Lying between Los Angeles and San Francisco, just off scenic Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Barbara (city and county alike) is rich in colorful history, culture, and beauty. Santa Barbara is known as the American Riviera™. And for good reason. The city and the county offer a thoroughly captivating combination of history, distinctive architecture, and Southern California lifestyle—in a breathtakingly beautiful setting of glorious palm-lined beaches, majestic mountain ranges, and sumptuous wine country. It is a heady combination, one that draws visitors from around the world.

Blessed with a rich bounty of natural treasures and cultural diversity, the county is well established as a delectable dining destination. Creative, mouth-watering cuisine is prepared with fresh local produce and paired with superb vintages from the Santa Barbara wine country. Diners can taste the fruits of the county’s sunny valleys in the products of the more than 70 premium local wineries.

At the southern end of the county, Carpinteria and Summerland exude small-town charm alongside worldly sophistication and, as a bonus, are home to gorgeous beaches. Summerland is also a renowned and extremely popular antiquing destination. Montecito is known for its high-end boutiques, glamorous eateries, and celebrity residents.

Minutes west of Montecito, the culture and attractions of Santa Barbara County’s communities reach their peak in the city of Santa Barbara itself. Boasting world-class dining and culture, eclectic shopping, scenic whale watching, architectural tours, and expansive Spanish and Chumash heritage, Santa Barbara exemplifies all that the county has to offer. Just west of Santa Barbara is Goleta, home to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and the University of California Santa Barbara.

Beyond the county’s namesake city and its environs lies a richly varied and intriguing wine country. Up in the gentle, oceanside Santa Ynez Mountains, visitors can experience the preservation of ethnic heritage in the Danish town of Solvang. Nearby, Buellton is centrally located for wine country excursions. And Los Olivos is filled with tasting rooms offering samples and sales of area wines. Santa Ynez brings a little of the old west into the wine country. And Ballard is home to the cozy Ballard Inn, voted one of the “Top Ten Most Romantic Inns in the United States.”

On its northern border sits Santa Maria, the county’s fastest-growing city and the birthplace of the legendary Santa Mariastyle BBQ. A must-see in nearby Guadalupe is the world-renowned sand dunes (the filming location of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 silent epic The 10 Commandments; the sets—some of the largest ever built in the history of cinema—still lie buried beneath the sand). In the valley between Santa Maria and Santa Barbara lies Lompoc, known as the “City of Murals in the Valley of Flowers.”

For complete visitor information contact the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau at (800) 549-5133. We also invite you to visit their web site.