The California Coast

Where to Go

• Santa Barbara and Montecito: a Spanish-style town between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the sea, with the Mission, State Street and the tasting rooms of the Funk Zone, and the quiet lanes and beaches of Montecito next door.
• The Santa Ynez Valley: wine country under an hour from Santa Barbara over San Marcos Pass, with the villages of Los Olivos and Solvang and the vineyards of the Sta. Rita Hills.
• Channel Islands National Park: five islands off the coast, reached by boat from Ventura, with sea caves, hiking and very few people.
• Laguna Beach and Dana Point: coves, tide pools and galleries in Laguna, and a harbor in Dana Point where the whale-watching boats leave.

What to Do

Taste wine in the Santa Ynez Valley or in Santa Barbara itself, walk the town and the Mission, and hike the trails in the hills above Montecito. Take a day boat to Santa Cruz Island to kayak the sea caves and walk the bluffs. Farther south, explore the tide pools and coves of Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove State Park. From about December to April, gray whales pass close to shore on their migration, and boats from Santa Barbara and Dana Point find dolphins all year.

Best Time to Go

September and October are the best months, with the warmest sea, clear skies and fewer people after the summer. In May and June a marine layer, known locally as June gloom, often keeps the coast gray until the afternoon. Winter is mild, with most of the rain from about December to March, and it is the season for gray whales. Summer weekends are busy, and traffic on the freeways can add hours to a drive.

Getting Around and How Long to Stay

Santa Barbara is about 95 miles north of Los Angeles, usually around two hours by car, and is also served by the Pacific Surfliner train and its own airport. Dana Point is about 60 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and closer to John Wayne Airport in Orange County. A car is the easiest way to get around. Two or three nights is enough for a long weekend, or a week split between the two areas.

Where to Stay

Santa Barbara: El Encanto sits in the Riviera hills above the town, with bungalows spread through terraced gardens. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara is a full oceanfront resort on the bluffs at Goleta, just west of town.

Orange County: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is on the bluff above Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

Pairing

A few days on the coast pairs well with a stay in Los Angeles, or with a ski trip to Lake Tahoe or Mammoth in winter. Santa Barbara and the Orange County coast together make an easy week by car.