Santa Barbara: Enjoying a European escape on the Californian coast

Santa Barbara is known as the 'American Riviera' | Submitted

But when you arrive, you realise that Santa Barbara is actually more European in feel than you might expect it to be. It feels like a place that, somewhere along the way, drifted loose from the Mediterranean and anchored itself on the Californian coast.

With the white walls and red tile roofs of its Spanish-style buildings, it doesn’t take long to understand why the city is often called the ‘American Riviera’. In fact, if you walk through downtown, and ignore the accents, you could easily imagine yourself in southern Spain.

State Street is Santa Barbara’s main thoroughfare and, again, has somewhat of a European feel to it. Cafes and restaurants spill out onto the pavements and there is a chilled atmosphere - nothing is rushed and you can enjoy a leisurely coffee or cocktail as you watch the world go by.

Santa Barbara has a European feel, with its Spanish-style buildings. | Submitted

The wine culture is central to Santa Barbara County, which is home to more than 300 wineries.

One of the easiest ways to get acquainted with the regional wines is through the city’s Urban Wine Trail - a collection of 25 tasting rooms, where you can sample local wines. Focus on one tasting room and take a more in-depth look at the wines on offer, or take in a few and make it more of a tour.

The tasting rooms cluster around the city centre, making them easy to find and even harder to leave. But when you do manage to prize yourself away, you’ll leave with a much richer knowledge of the region’s wine scene, individual wineries and the tasting notes in each glass.

Food is another of the pillars on which Santa Barbara stands. There is a huge focus on fresh, local produce and seafood - unsurprisingly, given that the Santa Barbara Channel is one of the west coast’s richest sources of marine life.

Tacos at Santo Mezcal are a must for any lovers of Mexican food | Submitted

The Oyster Bar at Moby Dick on Stearns Wharf is a must if you’re looking for seafood which tastes like it was caught that same day. You can enjoy oysters, lobster rolls, fish tacos and the ‘catch of the day’ while taking in stunning views of the ocean. Book a table for just before sunset, and the already mesmerising views will be that much better.

Mexican food is another speciality of Santa Barbara’s so we simply had to visit Santo Mezcal on State Street, which we had been told by the locals was the place to go. Boy, were they right. The octopus tacos, topped with chili oil, garlic and pickled onions, were probably the best tacos I’ve ever eaten.

Santa Barbara is, of course, home to absolutely beautiful beaches, where you can sunbathe and take quiet walks along the water, or try surfing and other water sports. My advice to anyone visiting Santa Barbara would be to make sure you chisel out some time to properly enjoy the beach. It’s a city in which there are many things to do and see, but time spent doing ‘nothing’ at its beaches will be among your favourite parts of the trip - guaranteed.

Make sure you carve out some time to spend at the beaches in Santa Barbara | Submitted

Hotels such as the Mason Beach Inn know that, while they have a private pool for guests, beach days are the preferred option and so they helpfully give guests the chance to hire sunchairs, towels and even bikes for the occasion.

If you want to go that wee step further, book a Celebration Santa Barbara Sunset Cruise, which allows you to take in views of the beach from the ocean as the sun disappears over the Santa Ynez Mountains. You can also enjoy cocktails, snacks and other drinks which are served to your seats by the team onboard.

It’s easy to compare Santa Barbara to many European cities. Like some of the best European destinations, Santa Barbara has learned the fine balance of liveliness and calm, indulgence and simplicity, old-world charm and modern ease.

And yet to call Santa Barbara merely a copy of such places is seriously underselling it.

It isn’t trying to imitate Europe but rather take inspiration from it. And what results is a city which celebrates all that makes it unique, and which becomes a must-visit destination in its own right.