Travel for Kids: Santa Barbara, California



united states		\| california \| central coast

		Santa Barbara



		Year round, Santa Barbara is a great weekend destination with kids. On whale watching cruises, look for gray whales in winter, humpback and blue whales in summer. Museums and the sea center are a great introduction to marine life and the Chumash people. And there are miles of sandy beaches, from Carpinteria to El Capitan, for boogie boarding, sand castle making, and just playing in the waves.


			At the Beach

			Mid town - Mission Santa Barbara


			Learn to surf – California beaches are fun for kids to learn to surf, and Santa Barbara has great beaches to ride the waves. Lessons include wet suits and surf boards. Kids need to be 6 or 7 and up, and good swimmers in the ocean. To arrange for surf lessons, click here or here.

			Horseback riding – Explore the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara on horseback, riding through sycamore canyons up to viewpoints with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Take a short one and a half hour ride or half day ride with lunch (for kids 7 and up). For more information, click here.



			Travel for Kids has so many fun things to do with kids in Santa Barbara, but you'll need a fun place to stay. Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels in and around Santa Barbara, all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods convenient for families, and near to places you'll want to explore:

			Santa Barbara family hotels

Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell

On the Channel Islands, twelve-year-old Karana and her little brother are accidentally left behind when their tribe sails away. Alone on the deserted island, the two children work hard to survive. This story is based on a true story of the girl who was rescued and came to live at the Mission Santa Barbara. Good for older kids. (Chapter book)

Mission Santa Barbara
Amy Margaret

Before you visit the "Queen of the Missions," find out about the history and daily life of Mission Santa Barbara for the friars, soldiers and Chumash people. Photographs of the mission today and historical illustrations, plus directions to make a model of Mission Santa Barbara. (Picture book)

Big Blue Whale
Nicola Davies

A delightful book, beautifully illustrated, about the blue whale (which you might see on a whale watching trip). "Reach out and touch the blue whale's skin. It's springy and smooth like a hard-boiled egg, and it's slippery as wet soap." (Picture book)

By the Seashore
Maurice Pledger

Irresistible lift-the-flap book about the beach – pet a furry baby seal, rub your fingers over a bumpy sea urchin, feel a sandy shell, gently stroke a sea anemone, touch a nubby starfish. Fun for little ones. (Picture book)

More children's books on other California pages.

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