As a travel junkie and writer I have the absolute privilege to visit and experience the beauty of the widest variety of places, spaces and peoples around the globe.
Yet as the quote says “ no-one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow”. I have always appreciated the essence of this quote as I love my home as much as I love to travel, that is until I arrived in Santa Barbara.
As I arrived in Santa Barbara my heart stood still, my soul melted and I asked myself had I arrived in my soul’s new home.
Nestled between the majestic Santa Ynez mountains and the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by a wild under-developed coast, Santa Barbara is my new paradise.
Located just 90 miles north of the intensity of Los Angeles and 325 miles south of vibrant San Francisco, Santa Barbara is affectionately called The American Riviera. A place that has carved out an authentic laidback bohemian beach vibe, whilst simultaneously delivering a sophisticated lifestyle for its well-heeled and celebrity residents as well as its visitors.
The city’s distinctive Meditteranean-style architecture with low-rise red roofs and white buildings nods to its historic Spanish influence, a style that has been passionately preserved by a clear and powerful city planning vision to maintain a European aesthetic wrapped up in a Californian spirit.
It was the Chumash Native Indians who first recognised the abundance of this lush area, so it is an accolade indeed to witness an architectural landscape that has been fostered over centuries and still allows Mother Nature to shine so brightly.
As we arrived in this unexpected haven and drove the length of the coast road, the colonnade of palm trees seemed to rise up and welcome us, as did the Santa Barbara City College American Football team who arrived ‘stage right’ to their training ground opposite the beach. It felt like we had inadvertently arrived in an iconic Californian film set.
No surprise then to find out that Santa Barbara was a pre-runner to the Hollywood film industry, being home to the first ever Californian studio called ‘The Flying A Studios’ that opened back in 1910 and created over 1200 movies.
Our base to explore this intoxicating place was the Kimpton Canary Hotel, a hacienda-style hotel with a paired-back super chilled luxury feel and a team that went above and beyond on every level. A particular shout-out goes to Sebastian and Levi who made every encounter feel like connecting with a great new friend. They were always on hand to recommend places to check out, and top spots to dine and also hand over our trusted mode of transport for our stay, two complimentary bikes, that gave us total freedom to explore every nook and cranny of this extraordinary place.
The jewel in the stylish crown of this hotel is its stunning rooftop pool, which offers up breathtaking 360-degree views across the city and to the mountains. The suite we stayed in had everything you could wish for including a sumptuous four-poster bed that made leaving the cocoon of the room challenging. Other sweet spots at the hotel were the complimentary local wine time at 5pm (definitely worth coming back for) and the very best farm-fresh cuisine at Finch and Fork serving healthy, thoughtful meals throughout the day.
Once we managed to drag ourselves away from the hotel we discovered the real reasons that Santa Barbara County is a magnet to so many travellers.
It’s topography and architectural landscape offers up a vast sky and an uncongested heart which means that it feels spacious, easy going and energetic. It offers exceptional arts and culture, relaxing resorts and hideaways as well as wellbeing experiences and outdoor adventures both on land and sea.
Add thriving world-class wineries a hyper-local culinary scene and welcoming local people and there is no denying that Santa Barbara has elevated living well to an art form.
One of the highlights in our stay was a simple bike ride in the warm August sunshine along the coastal road to Montecito. No other town I have visited has low-key luxury or exudes an effortlessly chic vibe like Montecito. Starting in the late 1800s, wealthy East Coast families arriving by train spent their winters in the area. It was also frequented by the black-and-white movie legends Charlie Chaplain and Fatty Arbuckle, who opened the now-famous Montecito Inn. Today, Montecito is home to many celebrities from Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry & Meghan to Katy Perry. We spent a leisurely afternoon on the beautiful Butterfly Beach, which is thankfully free of beach clubs and loungers making way for simple ways to enjoy this unspoilt raw and pure sweeping white sand beach.
Another sizzle moment was soaking up the exquisite views of the American Riviera from a 50-foot catamaran, the Double Dolphin, on a two-hour sunset cruise. Sailing along the coast with the backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Channel Islands in the distance, a glass of bubbles in hand, spotting the lazy California sea lions whilst watching the sunset was pure gold.
For the more adventurous, treat yourself to the ultimate Californian dream, a private surfing lesson. A surf virgin myself, it was one of the most exhausting yet exhilarating few hours, as we fought a pumping surf of waves to find the perfect time to plant our feet and cruise onto the beach which was pure bliss, even if it was somewhat fleeting.
Having whipped up an appetite, chow time is another sensory delight here with a year-round growing season and sustainable seafood caught fresh every day in the Santa Barbara Channel, this area offers up the raw ingredients for an unforgettable taste adventure.
Local farmers’ markets spill out onto the streets frequently and assault every sense, whilst Michelin has recognised 15 Santa Barbara restaurants for their excellence. But from my short experience whether it’s a café, juice bar, ice cream parlour or one of the highly recommended restaurants you will not be disappointed. Their passion for food and culinary excellence is only matched by their pride in the wines. One quick watch out is that the restaurants are geared to early evening dining so unlike its European aesthetic you will struggle to find anywhere to dine post 9pm.
Rest assured as your palate is spoiled with such culinary cachet, you can enjoy wines from one of the most diverse wine-growing regions in the world with more than 275 wineries. Primarily produced by smaller, family-owned boutique wineries, its wines are highly acclaimed by connoisseurs worldwide. One of the easiest ways to get to know regional wines is through the tasting rooms of the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, most of which are located in downtown Santa Barbara. The unique east-west orientation of the region’s mountain ranges helps create a wide variety of microclimates ideal for growing more than 80 varieties of grapes.
I was hosted by Au Bon Climat tasting room, the vineyard was founded by the late Jim Clendenen one of the legends of Santa Barbara County who helped put the region’s wines on the map. Au Bon Climat creates internationally acclaimed chardonnays and pinot noirs of balance and intrigue that are shipped worldwide. The tasting was relaxed, informative and most importantly fun as I sipped my way through some of their exquisite wines.
My final shout-outs for this breathtakingly memorable trip is the vintage open-air cinema where we watched a movie under the stars and the impromptu salsa class that exploded onto the streets one evening and embraced all ages and walks of life with everyone to come together to share the love of music and dance and the vibrant live music that also greets the meandering evening visitors.
Cycling along the coast road late afternoon with the warm sunshine on my back and the sea breeze wafting in my hair sealed Santa Barbara’s place in my heart. This combined with yoga on the beach, and watching dolphins swim in the bay allowed Santa Barbara’s soulful sizzle to sink even more deeply into my soul.
This place offers abundance in all its forms from a rich cultural heritage blended beautifully with its raw natural gifts of spectacular land and sea, an uplifting kind climate, a diverse range of outdoor adventures, a high-bar culinary passion not to mention a dynamic downtown scene offering an exciting arts and cultural scene.
My invitation to you is to step into Santa Barbara and allow her to seep into your soul and set your spirit free.
(Images all courtesy of Santa Barbara Tourism)
