This is one of my favorite beach towns that is oh so close to Santa Barbara but just far enough…read moreaway to have its own personality. This is a small beach town that just has everything: a nice clean beach, a street full of solid restaurants, bars, coffee shops and breweries. Enough cultural entertainment and festival happening all year around--Including the infamous avocado festival in the fall that is not to be missed. This town also has super cute houses surrounding downtown. Plus there is a campground right at the ocean! How perfect is that!!! If camping is not your style you can grab a hotel room or an AIRBNB. As for transportation- you can take the train from LA or Santa Barbara. The train drops off in downtown, right by a brewery. Also, the train station is near the beach! Score! If driving is more your thing, there is plenty of parking areas in town- and a lot of them are free! Free parking at the beach too! So enjoy one of my favorite beach towns....

What a cute yet sophisticated town. It's a little gem away from the busy Santa Barbara and the…read moresnooty Montecito. Young and old seem to populate this quaint city. A nice place to escape the hustle and bustle.

Camping here requires a reservation a couple months in advance, make sure to plan accordingly for…read moremajor holidays as it fills up quick months in advance, we stayed a couple nights and it is peaceful and lovely. The amenities include some good showers with hot water, pick up coins at the entrance before setting up. Restrooms available as well, take something to clean the seats, sometimes people leave a little mess, but overall the cleanliness is good for a campsite restroom/shower.. Great town for bike riding and some hiking along the coast. Weather can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes really windy sometimes calm, gets cold at night. If you prepare with care, the campsites are an awesome time, the beach can get windy and cold, check the weather.

Beautiful beach in Santa Barbara county. There is state beach parking for $10, but there's also…read morefree street parking right next to the beach, although it's limited to two hours. There's a nice wooded walk way that runs along the entire beach right next to the sand. You can also camp out there. A great spot to spend the day, and night.

** Guicho's ** I give the a 10 out of 10 they are warm,…read morefriendly, and inviting if you don't mind the takeout boxes their food is absolutely delicious. All are welcome here unlike some of the other Italian places in town."" Giannfranco's Trattoria "" Thanks to the locals that gave me a tip on this delicious place. They too said that the service was poor and the host is rude!!

Excellent Eggplant sandwich. Friendly service. Nice quiet…read moreoutside tables. We were camping and found Guichos. We will order take out next time and bring it back to camp.

Family owned and operated Italian restaurant. Met the owners who were personable and happy to chat…read more The back outdoor seating was really quaint. The inside restaurant was cute but uncomfortably warm. We had a delicious meal and are eager to return soon.

Any time we are in the area we stop here for a wonderful meal and have never been disappointed…read more The pasta dishes are lovingly made and beautifully presented. I had a rigatoni with seafood and a lemon wine sauce...my husband enjoyed a dish with sausage and pasta in a rich red sauce. The front seating was vacant because everyone was dining in the patio section outside with greenery, small lights and a peaceful fountain. Our hosts made us feel at home...eat here!

It's quiet and the water is warm. Very clean beach. I brought my girls for the first time and they…read moreloved it. I highly recommend this place.

Last month, on a weekday in the middle of summer, is when I dropped in to this beach known by…read moreseveral names... Santa Claus Beach (unofficial name) and Padaro Beach (offical name). It was so hectic to get to this beach due to all the road construction. And the beach was packed due to the various local children's summer camps and tourists. First, thing to note is the road construction. Possibly it's over by now. But when I visited, the road had no parking for the stretch right along the public access to the beach. It's free access and parking. The normal spots were taken by the construction crew and their equipment and materials. They were digging up the road. I saw a lot of folks parking in the road construction zone. The crew were calling tow trucks depending on where those cars were parked. Anyway, we parked really far away and hoofed it in while dodging dozers, street traffic, and construction crew. The access to the beach is limited to the open stretch where so happened the construction was occurring. Other access points are private property. Don't be tempted to cut through, it's illegal. Once you get to the public access area, you'll need to hike a wee bit of sandy elevation to cross the train tracks. Have your wits about while trekking near and on the tracks. Look both ways from afar and be ready to move to a safe distance if there is an incoming train. We ventured further to the far edges of the beach. The beach was clean. Sand was soft. Good vibes. Watch out at high tides if you venture to the far sides, the beach shrinks at high tide. And a rocky outcropping is beyond the sand. Plus there are no plumbed public restrooms, but I did see porta toilets.

Fantastic all around! The patio is so cute and covered in plants. You feel like you're tucked away…read morein a secret garden with the whimsical mismatched tables and seats. Our server was very nice and when I ordered a gluten free pasta she brought out gluten free bread for the table without even asking, such a nice touch that I rarely see at restaurants. They were a bit busy the night we visited so the food took a while to come out, but it was worth the wait! I got the gluten free primavera Rosa with added chicken (and it only cost me $3 extra which so affordable!) and my date got the chicken piccata. We were both raving about it as we scarfed it down! This place really feels like they've invited you into their home for a delicious home cooked meal. I think it is also family owned and operated which I always so nice to see. Please visit Thario's kitchen, you won't be disappointed.

First, the ambience is really cozy! It looks like an old farm house with mismatched chairs, dishes,…read moreetc. feels like visiting Grandma! Love it! We were greeted by Pierre, our server, and he's probably the best server we've had in a long time! He's young but has great people attitude! Now onto to the food... It was spectacular! We had different dishes and all were equally delicious- lasagna, puttanesca and chicken piccata! I am a California native and although I was raised in LA, I spent my summers in this area but haven't had a chance to discover this hidden gem. It is definitely a must try and you hopefully the ocean breeze, and Thario's Kitchen will remind you why life is good.

My wife got this for me & I really had fun but I ordered it again from Groupon and tried for maybe…read more2 weeks to set up a date and never got a response back, Groupon eventually refunded the money back. I left messages and called every other day more than once, their customer service was not good.

we loveddddd our tour. soooo funn. best thing you can do in santa barbara is book this tour. and…read morerod was an awesome tour guide! great experience!

I spent the week in Santa Barbara and had the pleasure of attending a beautifully curated event by…read moreSanta Barbara Tours & Experiences! I also had the great joy of meeting the owner, Joseph. He's immensely personable and knowledgeable of the SB area and kindly shared some locals only recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing. Looking forward to visiting again to enjoy a food and sightseeing tour! Thanks again for helping me with a memorable week in Santa Barbara!

I discovered Santa Barbara Tours and Experiences when I was looking for different ways to discover…read moremy new hometown and I am so glad I did. Joseph was professional, knew his stuff, and made the tour a lot of fun. I look forward to the next one!