Secret places and unique spots – there is no shortage of amazing things to see in Santa Barbara. So here’s a guide full of tips from a local about the best hidden gems in Santa Barbara.
With beautiful, sunny beaches, vibrant Spanish architecture, and a rich food and gastronomic scene, Santa Barbara, California boasts no shortage of things to do.
It’s no secret that Santa Barbara is a fantastic place to visit. However, it DOES have some amazing secret things to do that I’ve uncovered after spending years living here in Santa Barbara.
If you’re ready to get off the beaten path, there are some amazing hidden gems in Santa Barbara for you to explore on your next visit.
Table of Contents
Amazing Hidden Gems in Santa Barbara
The Montecito Hot Springs
If you love beautiful views, a little exercise, and the soothing mineral benefits of natural hot springs, you’ll love this Santa Barbara hidden gem.
The Montecito Hot Springs are a collection of seven vivid blue hot spring pools, surrounded by beautiful rock walls nestled in a canyon.
The temperatures of the pools range from 60-112 degrees Fahrenheit, and each pool can fit several people. The pools at the top are the hottest.
Getting to the Montecito Hot Springs requires about an hour hike each way along the Hot Springs Canyon Trail. The trail is mostly shaded, but it’s best to go when it’s cooler anyway to really enjoy the heat of the pools.
There is a small parking lot at the trailhead, which is technically open from 8 am to sunset. Be sure to park in the designated spaces, because people have been towed for being parked illegally.
I recommend getting to the trailhead a little before 8 am, to ensure you get a parking spot because the parking lot is so limited.
Ellwood Butterfly Grove
The Ellwood Butterfly Grove, also known as the Coronado Butterfly Reserve, is another of the best hidden gems in Santa Barbara.
Tucked away in the sleepy town of Goleta, about 8 minutes north of downtown Santa Barbara, the Ellwood Eucalyptus Grove is a beautiful patch of eucalyptus trees next to the Sperling Preserve in the Ellwood Mesa. It has over 100 acres of open terrain as well as beach access.
Within the Grove, there’s about a mile-long nature walk you can do, where you’ll spot all sorts of plants and animals. You can take a look at the Goleta Butterfly Grove trail map to see where the trails are, and where exactly the grove is.
If you visit the Ellwood Bluffs between November and February, much like in Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, you also stand a good chance of spotting hundreds of clusters of Monarch Butterflies, up in the eucalyptus trees.
If you visit during this season, I recommend bringing a camera with a nice zoom lens so you can get shots of the butterflies, and/or a pair of binoculars to see them.
I also recommend heading to the grove a little before sunset, so you can watch the sunset over the bluffs. This area has some of the most spectacular, peaceful views in Santa Barbara.
The Ellwood Eucalyptus Grove is free to visit.
The Sacred Space
If you’re looking for something truly unique and relaxing to do in Santa Barbara, I recommend checking out The Sacred Space.
The Sacred Space is a spiritual and tranquil garden area and store that draws quite a bit from Eastern culture.
The area consists of a collection of peaceful, perfectly manicured gardens, ponds, and lush plant life for visitors to walk around, meditate in, and take a break from the business of their lives.
The shop within the Sacred Space also contains a unique variety of crystals, trinkets, and antique artifacts.
While the shop is great and the outdoor space is magical, one of my favorite things about The Sacred Space is the delicious healing tea they give you upon arrival to sip on as you meander the grounds.
The Sacred Place is open every day from 11:00 am-5:00 pm, except for Wednesdays. It’s completely free to visit, but they do have some really unique items for sale if you’re interested in doing some shopping.
Happy Hour on the Waterfront
Santa Barbara has some incredible breweries, restaurants and cocktail bars. However, they’re all pretty pricey.
One of the best hidden gems in Santa Barbara I uncovered during my later college years was the amazing happy hour deals, and the best deals are right on the waterfront, near Stearns Wharf.
While there are many, the best happy hour deals near the waterfront are the ones at Finney’s Crafthouse, Santo Mezcal, and Flor de Maiz.
At each of these restaurants, you can enjoy some of the best cocktails and beers in Santa Barbara at half the price you’d typically pay. Plus, you can enjoy discounted food like burgers and pizzas from Finneys, and delicious Mexican cuisine from Santo Mezcal and Flor de Maiz.
You can check Finney’s happy hour timings here. I really recommend their coconut shrimp!
For Santo Mezcal, check when happy hour is on here. When it comes to drinks, I personally love their Margarita Pepino (cucumber margarita) and their Beso Ardiente cocktail. For food, their nachos, ceviche, and sopecitos are incredible.
Check happy hour times for Flor de Maiz here. They have great cocktails and delicious Mexican food, and they’re located right across from the ocean, so you get some amazing ocean views too.
Brunch at Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach is a delicious restaurant located practically on the sand of one of Santa Barbara’s most beautiful, and most secluded beaches – Arroyo Burro State Beach. However, the locals call it Hendry’s Beach.
Boathouse specializes in seafood, but they also have one of the best brunch setups in Santa Barbara.
Be sure to try the California Eggs Benedict, House Cured Salmon Plate, and the Breakfast Burrito.
After brunch, I recommend taking a walk on the beach to explore and soak up the sunshine.
Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach is open every day from 7:30 am – 9:00 pm, and their breakfast/brunch dishes are all right around $15-$20 per plate.
Downtown Santa Barbara Farmers Market
If you happen to be in Santa Barbara on a Saturday, you’re in luck – this is when the downtown Santa Barbara farmer’s market takes place.
From 8 am to 1 pm, all year long, you can buy fresh produce from local farmers, sample delicious fruits, as well as shop from local artists and craftsmen.
Chumash Painted Cave
Another of the most unique Santa Barbara hidden gems is to pay a visit to the Chumash Painted Cave, one of the most interesting California’s State Parks.
The Chumash Painted Cave is a fascinating archeological site located in the mountains of Santa Barbara, about a 25 minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara.
The inside of the cave is adorned with painted rock art from the indigenous Chumash people, who settled in Santa Barbara over 13,000 years ago. The art is believed to be 1,600+ years old, and some of the best preserved Chumash art that is left.
To get to the Chumash Painted Cave, you’ll need to drive to Painted Cave Road and park in the parking lot next to the sign designating the Painted Cave. From there it’s a short walk to the cave.
The Chumash Painted Cave is free to visit, and open from dawn to dusk.
Hammonds Beach
It’s no secret that Santa Barbara has beautiful beaches. However, Hammonds Beach is a bit of a secret, and certainly belongs on this list of the top hidden gems in Santa Barbara.
Hammonds Beach is located in Montecito, just south of the slightly more popular Butterfly Beach. It also happens to be one of the best places to surf in Santa Barbara, so if you’re a surfer, this is a great place to go.
From Hammonds Beach, you can enjoy stunning views of the Channel Islands National Park, one of the best places for hiking in Southern California. And it’s also a great beach to visit if you want to go to a less crowded, more secluded beach.
At higher tides, a lot of the beach gets covered up, but you can still sit on the stairs and enjoy the views. If you want to come and enjoy more of the beach and put down a blanket, I recommend coming to the beach at low tide.
Hammonds Beach is also dog friendly, and a great place to go tidepooling.
Solvang Village
This Scandinavian village tops the list of unique places to visit in California. The colorful and quirky town will make you feel like you’ve stumbled on Santa’s hideout only to find out that it’s a whole lot warmer than you expected.
Early Dutch and Danish settlers determined to preserve their heritage established the village in 1910. Today, it’s a charming spot that gives you the opportunity to ‘travel’ to Europe on a day trip from Los Angeles.
Watch out for the horse-drawn carriages as you stroll between European architecture and windmills. Pick up some traditional Danish baked goods and feast on Scandinavian cuisine. This little village is an ideal spot to spend a couple of hours exploring.
It’s definitely one of the most unique hidden gems in Southern California, and while you’re there you can visit museums that will tell you all about how this village came to be.
Santa Barbara is known for its stunning beaches, Spanish-influenced architecture, surrounding wine country in the Santa Ynez Valley, its art, culture, and lovely Mediterranean climate with dry summers and mild winters.
I recommend at the very least two days in Santa Barbara, but ideally four days. Two days gives you enough time to visit the beaches, explore downtown, and hit a few of the hidden gems in Santa Barbara!
Four days gives you enough time to get some hiking in, or maybe even take a trip into the Santa Barbara wine country to explore some of the beautiful vineyards in the area.
The best time of the year to visit Santa Barbara depends on what type of trip you’re looking for. If you want sunny beach days, it’s hard to beat the summer.
Personally, I think late August-October is the best time to visit Santa Barbara. It’s much less crowded than the summer, and early fall sees some of Santa Barbara’s best weather.
The best way to get around Santa Barbara is by renting a car.
Uber is also readily available in Santa Barbara, and not a bad alternative if you plan on basing yourself downtown and only want to Uber to a few different places.
As you plan your next trip to Santa Barbara, I highly recommend you add at least a few (if not all!) of these Santa Barbara hidden gems to your itinerary.
Beyond the gorgeous beaches, vibrant Spanish architecture and fantastic culinary scene, Santa Barbara has some truly fantastic things to do off the beaten path.
So pack your bags, add these hidden gems to your Santa Barbara itinerary, and get ready to have a magical time in this gorgeous California beach town.
Do you have any questions about these hidden gems in Santa Barbara?
Let me know in the comments!
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Lynn Bowling
Sunday 15th of October 2023
You did a marvelous job of describing my hometown. I was born there in 1938 and am happy to say the places you mentioned except Hammond Beach were the spots even way back. In fact my parents lived at Painted Cave in the small community there…a fascinating place I still remember from childhood days there. Job well done.