
Dart is the spot for freshly-roasted coffee, Lark offers a fresh-fish catch and craft cocktails and Shopkeepers masters the modern-clothing-meets-home-goods vibe. In the Funk Zone you'll find updated warehouses and graffiti-clad buildings housing some of the town’s best wine tasting rooms, boutique shops and restaurants. In the area near the Amtrak station – between the sea and Highway 101 – this was once one of Santa Barbara’s edgier sites. For Mission first-time visitors, its nine-room museum is a good starting place with models of the Mission’s original living quarters and precious artifacts from centuries past. Its grounds include a long church, mausoleum, and cemetery. Visit the Missionįounded in 1786, the stately Old Mission Santa Barbara sits on a 15-acre plot of green goodness between the ocean and the Santa Ynez mountains. To make the most of your Santa Barbara adventure, you need to dip your toes in it all – its history, its international culinary masterpieces, its cliff-draped beaches, and if schedules align: its annual city-wide spectacle that will have you roaring, “ Viva La Fiesta!” With a wealth of options to choose from, here are the 14 best things to do in Santa Barbara. With deep Chumash, Spanish and Mexican roots combined with modern coastal California flare, there is plenty to wow you in the American Riviera. Santa Barbara is a sensory overload in the best possible way.
