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Santa Barbara Tourist Information and Santa Barbara Tourism
(Santa Barbara, California - CA, USA US)



The city of Santa Barbara is the county seat and can be found in the sunshine state of California (CA). Santa Barbara lies on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, close to the Santa Ynez Mountains, and the Santa Barbara area is known as the American Riviera. The city offers many major seaside attractions, including sandy beaches lined with palm trees, such as Santa Barbara's Arroyo Burro Beach, Hendry's Beach and East Beach.

Other major tourist highlights in Santa Barbara are located around State Street, the main thoroughfare, full of restaurants, bars, cultural museums, nightclubs and other entertainment options. Santa Barbara also offers oceanfront pathways and trails, fishing trips and excursions, and a number of historical buildings, such as the striking 1786 Santa Barbara Mission at Laguna.




Santa Barbara is a popular tourist destination in California and is home to a large selection of hotels, suiting all budgets. Many hotels are concentrated in Santa Barbara city center and also along State Street, Castillo Street, West Montecito Street, West Cabrillo Boulevard, Bath Street and Channel Drive. Further hotels can be found close to nearby Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. More information on Santa Barbara Hotels.

The city's sunny, coastal location ensures that Santa Barbara's tourism industry thrives. With many major tourist attractions and popular excursions, the city's main tourism information outlet is the Santa Barbara Tourist Information Center along One Garden Street, at Cabrillo Boulevard. Here you will find a host of tourism and tourist information, including where to go, what to do, guided tours, booking services and travel maps. Santa Barbara's main tourist district can be found around State Street, which is bordered by beaches and lined with cafés, shopping plazas, restaurants and bars.

Santa Barbara offers many popular tourist attractions, including El Presidio de Santa Barbara - dating back to 1782 and containing Santa Barbara's oldest building; Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens - regarded as one of the most outstanding small zoos in the USA, with all of the usual animal favorites; Lobero Theater - a historical theater, offering a host of events, performances and concerts; Santa Barbara Winery - producing many notable local labels with guided tours, wine information and tastings; State Street - Santa Barbara's heart and soul, with miles of boutiques, plazas, cafés and more; and Stearns Wharf - dating back to the 1870s, known for being the longest deep water pier in the area.

Other major tourist attractions in Santa Barbara include the Channel Islands - close to the southern California coastline, stretching from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles; Montecito Inn - a famous luxurious hotel dating back to 1928, commissioned by Charlie Chaplin; Santa Barbara County Courthouse - an eye-catching Spanish Colonial style building, with sunken gardens; Santa Barbara's Botanic Gardens - located in the Mission Canyon, with around 1,000 species of native and exotic plants; and a number of other gardens and parks, such as Santa Barbara's Chase Palm Park, Franceschi Park, Lake Los Carneros, Mission Rose Garden and Shoreline Park. More information on Santa Barbara Tourist Attractions and Santa Barbara Landmarks.

Santa Barbara also features many popular museums and art galleries, including Casa de La Guerra - a major Santa Barbara landmark, offering regular guided tours and interesting collections; Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum - the largest private collection of manuscripts in the world; the Santa Barbara Historical Society Museum - with a host of information about the area's rich history; the Maritime Museum - celebrating local naval history in Santa Barbara; the Museum of Natural History - housing a planetarium and a vast collection of flora and fauna; the Santa Barbara Museum of Art - an esteemed museum containing a large, permanent collection of art works; and Santa Barbara's University Art Museum - founded in 1959, with a vast collection of artworks, historic photographs and drawings. More information on Santa Barbara Museums and Santa Barbara Art Galleries.

Tourist attractions within easy reach of Santa Barbara include Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park - with a fascinating sandstone cave covered in ancient drawings; Gainey Vineyard - featuring vineyard gardens and a Spanish-style tasting room; Santa Barbara Channel - offering magnificent views of the Santa Ynez Mountains, with a host of nearby marine life, often including whales and dolphins; Seven Falls - stunning waterfalls and swimming holes, standing in Los Padres National Forest, close to Santa Barbara; Solvang - America's Danish capital, regarded as one of the most picturesque small towns in western USA; and Stow House and Railroad Museum - standing in scenic parkland near to Santa Barbara, containing period furnishings and antique railroad artifacts. More information on Santa Barbara Attractions Nearby.

More Santa Barbara Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: United States of America (USA)
• Location: Santa Barbara County, California (CA)
• Status: city, county seat
• Area: approximately 19 square miles / 49 square kilometers
• Population: approximately 93,000
• Language: American English
• Currency: US Dollar (USD)
• Time zone: GMT - 8 hours Pacific Standard Time (daylight saving time is observed)
• Country dialing code: +1
• Telephone area code: 805
• Religion: various religions
• Average daily January temperature: 17ºC / 63ºF
• Average daily July temperature: 23ºC / 73ºF

 
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