The “heat wave” that comes to Santa Barbara makes it the ideal time to visit the beautiful beaches and enjoy those Sunday brunches. Downtown — Downtown Santa Barbara serves as the lifeblood of the city. You can also rent one or just watch the thrills and spills of skateboarding by the sea unfold. In the spirit of the holidays, guests can create beautiful snowflakes and wreaths. Learn to sail, charter a sailboat, rent a variety of small boats or enroll in our award winning Liveaboard Instructional Vacations to the world-famous Channel Islands National Park. The highs aren’t uncomfortably hot, but the lows are ridiculously comfortable. If you haven’t been to the Golden State yet, it is time to get over here! The secret ingredient is…. The best time to visit Santa Barbara is from March to May or from September to November. One of the most stunning and awe-inspiring reasons to visit Santa Barbara in the winter is to witness the gray whale migration that happens every year from December to April. We recommend Bridlewood Estate Winery or Grassini Family Vineyards. Created by a user from United States. Downhill, baby! On the first Thursday of each month, downtown galleries keep their doors open late allowing the public to enjoy local art in a fun and social atmosphere. Dipping in and out of all the delicious eateries, trying the otherworldly Harry’s Plaza Cafe, and washing it all down with drinks at Chase Bar & Grill. Check out the best of Solvang's yearly events including Solvang (Grape) Stomp (October), Danish Days (September) & Julefest (December). Sail out to the Channel Islands on a relaxing yacht cruise with gourmet food and delicious vintage wines. Remember, Broke Backpackers, this is for special occasions only! Forget about wine tasting for a minute. The captain and crew have over 30 years experience in escorting visitors through the Santa Barbara Channel to experience the annual migration of some of the most amazing whales in the world. As you might have been able to tell from the name, Skaters Point is where all the skaters hang out. The Funk Zone is an eclectic district with art galleries and an Urban Wine Trail, and Santa Barbara Mission, a cultural landmark, is not to be missed. To fully appreciate it and get to grips with the brewing landscape, you need to take yourself to the Lagoon District. Right on the beachfront, making it a pretty cool place to simply hang out. One of the most unique Airbnbs you can find in Santa Barbara — a perfect oasis in the mountains, full of style and character. • Inspirock A mere three and a half-mile hike from Downtown will take you up to Inspiration Point through the mountainside. You’ll take the Gibraltar Road from La Cumbre Peak, and wind around the majestic mountain road, all the way back into Downtown. Santa Barbara has surfers, obviously, but skating is pretty popular too. About a 2.5-hour drive north of Los Angeles, the Scandinavian half-timbered architecture makes it feel as if you’ve stepped into an authentic European village. Some Additional Tips for Visiting Santa Barbara. We work hard to put out the best backpacker resources on the web, for free! Be sure to check back as more events will be added as details become available. It’s full of valuable insider hacks that will help you unlock your full potential as a traveler. We invite you to explore upcoming events in Santa Barbara's Downtown and neighboring districts with our interactive calendar. Go hiking, snorkeling, the world is your oyster! Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo This signature event, in its 67th year, brings together locals and visitors alike in cheering on a colossal contingent of high-stepping marching bands, bright and colorful holiday floats, spectacular performance groups, local personalities, the Grand Marshal and, of course…Santa Claus full of holiday cheer atop his festive sleigh. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. However, this time around, you’ll be taking out your hiking boots! To download or … We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Winter is the perfect time to enjoy fine wine and beautiful scenery in the Central Coast wine region. Santa Barbara Sailing Center. This location offers some of the most beautiful sea caves in the world! Architecture aside, catching one of the variety shows at this landmark theatre has gotta be one of the best things to do in Santa Barbara at night. It is California after all, and every day is a beach day here. Summer is quite possibly the best time to visit Santa Barbara. If you’re looking to visit a Santa Barbara museum on your trip, this might be the most interesting one you could go to! You can take a look at their schedule online and see what’s happening; book yourself a ticket and enjoy. Rincon Point — known as the Queen of the Coast in the surfing world — and Summerland are both a short drive away as well. Please visit the link to find out how you can help keep the site going 🙂. – Friday, December 6, 6:30pm; Downtown Santa Barbara, Sunday, December 8, 5:30pm; Santa Barbara Waterfront, Winter is the perfect time to enjoy fine wine and beautiful scenery in the Central Coast wine region. The Broke Backpacker team has tried out over thirty backpacks this year! From luxe city escapes to ultra chill beaches, you really can live the dream here.  Group discounts are available. All you have to do is join the trailhead at Tunnel Road. It’s December and there is so much going on in Santa Barbara this time of the year! It’s free and open to the public, and the setting is also pretty awesome! Hop on one of the locally-organized tours for some real snazzy perks: all gear included, picnic with the crew, and an awesome guide to show you around the undeveloped, open coastline of California. The show is held every fair weather Sunday and Saturday and Sunday of Christmas weekend. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You should always have emergency cash hidden on you – pick up this awesome security belt with its hidden pocket before you travel, it’s perfect for hiding money, a passport photocopy. Directly below you’ll find a table listing out some of our absolute favorite things to do in Santa Barbara. Close, Most Unusual Thing to Do in Santa Barbara, Best Thing to Do in Santa Barbara at Night, Most Romantic Thing to Do in Santa Barbara. “Find out how YOU can support the site. Enjoy the events below, cheers! Time for some California dreamin’.   Kayak at Scorpion Anchorage and explore the Channel Islands National Park. Santa Cruz is the land of surf, mountains, hippy culture, redwood-covered mountains and a laid-back vibe that means you can’t help but relax there. Love what we do? Families have the opportunity to visit Santa’s Village event on the City Pier (beginning at 3:00pm) featuring a visit from Santa, ten tons of snow and holiday music. Very cool. Its large, open spaces and lush gardens of palms and native plants impart the feel of a botanical garden, making it a lovely place to stroll around. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. Voted “Santa Barbara’s Best Wine Tour” 2 years consecutively, choose between wine country biking tours, wine and cupcake pairing tours, or shuttle service tours, it’s the perfect holiday activity. It’s the home of the iconic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and has everything you dream of when picturing a classic California beach town. There are different areas and they all have their unique appeal! Zoo is open 365 days a year. But the route doesn’t really require you to go by water, you can easily walk it. © 2021, The Broke Backpacker. Get into the California spirit and try some surfing in Santa Barbara! Newly decorated and sparklingly clean, this beautiful beach house is definitely one of the best Airbnbs in Santa Barbara. California as a whole is pretty famous for its wine culture, and Santa Barbara has more than 120 vineyards and wineries to its name! Enjoy a kayaking trip through the stunning Californian landscape. Nestled between the majestic Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara boasts an average 300 sunny days a year and temperatures that generally stay between the mid-60s and mid-70s. This means that if you book your accommodation, buy a book or sort your insurance, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. BOOM! It’s here that you can join the so-called “Lagoon Loop”, which handily takes in pretty much all the breweries in the area. Whether you’re traveling as a family, with your partner or even by yourself, open yourself to Santa Barbara and you’ll be delighted by what it has waiting for you.