We went to Santa Barbara for a long weekend, looking forward to a few days by the ocean, some good food and plenty of time outside.
Santa Barbara is one of those California destinations that works particularly well for a short escape. It has the beach and palm trees you expect from Southern California, but there’s also beautiful Spanish-style architecture, mountains in the background and a slightly more relaxed pace.
For us, it was exactly what we needed for a few days away.
Where We Stayed: Mar Monte Hotel
We stayed at the Mar Monte Hotel, directly across from the beach.
We’d initially booked our stay using points, and when we arrived, our room was in a separate building a couple of blocks away from the main hotel. It was basic. Very basic.
I’d arrived with our yoga mats, fully prepared for a wholesome California beach weekend, only to discover there was barely enough room to swing a cat, let alone perform a sun salutation. This was not quite the vision I’d had in mind.
Fortunately, we were able to move into the main hotel and upgrade to an oceanfront room. It was night and day. Suddenly, we had a beautiful room overlooking the ocean and a terrace with enough space for me to roll out the yoga mats each morning.
Being able to step outside, look across at the Pacific and salute the sun from our terrace completely changed the experience.
Sometimes the room really does matter.
Santa Barbara Zoo
One of our favorite things we did was visit the Santa Barbara Zoo, which was within walking distance of the hotel.
It’s such a pretty zoo. The grounds are beautifully maintained, with plenty of greenery and views that make it feel more like a lovely park that happens to have animals living in it. There’s a surprisingly wide variety too, including lions, gorillas, giraffes and kangaroos. One little capybara seemed particularly pleased to have an audience and spent quite some time showing off for us.
The zoo also has a train that travels around the grounds, which I think is a great idea, particularly if you’re visiting with children. You can ride the train first to get a sense of where everything is, then go back and walk to the areas you want to spend more time exploring.
Even without the animals, it would be a lovely place to walk around and have a picnic. It’s an easy family outing and one I’d definitely recommend if you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids.
An Afternoon at the Polo
We also spent an afternoon at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club watching a polo match. It was a great day out and wonderfully relaxed, with plenty of people-watching, beautiful horses and, of course, the opportunity to head onto the field between chukkas to stomp the divots.
There’s something about polo that always makes me feel slightly more at home when I’m living in America. Perhaps it’s the British and Australian influence, or simply being around horses and people enjoying an afternoon outside in the countryside. It reminds me of old friends and places from earlier stages of my life.
Not that I was ever particularly involved in polo. I think I just like being around calm, horsey people in the countryside.
Either way, spending an afternoon watching a match felt like a very civilized way to experience another side of Santa Barbara.
Stearns Wharf and Seafood by the Water
One evening, we headed to Stearns Wharf for dinner at The Harbor Restaurant. The wharf stretches out over the Pacific and is one of those places where you naturally slow down, wander around and watch what’s happening on the water.
We had a lovely seafood dinner overlooking the harbor, which felt exactly right for a weekend on the California coast.
Whenever we visit California, one of the things we enjoy most is simply being beside the ocean. We tend to walk for miles along the beach, stopping for coffee or something to eat and watching surfers, boats and people going about their day.
Santa Barbara is particularly good for that kind of trip. You don’t necessarily need a packed itinerary.
A Weekend by the Ocean
What I liked about Santa Barbara was how easy the weekend felt. We could wake up overlooking the Pacific, walk along the beach, visit the zoo, have a leisurely lunch or spend an afternoon watching polo. There was enough to do without ever feeling as though we needed to rush around ticking things off a list.
And after our slightly underwhelming start in the first hotel room, waking up in our oceanfront room made everything feel considerably more Californian. Yoga on the terrace, walks beside the Pacific, animals, horses and seafood – it was exactly the kind of relaxed coastal weekend we’d been hoping for.
Sometimes a long weekend really doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.
Final Thoughts
Santa Barbara makes an easy California escape, particularly if you’re looking for somewhere that combines the beach with good food and a few interesting things to do beyond the water.
For families, we loved the Santa Barbara Zoo. If you’re there during polo season, an afternoon at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club is also a fun and slightly different way to spend a day.
But I wouldn’t overschedule a trip here. Leave time to walk along the beach, sit somewhere overlooking the ocean and enjoy the fact that you don’t have anywhere particularly urgent to be.
And if you’re staying at the Mar Monte, I can personally confirm that an oceanfront room makes a rather significant difference – especially if you’ve packed your yoga mat.
