Sun and salt in dog-friendly Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a beautiful seaside town that’s only a 1.5hr drive North of Los Angeles. It has a relaxed, beachy vibe, lots of beautiful Spanish style architecture and felt like a place that you should always have an ice-cream or a wine in hand!
Its climate is similar to LA, with warm temps most of the year that can increase considerably (along with the number of visitors) in summer. We found the area closer to the beach (lower State Street) to have more of a modern feel, with lots of wine rooms, bars and restaurants, whereas the Downtown area had more of a classic and historic feel to it.
THINGS TO DO
Beachfront and Stearns Wharf
One of the main attractions in Santa Barbara has to be the amazing beachfront! While dogs aren't allowed on the main beach, they can definitely explore the boardwalk and Stearns Wharf. The boardwalk stretches for miles and the main path is paved - but there is plenty of grass on the left hand side of the Wharf for a doggie pee break or a rest in the shade.
Santa Barbara Beachfront
From the main Boardwalk you can walk or drive out to the wharf, but in my opinion it’s much nicer / easier to walk. The wharf is quite touristy, but still a fun experience. It’s full of souvenir and gift shops (some of which are dog-friendly) as well as several restaurants and snack stores. We found that that eateries with outdoor seating welcomed dogs. There is plenty of space to walk around an explore and its also interesting to read about its history (its caught fire a few times!).
Dolphin sculpture at the entrance to Stearns Wharf
The wharf is also a good spot to hang out at the end of the day and watch the surfers, get great views back towards town, or chill out with a cold beverage and watch the pretty sunsets. For its dog policy, click here
Downtown Area
When we visited Santa Barbara (July), parts of the main street were blocked off to traffic which made it really easy to move around and meant extra sniffing time for Beatle. The main street, State Street, is full of cute shops and boutiques as well as lots of places to eat. You'll also find lots of great photo ops on, and just off this main thoroughfare, including the pretty tiled stairs at Paseo Nuevo, the Museum of Art, and La Arcada Courtyard with its cute fountain and historic looking stores.
Pretty tiles in downtown
Downtown also has some great public artworks (some of which are very realistic!). We really enjoyed taking our time to walk around this area with Beatle as there were so many buildings, squares and alleys to explore.
Lifelike sculptures in downtown
Public Art
Along the beachfront (on the edge of Cabrillo Ball park) you can't miss the very colourful sculpture, Chromatic Gate. This makes an amazing photo background and there are lots of different angles to choose from.
Not far from here is the Hilton Hotel and on its front lawn you'll spot a gigantic blue chair - another good spot for a pic.
At the entrance to Stearns Wharf is a bronze sculpture of dolphins (you just have to dodge traffic to get a good snap here).
In the main area of town, State Street you'll also find a couple of very life like sculptures, one of a man washing a window and the other of a man with a boy on his shoulders - both well worth seeing.
Santa Barbara Historic Courthouse
We came across this amazing building by accident, but I'm so glad we did! Its set on beautiful grounds that you can walk though, including through the centre arch of the building to a sunken garden. You'll love exploring this area with your dog as the gardens are a good size and you can walk right around the building to see it from different angles. It’s located a block over from State Street (from either E Figueroa or E Anapamu streets) or take a right at the Museum of Art. There are one hour tours you can take to look through the inside, but you'll either need to take turns or leave your dog at your accommodation to do this. More info about the Courthouse can be found here
The beautiful Historic Courthouse
Santa Barbara Mission (Park and Rose Gardens)
The Mission is about 30 mins walk from the Santa Barbara Courthouse or five minutes by car. It has a beautiful exterior and pets are allowed on the grounds if leashed. There is a self-guided tour you can do through the interior if you want to take turns going through, and the grounds are a lovely spot to sit and wait. More info on the Mission can be found here
Fisherman's Walk
Walking North along the main beach you'll come across the marina, full of bobbing, colourful boats of all shapes and sizes. If you keep following the path around the marina you'll find a promenade that takes you out to a small beach area and the open water. As you follow this along, you'll come across a memorial to those lost at sea as well as some interesting whale shaped seats (good photo op). Depending on the time of day, you might see boaters, kayakers or surfers out enjoying the day and it’s also a great late afternoon / evening walk to do - though it can get quite windy, so hold on to your hat!
The very scenic Fisherman’s Walk
The Funk Zone
Located only a couple of minutes walk from the lower end of State Street, this hip area is very dog-friendly spot to grab a cold beer and some good food. There is also some fun outdoor art (graffiti style) for the gram. You can see a map of the Funk Zone and its vendors here
OTHER THINGS TO DO
Dog Friendly Beaches
If you do want to visit a dog-friendly beach then there are definitely some nearby options with both Shoreline Park Beach and Arroyo Burro being off leash. Arroyo Beach is located below the Douglas Family Preserve. If your dog loves swimming, but you're not a fan of a car full of wet sand there is also a self-washing station - bonus! If you prefer your pooch dry, Arroyo also has a bluff loop-walk in the Douglas Family Preserve that is approx. 1.3 miles long and is dog-friendly. As it runs along the bluff, make sure you have excellent recall or keep your dog on leash.
Wineries
Santa Barbara is well-known for its excellent wineries (as well as breweries). Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore these, but if you're interested in visiting some tasting or tap rooms then you will will find a comprehensive list of the dog-friendly ones at SantaBarbara.com Just make sure to plan ahead and that you're not expecting your best bud to drive you home afterwards!
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
There is a fee to enter these gardens, but dogs on lead are welcome to explore the 5.5 miles of paths with you, including a Japanese Garden and Redwood grove. This is something I wish we'd been able to do (it was a bit hot on the days we were visiting) as it’s not often that you find a Botanical Garden that allows dogs. More info about pricing and their dog policy can be found here
GETTING AROUND
We found the city centre to be quite compact and easily walkable - plus there are so many beautiful things to see and wines to taste that you won't want to be stuck driving. However if you do want to get to the dog-friendly beaches or visit some wineries you will need a vehicle.
EAT AND SLEEP
The majority of eateries in Santa Barbara offer outdoor seating and we never had an issue with Beatle joining us. There are lots of great places to dine with your dog with many eateries having spacious outdoor patios. I won't even try to list them as SantaBarbara.com has such a good summary!
In terms of accommodation, we opted to stay down by the beach and close to some of the great walks, bars and restaurants. There are many options, but we chose a smaller place, called the Casa Del Mar Inn which had simple rooms with everything we needed for a comfy stay - and Beats quickly made herself at home….! It was about a ten min walk to lower State Street from here and the location was nice and quiet with plenty of onsite parking. They also offered a complimentary wine and cheese hour every evening with both indoor and outdoor seating (and Beats is a big fan of free cheese…) which was a nice way to end the day. For more info about pet-friendly accommodation visit SantaBarbara.com
Beats loved the beach lifestyle a little too much…
IN SUMMARY
Santa Barbara is a great place to visit year round due to its mild climate and the number of fun activities you can do with your dog! While we stayed a few days, it would also make a fantastic weekend trip.