Santa Barbara has a reputation for being expensive, and its hotels and restaurants earn it. But the things that make the city beautiful, the mountains, the beaches, the Spanish buildings, were never for sale. The best view in town is free, and so is the beach at its feet.
Here are the best of them. Hours, tours and rules change, so check before you set out.
Climb the Courthouse clock tower
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse, finished in 1929, is the city's finest building, and walking through it costs nothing. Climb the stairs or take the elevator to El Mirador, the viewing deck at the top of the clock tower, for the classic view over the red-tile roofs: the palms, the harbor, the Mesa and, on a clear day, the islands. On the way, look into the Mural Room, its walls painted with scenes from the county's history, and walk out through the Sunken Garden. Free docent tours run on a schedule that changes. The story on the Courthouse clock tower has the details.
Sit on the Mission lawn
A ticket is needed for the church and museum at Mission Santa Barbara, but the view does not need one. The broad lawn in front of the Mission is open, and from it the twin bell towers and the sandstone facade stand against the mountains. Below the steps, the stone fountain and the long lavadero, where the Chumash once washed clothes, date to the early 1800s. Across the road, the rose garden in Mission Historical Park holds well over a thousand bushes and is free and open all day. Late afternoon is the time, with sun on the facade.
Walk out on Stearns Wharf
Built in 1872, Stearns Wharf runs straight out from the foot of State Street, and walking its length costs nothing. Go to the end for the best view back at the city, where the beach, the palms and the town climb toward the mountains in one piece. Pelicans sit on the rails, fishermen work the lines over the side, and on a calm day dolphins sometimes pass. No fishing license is needed on a public pier in California. Only the shops, the restaurants and the small Sea Center, which charges admission, cost money.
Ride or walk the beach path
A paved path runs along the sand beside Cabrillo Boulevard from Leadbetter Beach to East Beach and on toward the bird refuge, and it is the city's front porch. Walk it in the early morning, when the runners are out and the light is soft, or at sunset, with the palms in silhouette. The path passes the harbor, the wharf and Chase Palm Park, and the views of the mountains are best looking inland from East Beach. Bring your own bike, or just walk; it is flat the whole way.
Spend a day at the beach
Every beach in the city is free. East Beach, east of the wharf, is the broad, sandy one, lined with volleyball courts where pickup games run all weekend. Leadbetter, by the harbor, is sheltered and good for swimming and paddling. Arroyo Burro, on the Mesa, has tide pools at low tide and a long walk along the base of the bluffs. Parking at the beach lots may cost money; walking or cycling in does not. The waters are cold most of the year, and lifeguards work only some beaches in summer.
Browse the Sunday arts and crafts show
Every Sunday since 1965, local artists have set up their stalls on the grass along Cabrillo Boulevard, east of Stearns Wharf. It is one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the country, and only artists who live in the county and make their own work may sell there. Painters, potters, jewellers, photographers and woodworkers line the waterfront under the palms. Looking is free and the artists are usually happy to talk about their work. It runs much of the day, weather permitting; check the hours before you go.
Also on Presidio PostWhere to watch the sun go down
Watch the sunset from Shoreline Park
On the Mesa above Leadbetter Beach, Shoreline Park is a long lawn that ends at the edge of the bluffs, with benches facing the sea. It is a favourite spot for picnics, kite flying and watching the sun go down over the Pacific. In winter and spring, grey whales migrate past, and on calm days people at the railing spot their spouts. A staircase leads down to the beach below. Parking is free along the street, and the park is open daily.
Walk the harbor and breakwater
The harbor is a working port, and walking around it costs nothing. Watch the fishing boats unload, look at the yachts and listen to the sea lions bark from the buoys. Then walk the length of the breakwater, the wide concrete wall that protects the harbor, out to its end, with the sea on one side and the masts on the other. On Saturday mornings the fishermen's market sells the catch at the harbor's edge, and the harbor itself is busiest then. Beyond the breakwater, the sandspit is open at low tide.
See the Moreton Bay fig
A few blocks from the beach, near the railway station at Chapala and Montecito streets, stands one of the largest fig trees in the country, an Australian Moreton Bay fig planted in the 1870s. Its canopy spreads well over a hundred feet, and its huge roots run across the ground in thick ridges. It is fenced to protect the roots, but the tree is free to visit at any hour. Stand under the branches on a hot day; the shade is complete.
Wander Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden
Downtown, across from Alameda Park on upper Santa Barbara Street, a full city block has been made into a public garden. Paths wind between plantings of drought-tolerant and subtropical plants, many of them labelled, and a large pond holds koi and turtles. Benches sit in the shade. It is one of the quietest places in the city and it costs nothing to enter. Alameda Park across the street, with its old trees and children's playground, makes a fine pair.
Hike into the front country
The mountains behind the city are crossed by free public trails that begin almost in town. Rattlesnake Canyon climbs past pools and an old stone bridge; the Tunnel Trail leads to Inspiration Point, with views over the city, the sea and the islands; Cold Spring Trail runs up through the oaks above Montecito. Go early in the day, carry plenty of water, and watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather. Trailhead parking is limited and rules change, so check before you go. The story on front-country hikes has the details.
