Visit Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara has a long and interesting history. Father Junipero Serra, one of the original Jesuit priests who established El Camino Real with a series of missions along the California Coast, founded Santa Barbara in 1782.

The town remained in Spanish hands until Mexico ceded California in 1848 but it was only after the 1925 earthquake that Santa Barbara developed from a quiet agricultural community to a thriving modern city.

The town's principal attraction is the beautiful Santa Barbara Mission which has been a working church since 1794.

Also worth visiting is El Presidio de Santa Barbara Historic Park, home of one of the original Spanish fortresses built along the coast. The city's Botanic Garden makes a wonderful place to stroll between the lush flowers, while the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, located right on the waterfront, allows you to tour the tall ships anchored in the harbor.

The heart of the town also features a great variety of shops, many of which are tucked away among outdoor paseos and landscaped plazas.