| Given its relatively conservative, quietly affluent reputation, it's surprising that Santa Barbara has a sizeable gay community. Best known in the UK because of the 80's daytime tv series, this is actually a blissful place to live or visit no matter what your sexual orientation. The integrity of the architecture and landscaping is a consistent strength. Andrew Collins has been to take a look. | |
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Gracious sandy beaches fringe the city's southerly
coastline, and rugged mountains form a northerly backdrop. Year-round,
the extraordinary climate is conducive to happiness - 320 days of
sunshine, low humidity, and cool breezes.
What's best of all is that you can fly from the UK with just one stop at Los Angeles or if you prefer San Francisco. | 
Mediterranean style of Santa Barbara Photo: Damien VERRIER |
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The overall gay presence in Santa Barbara has boomed, particularly in
recent
years and as is often the case in
idyllic
lands, the old guard here claims that Santa Barbara has become
increasingly
"discovered" and less appealing. While this may be true to a
degree,
the city still looks green, clean, and quite striking without feeling
tourist-ridden or over-developed.
No visitor to Santa Barbara passes through without spending time along the waterfront, particularly around Stearns Wharf, which has numerous shops and restaurants. A paved bike trail (also good for blading) runs along the shoreline, passing close by the Andree Clark Bird Refuge - a lagoon that's a popular ground for more than 220 varieties of bird - and the Santa Barbara Zoological Garden. State Street is the city's main commercial drag. It's narrow, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, and lined with a great variety of shops and restaurants. Take note of the city's small but reasonably impressive Santa Barbara Museum of Art, whose highlights include French Impressionist, German Expressionist, and regional American works, plus numerous antiquities. Nestled just at the base of the Santa Ynez Foothills, the Santa Barbara Old Mission has one of the most dramatic exteriors of any in California. You can walk through the church and amid the lush grounds, which include a colorful rose garden. | |
| It's a five-minute drive north to the fine Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and still a couple miles north to the jewel of the city's plethora of gardens and parks, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. Several miles of trails traverse this 60-acre tract of exquisite landscaping and one of only 30 gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums as a living museum. | 
The Santa Barbara Botanical Garden |
| Everybody who visits Santa Barbara seems to talk about the glorious
shopping
and dining. Santa Barbarans, on the other hand, talk more about the
outdoors.
There is much to see and do in the omnipresent mountains and rivers.
Hiking,
surfing, and kayaking are extremely popular pastimes, and the region
has
famously picturesque and tidy beaches. Just about any stretch of sand
in the
area is lively and fun, but the most popular spot for gays is Padaro
Beach.
Alternatively, More Mesa Beach is somewhere to enjoy solitude on a beach. Some rocks, some nude sun bathers which is all part of a rugged experience that is coastal California. Spectacular views, a nice place for a jog, walk, or fun on the beach below. It tends to attract older naked men. People often think that California's better wines are produced only in Sonoma and Napa counties; in fact, Santa Barbara County's considerable wine industry is growing in volume and respect every year. Top vintners include Gainey, Sanford, and Santa Barbara's own Santa Barbara Winery. The majority of them (there are more than 30) are northwest of Santa Barbara, around the towns of Santa Ynez and Solvang. For a map and information on specific wineries and their hours, contact the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association. And after all that wine-tasting, it's entirely appropriate to sample some of Santa Barbara's exceptional cuisine. Consider starting off with a visit to the Wine Cask, a rarefied dining room set across a shaded courtyard from the esteemed Wine Cask Store. Inside, diners sample fine pinot noirs and grigios alongside stellar regional American fare like roasted Iowa pork chop with succotash and a crispy apple-risotto croquette. Nearby, Arigato Sushi serves super-fresh and creative sushi. The restaurant occupies an airy and attractive space on State Street. In the back of the shopping center inland in ritzy Montecito, Pane e Vino is a great little Northern Italian trattoria, either for a meal or a snack while out sightseeing. An immensely popular spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with a light menu and a cheerful arboured terrace, La Paloma Cafe serves local fish and seafood specials, some wonderful salads and creative vegetable dishes. The simply named Roy is one of the city's great bargains, offering an inexpensive three-course prix-fixe of modern Californian and Italian dishes. The gay nightlife scene in Santa Barbara has waxed and waned over the past 10 years, with many bars coming and going. The best known gay establishment currently in Santa Barbara is the Wildcat Bar. It's a lively bar serving specialty cocktails along with DJs spinning theme-night tunes for dancing. Wildcat is a place that welcomes people from all walks of life - the Young to the Young at heart. Crush Bar & Tap has a chilled and welcoming atmosphere which matches their delicious drinks and food options. Fantastic any day or time of the week. The events are always lively and fun! The venue is airy, light-filled, high ceilinged space which offer both indoor and outdoor seating. They have daily Happy Hour specials. Elsie's Tavern is a little off the beaten path and tucked away but they offer an intimate and eclectic bar experience far from the Santa Barbara norm. One of the only ungentrified gay gems left in the city that always has amazing records playing, good conversation, and an aesthetic that can't be beat by the sterile bars downtown. Pacific Pride Foundation is an all volunteer organisation who produce the annual Pride celebration, and their website has up-to-the minute scene info. They are part of a community center in Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara their festival is free to the public and attracts a diverse crowd of nearly 4,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally supporters and their families from the Central and South Coast. The all-day event in August features a line-up of live entertainment, exhibitors, local food, informative non-profits, activities, and community member support. | |
| Often a host of Gay Pride Festival attendees, and the Mar Monte Hotel Santa Barbara by Hyatt is one of the most distinctive hotels you'll ever find. Rooms are typical of those in upscale chain hotels, but the public areas of this imposing 1930s Spanish Mediterranean-inspired hotel are quite lavish. Best of all, the beach is right outside the door. | 
Santa Barbara Courthouse Photo: Baiterek Media |
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Santa Barbara has some of the fanciest resorts and inns in Southern
California, but also a wide array of discount motels - while there are
no
gay-exclusive properties, a few have a strong "family" following.
If
you're on
a budget, consider the reasonably priced Eagle Inn
which is an attractive Spanish-style hostelry that's close to the beach. The
18
rooms are decorated individually with a range of antiques and
reproductions;
all have microwaves, refrigerators.
The city's world-class resort is the Four Seasons Biltmore is one of America's top such establishments. You simply can't beat the setting, on a green slope just steps away from Montecito's shoreline. It's quite gay-friendly, and the restaurant is first-rate. HOWEVER, THIS HOTEL IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED. Finally, if you're wanting the ultimate splurge, look no further: After many years of building and planning, the ultra-posh Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort and Spa opened in September 2000 to instant acclaim. This stunning $240 million facility occupies 78 acres that include a 2-mile beach, an acclaimed tennis center, a pair of 18-hole golf courses, and a 42,000-square-foot spa. There are 360 rooms, all with DVD players, high-speed Internet, robes and slippers, and Kiehl's bath amenities.
Revised May 2023.
Andrew Collins authored Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA, the Connecticut
Handbook, and six regional gay guides for Fodor's.
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