Santa
Barbara County
California Central Coast Region
Santa Barbara is well known for it's popular beaches,
fine dining and colorful harbor area. The mission
at Santa Barbara with it's rose garden is a popular
attraction and is the western headquarters of
the Franciscan Order, which has been in continuous
use since its founding in 1782.
Goleta lies north of the City of Santa Barbara
and is home to the University of California at
Santa Barbara. Carpinteria lies south of Santa
Barbara and features Santa Claus Lane and more
nice beaches.
Northern Santa Barbara County features the Santa
Ynez valley with Lake Cachuma, vineyards and horse
ranches for the rich and famous. Discover the
Danish village of Solvang with it's charming gift
shops and delicious pastries. Bordering San Luis
Obispo County in the north lies Santa Maria, home
of the Santa Barbara County Fair and originator
of the tri-tip barbeque.
Offshore, the Santa Barbara Islands were once
the home of the now-extinct Canali–o Indians and
were visited in 1542 by the Portuguese navigator
Juan Rodr’guez Cabrillo, who is reputedly buried
on one of them. The larger islands support sheep
and cattle ranches. Santa Catalina Island is a
noted resort, and San Clemente is used as a training
ground by the U.S. Navy. Channel Islands National
Park embraces Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara,
Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands. Seeping oil
from a ruptured underwater well in the Santa Barbara
Channel caused widespread ecological damage to
several of the northern islands in 1969.
Plan Your California vacation. Explore vacation packages which allow the flexibility of doing your own thing while getting the best deals available.
