, and if we\u2019re being truthful, the place we\u2019d choose to move next (if only it had a major international airport \u2013 the one thing it\u2019s lacking!). This sun-kissed California beach town is pretty much paradise, and you\u2019ll never wanna leave. Just you wait, haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAt first glance, Santa Barbara reminds us of San Clemente<\/b><\/a> down the coast in Orange County. And surprise, surprise, we absolutely LOVE San Clemente and its chic Mediterranean feel! So it\u2019s no coincidence that we absolutely adore Santa Barbara as well. Plus, Santa Barbara kinda reminds me of cities we love in the French Riviera (like Nice<\/b><\/a>, Cannes, and Menton<\/b><\/a> \u2013 with their sophisticated lifestyle, Mediterranean climate, and beautiful beaches). All so swoonworthy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Santa Barbara is no hidden gem by any means, but since it\u2019s further from a large airport, I\u2019d say most people visiting are either local Californians, or those coming from out of state on a much-longer Pacific Coast Highway road trip<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sharing an extensive guide to help you plan out your best Santa Barbara weekend trip possible. And since we have some local friends in the area, we always get the best recommendations \u2014 which I\u2019m sharing with all of you of course! Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Santa Barbara Weekend Getaway Logistics<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhere is Santa Barbara and How to Get There<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Santa Barbara is located on the central coast of California, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It\u2019s situated along the Pacific Ocean, between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the coastline (meaning great views all around!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It sits almost directly between Los Angeles<\/b><\/a> and San Luis Obispo (about an hour or so from each, although with traffic, definitely longer, haha.) Because of its location, it\u2019s a great place to stop if you\u2019re visiting both cities on a larger California trip, such as when you\u2019re driving down the Pacific Coast Highway<\/b><\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
East of Santa Barbara you\u2019ll find the Los Padres National Forest, with Santa Ynez River Recreation Area, Figueroa Mountain, and the Ojai Valley being popular spots in the forest (perfect for hiking and camping). And to the west you\u2019ll find the wild Channel Islands National Park (high on my California bucket list<\/b><\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Get to Santa Barbara<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of Santa Barbara\u2019s awesome location pretty much equidistant between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, it\u2019s pretty easy to get to Santa Barbara. A few options below: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Driving to Santa Barbara<\/b>: If you\u2019re coming from elsewhere in California (like us!), you can totally drive! Santa Barbara is right off Highway 101 (which runs north-south along the CA coast), so super accessible and not terribly, terribly far from most popular places in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s some driving distances from popular spots in California (and nearby) to give you a sense of the time required (just make sure to account for some inevitable traffic of course, especially around LA):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- From Los Angeles<\/a>: 1 \u00bd hours, 95 miles<\/li>
- From San Luis Opisbo: 1 \u00bd hours, 95 miles<\/li>
- From Orange County<\/a>: 2 hours, 130 miles<\/li>
- From Palm Springs<\/a>: 3 hours, 200 miles<\/li>
- From San Diego<\/a>: 3 \u00bd hours, 230 miles<\/li>
- From Big Sur<\/a>: 4 \u00bd hours, 270 miles<\/li>
- From San Francisco<\/a>: 5 hours, 325 miles<\/li>
- From Yosemite National Park<\/a>: 5 \u00bd hours, 300 miles<\/li>
- From Las Vegas<\/a> (Nevada): 5 \u00bd hours, 345 miles<\/li>
- From Lake Tahoe<\/a>: 8 hours, 480 miles<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u2192 Visiting Santa Barbara on a much longer Pacific Coast Highway road trip?! Check out all my favorite PCH stops right here!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flying to Santa Barbara: <\/b>Yes, there\u2019s an airport right here in Santa Barbara (well, 15 minutes west in Goleta but close enough)! The aptly named Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), haha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not the hugest airport by any means (it\u2019s actually quite small with only 1 terminal), but does have flights from major cities like Los Angeles<\/b><\/a>, San Francisco<\/b><\/a>, Phoenix, Denver<\/b><\/a>, and Seattle<\/b><\/a>. And it’s super close to downtown Santa Barbara (only 7 miles away), so you really can\u2019t beat that! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The airport serves as a gateway to the Central Coast of California, so perfect if you\u2019re planning to visit Santa Barbara (obviously), but also Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, and Paso Robles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nPublic Transit to Santa Barbara<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Already in SoCal\/Central Coast and looking for public transit to Santa Barbara? There\u2019s the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train<\/b><\/a>! I highly recommend taking the train (instead of driving) especially if you need to drive through LA\/OC (as there\u2019ll probably be lots of traffic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The train is super easy to use, not crazy expensive (around $30 from LA), and I have friends that swear by it! I\u2019d probably use it myself if I lived along the train route. Plus, the Santa Barbara train station is located right downright, so super convenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It actually runs from San Luis Obispo all the way down to San Diego, so if you\u2019re coming from further afield and don\u2019t feel like driving, that\u2019s a great option for ya! It\u2019d be super fun to plan out a week-long train trip or something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re coming from up north (Northern California<\/b><\/a>, Oregon<\/b><\/a>, and even Washington<\/b><\/a>), consider taking Amtrak\u2019s Coast Starlight Train. It passes right through Santa Barbara on its daily route between Los Angeles and Seattle (yes, the full journey takes 35 hours!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s also the Santa Barbara MTD<\/b> (with plenty of bus routes from neighboring communities) and Greyhound<\/b> (for those coming from further afield), as well as the Santa Barbara Airbus directly from LAX! The Santa Barbara Transit Center is the central hub for local and regional bus services, so if you\u2019re planning to take the bus, expect to get off there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Get Around Santa Barbara<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On Foot: <\/b>Due to Santa Barbara\u2019s compact downtown area, it\u2019s thankfully very walkable! State Street serves as the main street lined with shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions, although its way longer than most people realize so I wouldn\u2019t attempt to walk the entire length in one go unless you have a while. And the beaches and harbor are only steps away from downtown!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Driving in Santa Barbara:<\/b> You can totally get by on foot if you just stay downtown, but if you wanna explore further afield (other beaches, gardens, foodie spots), it\u2019s best to have a car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since we live in the SF Bay Area and typically drive down to Santa Barbara, we always have our car. And we seem to use it way more than we always think we will, haha. Some of our fave spots are a little distance away from State Street, like Butterfly Beach (come for sunset!), Old Mission Santa Barbara, Bettina (drool worthy pizza), and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. You can of course always Uber to those though (no need to rent a car).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nParking<\/b>: Of course, if you\u2019re planning on driving around during your weekend in Santa Barbara, you\u2019ll need to worry about parking. And it can definitely be challenging in some areas, especially downtown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s plenty of parking lots both downtown and along the waterfront (that don\u2019t break the bank), as well as street parking, but they do fill up. We\u2019ve thankfully never had too much trouble finding parking, but always check the street signs carefully!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biking<\/b>: Santa Barbara is a super bike-friendly city, and you\u2019ll see plenty of bike lanes and paths no problem. There\u2019s a fair amount of bike rental shops as well as the city\u2019s bike-share program (if your hotel doesn\u2019t offer complimentary bikes). And there\u2019s even two fully enclosed bicycle parking facilities \u2013 so you know this town is legit about its biking, haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We love strolling down the Cabrillo Bike Path right on the waterfront, but most people bike, haha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Public Transit: <\/b>Within Santa Barbara, you\u2019ll find the SB Metropolitan Transit District (MTD)<\/b> that operates a network of bus routes throughout the city. The Downtown Transit Center serves as the central hub for MTD buses, making it easy to transfer between routes. The buses are super affordable and convenient, and make stops at all of the popular touristy areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rideshares<\/b>: When all else fails, there\u2019s always Uber and Lyft!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When to Plan your Weekend Trip to Santa Barbara <\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSanta Barbara enjoys a Mediterranean climate characterized by mild, (sometimes wet) winters and warm, dry summers. Is there really a bad time for a Santa Barbara weekend getaway? I think not, haha! With ~300 days of sun (rivaling that of San Diego<\/b><\/a> and Albuquerque, NM<\/b><\/a>), it\u2019s almost perfect weather year round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the absolute best time to visit? During the shoulder season \u2013 early fall \u2013 since the weather\u2019s practically perfect, but there\u2019s fewer crowds and accommodations cost less. Plus, winter is cooler and can be a bit rainy unfortunately, and you probably won\u2019t be able to go swimming without a wetsuit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This coincides with our favorite time to visit SB \u2013 during the spring (late March to May) and the fall (September to late October). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
BUT (of course there\u2019s a but, haha), like other parts of the California coast (San Diego<\/b><\/a>, Half Moon Bay<\/b><\/a>, Big Sur<\/b><\/a>, etc), Santa Barbara experiences what us Californians refer to as \u201cMay Gray, June Gloom\u201d. And it\u2019s exactly as it sounds \u2013 gray and gloomy with mostly overcast skies. The marine layer usually burns off by afternoon, but know you may have cloudy mornings May through June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you\u2019re looking for that classic California beach vacation, you\u2019ll wanna visit in the warm summer months of July and August (when days are long and the water is at its warmest). Do note that this is considered high season, and hotel prices and crowds will be higher than usual. Plus, the occasional heatwave, but there\u2019s the ocean to cool off in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where to Stay in Santa Barbara<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/apassionandapassport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/santa-barbara-201.jpg\")
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSanta Barbara really has it all. From luxurious beachfront resorts with private bungalows and breakfast in bed, to charming boutique hotels and \u201cbudget-friendly\u201d trendy motels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all honesty, we typically choose to stay in Lompoc (an hour north) or Galeta (15 minutes west) when we spend a weekend in Santa Barbara. I find the hotels in SB to be kinda crazy expensive (even more so on holiday weekends), especially since we don\u2019t usually spend much time in the hotel itself. However, on our last few visits, we stayed in downtown Santa Barbara, and really enjoyed it\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With that being said, there\u2019s some REALLY nice hotels in Santa Barbara, so if you\u2019re celebrating something special, I say splurge a bit! And if it’s your first visit to the area but don\u2019t wanna break the bank, there\u2019s thankfully quite a few budget-ish options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBudget\u201d\/Value Hotels in SB:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Motel 6<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> We stayed here last summer and ended up LOVING it! It\u2019s not your typical Motel 6 and felt more like a trendy boutique. It\u2019s just steps from the beach and kinda retro in the best way possible.<\/li>
- The Franciscan Hotel<\/b><\/a>: A few blocks from the beach and State Street, with complimentary cookies everyday and a super dog friendly property. Kona especially loved all the treats of course!<\/li>
- Castillo Inn<\/b><\/a>: Simple place to stay just steps from the harbor, with large Italian-style rooms in a great location<\/li>
- Inn by the Harbor<\/b><\/a>: <\/b>Very manicured with lots of colorful plants and flowers, plus a pool and spacious rooms<\/li>
- Hotel Milo<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> Right off the beach with stylish rooms, a heated outdoor pool, and complimentary bike rentals<\/li>
- The Wayfarer<\/b>: Located in the Funk Zone, this hostel-style hotel has both dorm-style beds and private rooms, along with communal spaces and bike rentals.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA few hotels on my wish list:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> After brunching at the Belmond one morning, we were able to quickly check out the property (including the lux infinity pool), and OMG it\u2019s absolutely gorgeous. I\u2019ve heard the rooms, suites, and boutique spa are all kinds of luxury.<\/li>
- Palihouse Santa Barbara<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> An upscale Mediterranean-style boutique hotel that\u2019s super stylish and fun; with a complimentary cocktail hour and diptyque toiletries (a brand I love)<\/li>
- Rosewood Miramar Beach<\/b>: A 5* hotel over in nearby Montecito with panoramic Pacific Ocean views and lots of sophisticated luxury! Expect airy rooms on the beach and elegant dining, plus a spa and 2 outdoor pools! <\/li>
- Kimpton Canary Hotel<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> A super-stylish boutique hotel located right in downtown Santa Barbara with a rooftop pool, cool bar, and vibrant atmosphere. We even saw Andy Buckley (from The Office!) here last year!<\/li>
- Hotel Californian<\/b><\/a>: A super chic hotel right in the heart of Santa Barbara’s waterfront district, with luxurious rooms, a rooftop pool, and Spanish-inspired architecture. <\/li>
- San Ysidro Ranch<\/b>: The definition of luxury \u2013 luxe suites and private cottages on a chic ranch with flawlessly beautiful grounds complete with multiple restaurants and a spa. The ultimate dream. I\u2019d love to go for their signature afternoon tea!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHotels in Nearby Neighborhoods<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re trying to save on accommodation (hey, I get it, SB can be expensive!), consider finding a hotel in a nearby neighborhood instead. You have to really think if this is practical or not, as driving back and forth kinda cuts into the whole easy-breezy carefree-beach scene, haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goleta<\/b>: This little city is where you\u2019ll find the Santa Barbara Airport and UC Santa Barbara, and only 15 minutes west of downtown SB or so. The Ritz Carlton Bacara<\/b><\/a> is over here, a GORGEOUS oceanfront property with multiple pools, a luxury spa, and even access to a private beach. If you\u2019re looking for something a bit more standard, check out the Hilton Garden Inn Goleta<\/b><\/a>, Hampton Inn Goleta<\/b><\/a>, and The Steward, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lompoc<\/b>: Located an hour or so north, so I wouldn\u2019t stay here if you\u2019re spending a true weekend in Santa Barbara. It\u2019s fine for a night if you\u2019re driving down the California coast and planning to drive to SB the next morning for a day of exploring before getting on the road again. But it\u2019s too far to be going back and forth to each and every day. The Embassy Suites Lompoc<\/b><\/a>, Holiday Inn Express Lompoc<\/b><\/a>, and Lompoc Valley Inn & Suites<\/b><\/a> are all decent options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other Important FAQs for your Santa Barbara Itinerary<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/apassionandapassport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/santa-barbara-106.jpg\")
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n- Why is Santa Barbara known as the American Riviera?<\/b> I mean, have you seen the photos?! SB\u2019s got a Mediterranean climate, beautiful coastline, and upscale lifestyle, which are reminiscent of the French and Italian Riviera regions (think Nice<\/b><\/a>, Antibes, and
- Palihouse Santa Barbara<\/b><\/a>:<\/b> An upscale Mediterranean-style boutique hotel that\u2019s super stylish and fun; with a complimentary cocktail hour and diptyque toiletries (a brand I love)<\/li>
- The Franciscan Hotel<\/b><\/a>: A few blocks from the beach and State Street, with complimentary cookies everyday and a super dog friendly property. Kona especially loved all the treats of course!<\/li>