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- Arts & Culture
- Nature Enthusiasts
Combining 100 miles of scalloped coastline, year-round temperate weather, the Santa Ynez Mountains and a myriad of garden vistas, Santa Barbara welcomes nature enthusiasts. Located on the only stretch of Pacific coastline from Alaska to Cape Horn that runs east-west, Santa Barbara is a natural haven for rare and exotic vegetation, no less than 53 verdant parks and 24,000 public trees, an incredible array of blooming exotic gardens, thousands of acres of manicured landscape, sprawling vineyards, and flowering fields.
Day One
Morning
Follow-up a beachside breakfast with a morning stroll through the “crown jewel” of Santa Barbara’s city parks, Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens, a specially designed Sensory Garden that surrounds a large koi pond. Pair this with a visit to the Mission Park Rose Garden directly across from Santa Barbara Mission, which is famous for its hilltop setting, graceful architecture, and majestic views. Among the park’s palm and eucalyptus trees are more than 1,000 vibrant rose bushes planted in 1971 by the Little Garden Club of Santa Barbara and maintained today by volunteers. Also, showcased nearby is a garden that revives mission era agriculture and horticulture through Mission Santa Barbara’s Huerta Project. The Orchard Garden is being expertly restored to show what was growing during the 65-year mission era, 1769-1834.
Mid-day
Just up the road from the mission, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 78-acre “living museum” with great picnic spots to bring box lunches. Trails here wind through native California plant life from habitats such as deserts, mountains, and the Channel Islands. The Botanic Garden also offers classes and tours, and it showcases an authentic Japanese teahouse exhibit as well as a retail nursery that specializes in native plants and gifts.
Afternoon & Evening
Stroll along State Street through palm-lined paseos. Then, dine fountain-side at a restaurant in one of State Street’s bougainvillea filled courtyards.
Day Two
Morning
In December through May, pair tide pooling and a whale-watching excursion. Low Santa Barbara morning tides on Cole Oil Point and Carpinteria State Beach open up miles of remote, sun-drenched beaches. Then cruise the Santa Barbara channel, one of the best places in the world to go whale-watching, for a front-row seat to the spectacle of the annual gray-whale migration.
In July through November, skip the tide pooling and head out on a longer whale-watching trip to the Channel Islands to spot blue whales, humpback whales, minkes, and even orcas.
Anytime of the year, head out to sea for Channel Islands National Park, easily accessible from Santa Barbara at Sea Landing. Santa Cruz Island makes for a great day trip and boasts the biggest painted cave in the world.
Mid-day
Visit the lush Santa Barbara Zoo to spy more than 600 animals, including over 20 endangered animals, amidst 2,800 species of palm trees, cacti, and succulents.
Or, the exquisite Casa del Herrero gardens are a nature lover’s delight. Located on an 11-acre estate in Montecito, it is reminiscent of a Spanish Moorish-style garden and embellished with luscious greenery and tranquil fountains. Nearby in Montecito is the 37-acre Lotusland. Created as a fantasyland for exotic flora, Ganna Walska’s Lotusland is renowned for its Japanese, Australian, succulent, bromeliad, aloe, water, and cycad gardens.
Afternoon & Evening
The Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park, home to migratory birds and more than 200 resident animal species, is a must-see for naturalists. The mile-long path along these coastal wetlands offers a natural outdoor adventure, and docent-lead tours are available. For dinner, head to the ocean, and dine at one of the county’s many waterfront restaurants.
Day Three
Morning
Access the Santa Ynez Valley either by Highway 101 or Highway 154. Via Highway 101, visit Nojoqui Park on Alisal Road. A 10-minute hike along a meandering stream delivers a 100-foot waterfall. A variety of bird species and picnic areas abound.
Or, travel via Highway 154 to enjoy a 2-hour tour narrated by a park naturalist on scenic Cachuma Lake. Cruises spotlighting bald eagles, osprey, and white pelicans are offered November through February, and cruises from March to October, showcase hilltop wildflowers, resident birds building nests, and fawns with their does.
Mid-Day
In Santa Ynez Valley, horse and cattle ranches share territory with apple orchards and the vineyards of the county’s highly regarded and ever-burgeoning Wine Country. An entire afternoon may be dedicated to touring the wineries. Or, after journeying on Highway 101 to Nojoqui Park, continue onto Highway 246 to Lompoc, the "valley of flowers." Lompoc flourishes with 1,400 acres of gardenia, lupine, marigold, monkey flower, nasturtium, poppies, shooting stars, and sweet peas.
Afternoon & Evening
Top off the day with a fireside wine maker’s dinner showcasing fresh regional ingredients, including locally grown organic produce and wines.
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