Where to Stay in Santa Barbara (2026)

Top tips for Santa Barbara

Image from Pixabay

The Quick Answer

• The best neighbourhoods for a city break: Downtown, Lower State
• The best bases for a beach break: Lower State, East Beach, West Beach, Montecito, Carpinteria

Table of Contents

Santa Barbara is less than one hundred miles from Los Angeles, but it’s an entirely different type of place. The beaches are, arguably, better: long, sweeping and sandy; some of the architecture has been inspired by Spanish colonial charm; the hinterland features lush wineries; and the atmosphere is glamorous and elegant, rather than glitzy and in-your-face. 

Santa Barbara’s Neighbourhoods

Map via Googlemaps

If you’re visiting Santa Barbara on a city break, you’ll find many of the headline sights Downtown, including the Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum, the Courthouse, and the Santa Barbara Mission. The waterfront neighbourhoods of East Beach and West Beach are where the city meets the ocean, separated from Downtown Santa Barbara by the Lower State neighbourhood.  As well as the incredible sandy beaches, these neighbourhoods have some great places to eat and drink, with East Beach being the quieter pick, and West Beach offering the liveliest nightlife. Carpinteria and Montecito offer more of an ‘American Riviera’ feel, with an even more luxurious array of restaurants, bars and hotels.  

Downtown 

Via Pixabay

Downtown Santa Barbara is the laid-back-but-elegant palm-dotted city behind the beach. Here you’ll find great places to eat, drink and shop, and the majority of the city's museums, galleries and distinctive architecture. Don’t miss the Old Mission, the El Presidio de Santa Barbara Historic Park — which has one of California’s last Spanish forts — or the Santa Barbara County Courthouse; it sounds dry, but it’s a quintessential example of the architecture that sprang up here post-1925 earthquake. If you’re interested in doing a spot of shopping, seek out the old arcades, with their colourful tiles, decorative fountains and courtyards; they make a memorable change from the big malls. There are plenty of places to eat and drink, including the fun and variety of the Santa Barbara Public Market, and numerous wine and beer tasting rooms.  Downtown Santa Barbara runs all the way to the waterfront, and Stearns Wharf, another great place to eat and drink.  

Lower State (Street)

By Raul via Flickr

Lower State is the part of Downtown that covers the last few blocks by the sea, coming out by Stearns Wharf. This is also the part of Downtown where you’ll find the MOXI Museum, which is much loved by kids, and the Farmer’s Market. State Street runs all the way through Downtown Santa Barbara, so if you stay here, you’re well connected with all the highlights of Downtown and with the beach.

East Beach

By Flickr user Damian Gadal

East Beach is a welcoming stretch of sand just to the east of Stearns Wharf, close to where Lower State and Downtown meet the coastline. This is one of the friendliest stretches of beach, popular with families and groups for its picnic areas, volleyball courts, wide promenades and playgrounds. East Beach is lined with tall palm trees, and behind it is a grassy park. This layout makes it a great place to come and hang out, but it also means there are only a few true waterfront properties. They do exist, though, and many hotels are tall enough to offer views over the parkland and palm trees. There are loads of places to stay nearby. East Beach is convenient for the zoo, the Sea Centre, and the fun of the Funk Zone.

West Beach

By Flickr user Damian Gadal

West Beach sits on the other side of Stearns Wharf, between the wharf and the harbour. It’s also sandy, and long, and fringed by tall palms and wide bike-paths. Like East Beach, there are volleyball courts and picnic areas, but there are also additional watersports facilities on this side: kayaking and windsurfing hire. It's closer to the harbour, so there are more opportunities to hire a water-craft. 

Montecito

By Niranjan Arminius - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Montecito is naturally beautiful — it's arguably one of the most beautiful parts of beautiful Santa Barbara — so it’s no surprise that it’s always been the most expensive, part of town. Since well-to-do folk started vacationing here in the 1880s, there have been people who wanted to come back time and again, and they’re the ones who first colonised this gorgeous stretch of coastline with magnificent mansions and summer villas. These days, Montecito still drips with luxury. From the tree-shaded boulevards and lanes of its retail and entertainment centre, to the surf break at Hammonds Point and the crystalline calm waters of Miramar Beach, and the lush hinterland criss-crossed with walking trails. Montecito is glamorous and exclusive, with fancy restaurants, cafe and bars in abundance. But it’s not beyond the means of normal travellers. Just stay cool, hang out on the Coast Village Road and in the Upper Village, and don’t make a face if you see a famous one.

Carpinteria

By Calahan59 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Carpinteria is actually its own little centre, just along the coastline from Montecito, about 11 miles south of Santa Barbara. It’s neatly sandwiched between a beautiful stretch of coastline, and a mountainous interior, and it’s got plenty of small town charm. Imagine plenty of space on the sandy beach, and the sort of sunsets you can’t draw yourself away from, plus friendly locals, and just the ‘right’ sort of shopping for a holiday. Carpinteria has the same coastline, weather, sunsets and lush interior as Santa Barbara, but it’s much quieter and much more relaxed. Stay here, and you’ve got less chance of running into Oprah, but you’re more likely to get an ocean-view table in a cafe or restaurant, and no one is going to judge you for your flip-flops or hiking boots!