Santa Barbara is rather unique. 

When people think of the Riviera, they generally think of the French Riviera - But on the other side of the world, on the shores of the beautiful Pacific, lies another Riviera - Santa Barbara, also known as the American Riviera.

 

Geographically, the two share much in common: towering mountains and a sweeping shoreline overlooking nearby islands. Both enjoy a unique south facing position, resulting in a world renowned, temperate climate. Sheltered between both mountains and islands, both bask in sunshine from dawn to dusk.

 

Santa Barbara differs from its European relative in several important ways.  First of all, as a lush, tropical paradise, it features all the advantages of a major resort - minus the crowds, however. Second, it has a unique ambiance - a captivating blend of colorful history, distinctive architecture and the legendary Southern California lifestyle. Known all over the world for its exceptional beauty, Santa Barbara boasts crystal clear air, stunning scenery and glistening, palm lined, golden beaches.

 

While exuding warmth, friendliness and a relaxed atmosphere, Santa Barbara offers an outstanding variety of attractions. Where else can you spend a few days at a western guest ranch, go whale watching, mountain biking, wine tasting and sailing and also enjoy museums, art galleries, numerous great restaurants and first rate dance, theater and music performances - year around?

 

Located just 90 miles north of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is surprisingly accessible and affordable. We're reachable by plane, train, boat or automobile but, beware, once you get here, you'll never want to leave! So just ask us, and we'll tell you - we think Santa Barbara is the perfect place to live.

 

 

Is the weather always like this?

The seaside climate of Santa Barbara is always a delightful surprise to the first-time visitor. This is particularly true during the winter months - - roughly from October through March. But we're not the first to appreciate this little of a coastal paradise. Word got out, and beginning about the turn of the century, many prominent Eastern families who came to visit ended up establishing winter residences. They found the lure of our pleasant year round climate simply too hard to resist.

 

Santa Barbara is a get-out-in-the-sunshine-and-fresh-air-kind-of-a-place,  with all of the type of activities that description implies. With the average rainfall about only 18 inches, it's similar to many desert resort communities. Unlike these resorts, however, there are no sandy windstorms that make their presence known in every nook and cranny in your home, nor are there the hot, dry, skin-cracking days that take all of the hydration out of you. Absent too, are the cold and damp winter storms that frequently plague many California coastal resorts. 

 

What allows Santa Barbara to escape nature's typical moodiness is its unique geographic situation. For roughly 40 miles on either side of Santa Barbara, the Pacific coastline runs East/West. This alignment helps to moderate the ocean currents that flow past Santa Barbara's front door. Our towering mountains that rise up close to the sea, shelter this tiny coastal strip from both inland heat and cold. The Channel Islands, which is the chain of islands some 20 to 30 miles off our shore, break the force of the ocean storms and tends to quiet the surf. 

 

The result is a comfortable year round average temperature of 62 degrees with an average maximum of 72 degrees and an average minimum of 52 degrees. To sum it up, this means that there really is no "off season" in Santa Barbara. Our warm sunshine, beautiful scenery, invigorating clean air and congenial people are rather pleasant to be with year round. Won't you join us?