If a stylish getaway at a distinctly relaxed pace in a sun-kissed beach town floats your boat, Santa Barbara delivers in spades. It’s a vision of sun-splashed, white-washed stucco and red-tile roofs under swaying palms. Just 90 minutes drive north of Los Angeles, and billed as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara proudly sports a casual chic, Mediterranean vibe. But it effortlessly caters to a very broad church, from its trove of historic and cultural draws to a sparkling retail and hospitality scene, plus year-round outdoorsy appeal. If you’re a first timer to Santa Barbara, here’s a round-up of some quintessential experiences.  

Red-tile roofs, white stucco walls, and wood-beam ceilings have become synonymous with Santa Barbara, thanks to its Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style, that permeates the city. In the heart of this very pedestrian-friendly town, I started my exploratory at the city’s oldest structure, El Presidio, after being founded by the Spanish in 1782. It holds the distinction of being the last Spanish military fortress built in the New World. Franciscan missionaries, with the help of Chumash Indian labour, soon established the Old Mission four years later, the 10th in California’s chain of 21 missions. Nicknamed “Queen of Missions," it’s a magnificent building, fronted by a dreamscape rose garden, bursting with 1500 varieties. The church features the only Native American–made altar and tabernacle left in the California missions. 

Old Mission, Santa Barbara. Photo / Jay Sinclair

Do not miss the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and its gorgeous grounds. A massive 8-mag earthquake struck Santa Barbara a century ago, levelling much of the downtown district. City leaders seized the opportunity to rebuild in a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style (Also known as Mission Revival style). The stateliest specimen would have to be the courthouse, which looks more like a Moorish palace teleported from Andalusia. After admiring the Mural Room, the hand-painted tiles and spiral staircase, zip up the elevator or lug up the steps to the soaring clock tower, for the view of views across the city’s red-tiled roofs. No other courthouse sees so many weddings than this national historic landmark in Santa Barbara. They hosted over 4000 weddings last year. 

Santa Barbara Court House. Photo / Jay Sinclair 

State Street is Santa Barbara’s main artery, extending from the water through to downtown. Flanked with independent shops, inviting watering holes and restaurants, wind your way through the multitude of open-air paseos and plazas spilling off the street. clubs and more. A wildly popular spot the Paseo Nuevo open-air mall. Interestingly, you won’t find any indoor shopping malls in Santa Barbara.  

Santa Barbara is loaded with museums, each digging into an aspect of the town’s back-story. Santa Barbara Historical Museum does a fine job interpreting more than 500 years of history with collections from the Chumash, Mexican, Spanish and American periods. There is a permanent exhibit on Flying A Studios, California’s first major movie studio and the nation’s biggest at the time, which started in Santa Barbara in 1910 and produced hundreds of silent films in the region in the early 1920s.  

Before LA dominated, Santa Barbara was the "Hollywood of the North," producing over 1,000 silent flicks. For kids, MOXI is a very hands-on museum experience, geared at exploration. They can build their own model car and race it, there’s 3D printers to use, video-editing technology to play with… and so much more. The Natural History Museum is a cracker too, headlined with its giant blue whale skeleton out front.  

MOXI in Santa Barbara. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Close to the Amtrak station, dive into the Funk Zone which was previously one of Santa Barbara’s less savoury sites. It was dangerous, seedy and stinky – rife with crime and teeming with fish warehouses and manufacturing plants. Today in the Funk Zone, across the walkable 13-block area, you'll find updated warehouses and graffiti-clad buildings housing some of the town’s best urban winemakers, surfboard shapers, hipster cafes, boutique shops and signature restaurants. Santa Barbara produces very agreeable pinot noir. Dart is a great spot for freshly roasted coffee, while Lark offers a catch-of-the-day seafood dishes, paired with craft cocktails. Another great way to whip around the key city sights is to join a 90-minute narrated tour aboard the Santa Barbara Trolley. It’s a great introductory to the city,  

The Funk Zone in Santa Barbara. Photo / Visit Santa Barbara

As the sun sets over the Pacific Ocean, toast the day with another glass of Santa Barbara County wine at Stearns Wharf, the oldest working wooden wharf in all of California. This century-old structure sprawls its way deep out into the big blue, for 700 metres!  If you want to rest your feet – jump onboard a Little Toot ferry, which will zip you to the far end of the wharf for $5. Only in America! Wherever you rest up on the wharf, it’s a cracking spot to drink in the twinkling lights of the coastline at twilight, backed by the Santa Ynez Mountains. Even better, jump on board a sunset cruise. Celebration Cruises’ Azure Seas is a swanky 70-foot luxury yacht, delivering a gorgeous sailing during golden hour.  

From Stearns Wharf, East Beach is shaded by the long sprawl of Chase Palm Park. It’s a wonderful spot for a stroll with a sea breeze, under giant palms, that were planted over a century ago. Given the ritzy real estate in these parts, this serpentine stretch of absolute oceanfront land would be worth billions. But it was Pearl Chase who was instrumental in buying up and vesting this land in the city’s ownership, to ensure Santa Barbara’s beachfront was never built out and would remain a public playground.  

This legendary figure in the city’s story, dubbed the First Lady of Santa Barbara, was responsible for many enduring ordinances. For example, billboards are banned in the city and building heights must be kept “below the height of the tallest trees”, which is why Santa Babara remains such a low-rise city. If you’re here on a Sunday, be sure to check out the fantastic arts and crafts market the spills across the park, with hundreds of enticing stalls from local artists. Public abounds across the city, including dozens of murals. One of my favourite installations is the rainbow-coloured “Chromatic Gate” by late Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer. It not only serves as a great photo frame close to Chase Palm Park, but it subtly changes with the shifting light throughout the day. 

Chromatic Gate. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Magic hour is a marvel in Santa Barbara, with fireball sunsets torching the Pacific Ocean, fronted by the dark silhouette of a battalion of palm trees combing to create strikingly great photography. It’s quietly addictive. I took in the nightly light show from Santa Barbara Inn, a classic gem of the hotel, right across the road from East Beach. It’s been a hotel beacon for over 65 years, recently polished with a top-to-toe refresh. Framed by deep red terra-cotta roofs, luminous white stucco, gracefully arched windows and a duo of handcrafted tile domes, the hotel exemplifies the spirit and architecture of Santa Barbara, blending classic elegance with coastal high-life.  

The hotel delivers affordable luxury, with spirited staff, stately interiors and all the contemporary creature comforts you could wish for. My spacious suite was complete with a couch, cozy seating, super-large TV, jacuzzi and an intimate oceanfront balcony furnished with an outdoor firepit and couches. It felt staying in a personal palace. Be sure to admire the generous collection of art adorning the art, with paintings of boats, sea turtles and palm trees reaffirming a proud sense of place. 

Santa Barbara Inn accommodations. Photo / Supplied

The cherry on top is Convivo restaurant, a dining destination in and of itself, draped in flaming red bougainvillea. The word “convivo” translates roughly to “feast” in Latin and “togetherness” in Italian. Its dreamy oceanfront setting is a tractor-beam for classic “nomad” Italian fare that draws on Mediterranean influences as well as Santa Barbara’s bounty of seafood and meats. Chef Peter McNee has created dishes ranging from cicchetti (small plates served in bite-size portions) and shareable antipasti to wood-fired oven pizzas and homemade pastas.  

He is a devotee of the city’s Farmers Market and his ingredients sing the praises of all things local. The Cicchetti plates are delectable, like lamb meatballs with chickpea, pomegranate and tapenade. I also highly recommend the Gamberoni, consisting of roasted prawns, garlic, broccoli di ciccio, ceci fritti and muhammara. Wash it all down with a crafted cocktail. My pick? Mojo Jojo, which is a spicy passionfruit tequila with citrus and cream of coconut. Bellissimo. 

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and talks travel every week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.