It's always a nice little break whenever we're down here. Slightly different from State Street in a sense as you're away from the crowds but it's a different kind of crowd here. You have the waterfront and beach. Right when you drive in, there's parking on both side. The lot out front is a paid lot which I believe is 3.00 per hours. If you continue to drive through, there's a lot there that's free I believe. It's a hit or miss in that one as it tends to get utilized first. Along the waterfront are some restaurants which I highly do recommend Brophy's Bro and the Santa Barbara Fish Market. If you love seafood, this is your place. Pretty much everything is near each other so you don't have to walk far. Liquor store, realtor, public restrooms, shop, and a few other businesses. But if you continue walking on the path along the water, it leads you out to the walkway and jetty. It's a beautiful strip so it's definitely worth checking out. At the end of the path, you're literally right across the pier. A small beach depending on the time with the tide. Regardless if you're there for the beach, harbor, a meal or just taking it in. This place is quite nice. Nothing crazy but a nice views of boats and the waterfront. The path along the front will lead you to and from downtown. If you like a nice walk, that'll be pretty or a nice bike ride. Regardless where you're at, it's a nice place to just take it in. read more

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Loved visiting and taking in the beauty of this place! Beautiful harbor to walk around. Many boats, signs with some history on the local history/fishing, and a few small business nearby if you want to enjoy a meal out too. Walk to the end of the wharf for the best views. 90 min parking for free. Otherwise, it's about $4 an hour. read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I love coming to the harbor every chance I get. It's one of my favorite spots to wander around and take a light stroll along the breakwater. There are a few benches provided along the way facing the boats. The harbor offers boat rides, cruises, and charters. Kayak, jet ski and paddleboard rentals are also available. If you have time, I recommend taking Lil' Toot waterfront taxi. You will enjoy a 25 minute narrated ride from the harbor to Stearns Wharf, and the best surprise is seeing the seals hanging out during the cruise. This is such a fun little ride to take and not to be missed. During the weekends you can find fresh local seafood for sale. The most popular seems to be Uni; which is served fresh on site. They also have Uni shooters. Lobsters, crabs and sea snails are also offered. There are a few restaurants here providing breakfast, lunch and dinner. Brophy Bros is the one you need to plan ahead for, since it's always busy. I recommend making a reservation ahead of time or put yourself on the waitlist. Luckily you can do this here on Yelp! Dart coffee recently opened, which provides craft-roasted coffee, and lite bites. They seem to be busier on the weekends, so if you don't want to wait in line, then go around the corner to On The Alley and grab a great tasting cup of coffee and quick breakfast. There are several parking lots here, but I highly recommend grabbing one of the 90 minute spots if you can manage to find one. I usually get lucky finding one if I come here early enough. Obviously if you plan to be here longer, then park in the timed lot or outside of it and pay for your ticket according to the length of your stay. Overall, the harbor is a nice relaxing place to visit and one that I enjoy coming to as often as I can. read more

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Nice place to take in the harbor and stroll along the breakwater. It's fun to play dodger the water at high tide or high surf. Most of the time it's way to escape getting wet. Plenty of local fishermen (people) and locals eager to engage in conversation. Also, a fine place to launch your boat for ocean action. Really a 3.798 experience but I'm felling generous today and flying the full five star treatment. Highly recommend for fun and shenanigans. read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

In terms of attractions in Santa Barbara, I am always magnetized when I get to the Harbor Waterfront. Just the quietness in the air, the stillness of the bay, and the many fishing and recreational boats, injects a sense of tranquility and relaxation. I like walking along Harbor Way, with the ocean on one side and the harbor on the other. The sea breeze is fresh, and the scenery welcomes you to this small but stunning location. I will confess, my main pull to this area is Brophy Bros, which I think is one of the best, if not the best seafood restaurant in Santa Barbara. The view, when you are sitting outside at this restaurant is a fantastic complement to the amazing selection of seafood at this eatery. There are also other food places and businesses that are at this harbor address to cater to many tastes. I know I will keep coming back here, and I think, so will you. read more

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Lovely Harbor! It is very relaxing and refreshing just to walk around enjoying the view plus pets are welcome. Along Santa Barbara Harbor, some of the places to eat are: Santa Barbara Fish Market, On the Alley, Sushi Go Go, Brophy Bros, and Breakwater Restaurant. A lot of choices, right? For Brophy Bros. and the Breakwater restaurant, there are both indoor and outdoor seating. This is a lovely place and a must to visit when in Santa Barbara! Find time to dropby if visiting this area! read more

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Great location for a morning or afternoon walk! I like that the walkway curves around so one can get a great view of the ocean. Excellent photo ops!!! I love seeing the blue sky, blue water against the numerous white boats!! Take you comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunglasses and sunblock. read more

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The Majestic Princess made a stop here today. We had to take a shuttle to the city. It was a short ride to the harbor, and also a short walk to State Street, which has shopping and dining, a winery, trolley, and a movie theater. read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Cute sign - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Santa Barbara's harbor has a laid back, very accessible feel. Parking can be tricky, but with people coming and going pretty frequently, you can get lucky. We dropped by yesterday at 4:30 to catch an early dinner at Brophy Brothers, and snagged a 90 minute spot very close to the small shops and services, and the entrance to the private SB Yacht Club parking lot. After we enjoyed our meal, we went walking out on the seawall path. Our nephew was with us, and we retraced the steps taken some years before when his sister was considering attending Santa Barbara Community College. At the end of the seawall, there's a beautiful vista spot to take in the harbor, and the city panorama. It highlights the gorgeous scenery that SBCC is lucky to inhabit. Our nephew is planning to start attending the college soon, so it was fitting to show him what will be in his new venue. As we walked out, young kids paddled by on kayaks and paddleboards. I said that he could take up surfing, paddleboarding, beach volleyball, or even live aboard a boat. So many options in and around the harbor! In past visits, Dear Hubby and I have witnessed the fascinating process of boats offloading their catch of anemones, clattering into containers, to then truck them off to LAX to be flown out to Japan, where I understand sushi chefs turn then into a popular delicacy. To be sure, there's always something happening at the harbor, even if it's just long-winded fish tales! read more

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I mean it's just so dreamy walking around here at night. The moon. A clear night sky. Beautiful boats in the background. Clean/crisp air. And the ocean...a strange, vast, dark and mysterious (yet comforting) place at night. And I feel safe. I don't feel any bad vibes. It's places like this that add sugary sweetness to life. read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This review is for the Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival at the harbor. This was the annual event that is put on each year up here for the opening of lobster season. The festival is only for one day (what a bummer) from 10am to pm, the admission is free to walk in, but parking is not, if you drive in you can pay by the hour 3 to 4 hours about $8.00 This is a family oriented event that has some activities for each and everyone here. There are so many vendors here selling some of everything this place was so crowded I couldn't tell you how many times I said excuse me, I'm sorry, pardon me to the guys (think about it) now you can laugh. The Maritime museum was open, free boat rides tour of the harbor, live entertainment, harbor patrol tour with lights & siren on. The main attraction here is the fresh caught lobster's, crab, prawn's plus other seafood that is also caught by local fishermen here, the sea food here was fresh and delicious. The only thing I would complain about is the seating, there is not enough tables & chairs here, if you find a spot to stand or sit you better take it. read more

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The harbor was very nice, parking was right on the harbor which is free for the first 90 min. We walked around the Bay Area stores, restaurant and ice cream shops. We saw seals and sting rays. It's a pretty nice to kayak or paddle board. They have boat tour you can rent. It was a very nice place to visit. read more

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Pretty views. 90-minutes free parking. But other than that, there just isn't all that much to do here. You do have access to the beach from the Harbor section. And you can catch the water taxi to go across to the Wharf ($5 each way - if it's running). But on the Harbor side there is a store or two and a few restaurants as well as the Maritime museum. As part of a day checking out Santa Barbara, this is worth a stop, but besides the great views, not a lot to occupy your time. We didn't check out the Maritime museum - didn't seem that interesting to us. The Harbor is a stop on the Santa Barbara Trolley tour and I you get 2 for 1 admission to the Maritime museum if you buy a trolley ticket. read more

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Santa Barbara Harbor is like the West Coast version of New England seaports. Lots of boats on the docks. Visitors can walk on the waterfront, ocean views and Stern Wharf for free, but parking is not free. read more

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I was at the harbor to pick up seafood from Cheverez Seafood. Mr. Cheverez was wearing a mask and so are the people who worked at the Santa Barbara Harbor. However, it was infuriating to see that about 80% of the customers who wandered around the area weren't wearing masks. The harbor is too narrow to spread out efficiently like a park or the beach, so you see a bunch of ignorant and entitled people lined up to get food from On The Alley and Sushi Go Go, then they all sit on the side to eat, well within arm's reach of each other. read more

Our friends keep a boat here, so we have hung out on board several times and enjoyed the pleasant ambiance of the harbor. Even better, there are several restaurants within walking distance when we run out of bread, cheese, and wine. The walking path that runs along Santa Barbara's entire waterfront also leads out on to the jetty with great views of the mountains and water to remind you of SB's beautiful setting and why we live here. The pier is also a great walking opp. The maritime museum is informative, and there are some quirky shops along the walkway. Parking is an issue, but I can usually find a spot in one of the two nearby pay lots. read more

Cute harbor! We visited it over the weekend. We never had the chance to check it out before, even if it's within walking distance form Stearns Wharf (10 minutes). The harbor isn't big, but it's cute, has a fun atmosphere (there was a band playing near by), lively with boats, cool activities, people, small stores, nice seafood restaurants. You can spend as much or little time here as you want -ice-cream, or lunch, dinner, or just a nice stroll. You can board on the Little Toot from here to Stearns Wharf (15 minutes ride) for $5. Nice discovery for us even if we've been to SB many times before. We walked to downtown area from here on Cabrillo Blvd. which was a beautiful, short walk. If you're in the area, check it out. On a nice, sunny day, it could be a great activity! read more

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I spent a couple hours on the Santa Barbara Harbor the day after Thanksgiving, when Matt B. and I were in town visiting with family and friends. I've been to Santa Barbara dozens of times, but this was my first time on the Harbor. We went because I thought it was high time I tried Brophy Bros. As it turns out, lots of people were craving seafood that day--we were told it'd be more than an hour before a table opened up. It was nice out, and we took the opportunity to take a walk along the harbor. We strolled through the commercial area, then the sea wall, which protected imperfectly against the cool splash of the ocean. There were sea lions lounging on buoys in the near distance; we saw their silhouettes and heard their barks. We followed the path all the way to and across the long, narrow walkway to the tiny beach at the end, otherwise only accessible by water. This was a fun excursion, with four of us making our way single file on this little beat up path surrounded and interrupted by giant rocks. The beach itself wasn't the most beautiful--small, with kind of rocky sand--but there were some great dogs swimming and fetching, and the view of Santa Barbara was lovely. Brophy Bros. ended up being well worth a visit, and even the long wait was a bonus, because it gave us time for some exploration. I enjoyed my first trip to the Santa Barbara Harbor and hope to go back again soon, for more food and fun by the sea. read more

I love coming down to the Santa Barbara Harbor once a week! It's such a beautiful place during the day and so relaxing at night. During the day you can see the mountains, the ocean, the boats, and more! There's some paths to walk on along in the harbor. There are also places to sit and relax along the way. I love strolling by the sea wall and watching the sea lions in the distance. You can usually see and hear the sea lions everyday! At night it's very relaxing because you can see the stars and the boats all lite up. It's usually not that busy at night which makes it the perfect place to relax after a busy day. There are many different restaurants to enjoy and a shop to look at! The restaurants include brophy bros, on the alley, endless summer, a sushi place, and more! They have their own parking lot for the harbor too which is great and convenient. There are amazing views from all of the restaurants here! Overall I love the Harbor because of the delicious restaurants, beautiful views, and watching all of the boats while I'm there. I can't wait to enjoy this place all Summer long! read more

We booked a kayaking activity around the harbor, so we had a chance to walk and kayak around the harbor. It is a big harbor full of private boats. There are a lot of water activities around the harbor but I prefer the wharf in terms of scenery. There are a lot of parking available. read more

A beautiful and relaxing place that has its own private beach. It wasn't crowded at all. Maybe because it was cold but the sun was very warm. You can smell the ocean breeze and sargassum along the way. It's a nice place to get some fresh air. read more

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Hello, I took my grandchildren on the Little Toot last week. It's the best value for your time and money. My grandkids smiled the whole time. The captain was very nice. Ali was our guide and was very informative,and kind to the children who kept asking her questions that she was able to answered. The food on the wharf was yummy,and the kids loved the candy store. read more

The Thursday before President's Day, about 4:00 p.m., I arrived in Santa Barbara Harbor and pulled up to the fuel dock. Great, no other boats so this should be easy. Now, a little background. I am a disabled veteran with a hip replacement and trying to put off my knee replacement as long as possible, in other words a bit gimpy. As I closed in on the dock, I noticed the employee inside, sitting behind the window. Did he come out to help pick up a dock line? Nope, just sat there and watched me. I tied up to the dock. Well I walked in and he said " gas or diesel"? Diesel. He then came out, turned on the fuel pump, laid the hose on the dock, went back inside, sat down again. I filled both port and starboard tanks, dragging the fuel hose across the back of the boat to get to the outboard tank. Secured everything then laid the fuel hose back on the dock. He's still still sitting there watching me. Walked in and he said "credit or debit". I paid cash. Well, back to the boat, undid the lines pushed off and went to my reserved slip in the harbor. Now I've been to dozens of fuel docks up and down the length of Southern California (even Mexico) and this is the first time this has happened to me. Normally fuel dock personnel go out of their way to help you tie your boat up, hand you the fuel hose, make sure there's no fuel escaping into the harbor, and help you push off when you're done. Not this lazy fellow. Honestly, he is a disgrace to Santa Barbara Harbor (otherwise a terrific place) and all boaters. read more

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SB Harbor is definitely the better waterfront with a more local vibe than the more tourist-centric Stearns Wharf! The atmosphere is relaxing, and the restaurants here are more reasonably priced and casual. Plus, parking is free for the first 90 minutes. I definitely recommend coming by either to just take a stroll or get a seafood meal here! read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Absolutely beautiful. Mountains. City lights. Ocean. Boats everywhere. So splendid. I had the opportunity to go out on the Channel Cat, the 85-foot catamaran owned by Charlie Munger. A beautiful vessel with a phenomenal crew. And the catering by Rincon Catering was absolutely delicious. And the wine from Folded Hills Winery (local winery owned by members of St. Louis' Busch family) was delicious. Especially the Grenache carbonic names after Grant's Farm in St. Louis. I encourage you to visit and set sail. read more

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Santa Barbara Harbor is one of our favorite places and has been a favorite of our club for over 16 years. However, we have learned the hard way that a written letter securing space for a group reservation is not honored. CLUBS BEWARE of this policy. Even if in writing, nothing is secured until ALL paperwork and money is paid. Our club has been visiting the same weekend every year for 16 years. 6 months out we make our reservations and are given a letter with held slips until closer to the time. When we went to submit the final list, we were told that another group already took the slips we had held. Not happy! read more

Just a great place to come, relax, people watch, walk around with a beer and enjoy the fresh air, good variety of food, the sights, sounds and a beautiful view! read more

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I was only here for dinner and a short walk around the harbor area but found it to be lovely and well-kept. I really loved the walk on the seawall, watching the tide come in. There is ample parking in the lot and the landscape is well-maintained. read more

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We came here right when they were unloading the UNI. So sad but beautiful at the same time. At sunset with the mountains behind is pretty spectacular. read more

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Paradise in Santa Barbara amazing place full of activities and restaurants sun,sand , sea, surf, cayack, paddle ,sailing and more read more

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Do not go to the Shells store, terrible service particularly if you are with kids. I just bought two overpriced rocks and got in trouble with the store for asking for 2 small paper bags instead of one to keep both kids happy. they said I need to be teaching my kids how to protect the environment and that each bag costs them 10 cents and basically blamed me for poor parenting and refused to refund what I bought . read more

Love all the options available here. Was looking for a place to launch my own kayak. I'm a total wimp and didn't want to launch in the waves of Leadbetter or West Beach. So found the boat ramp in the harbor where they have three ramps - one of which is a non-motorized boat ramp. It was perfect. From there you can paddle into the cove of East Beach and wander out into the ocean comfortably. Just be careful of the boats that do come in and out of the harbor. If you're lucky, you can park on W. Cabrillo Blvd. pretty close to the boat ramp. And you can launch from the beach as well. All the outriggers launch from there. If you do want to park right next to the boat ramp, realize that the entrance to the parking lot is 1/4 mile east of the lot so drive in there and then all the way to the end. It's $2/hour. There are several bathrooms at the harbor from one end to the other I think I counted 4. And clean, too. Plus they have a sailing center so you can rent kayaks or sailboats or whatever! read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Pretty shot from my kayak - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Great place to visit if youre in SB for the weekend! The pier is great too, but the harbor seems to have a little less crowd most of the time. Lots of things here to satisfy youre lunch/dinner cravings. Breakfast, ice cream, casual dinner, sushi, seafood... The maritime museum is interesting, Im not sure if I would pay to enter (not sure what the cost is either?) but can occupy 30 mins or so of your time. Great views from the rooftop on a clear day! Very nice to sit and watch the working boats coming in and unloading fish in the morning. Watch volleyball to the right, and walk out far out to the break of the harbor of the right for amazing views! read more

Great spot for a nice restaurant and take home fish markets plus the beautiful views of the boats and the people. read more

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Was really fun wondering around with our dogs here. We got there via the $4 water taxi which also allowed our dogs aboard.

I loved this place. It was so nice and peaceful. The doggies loved it here. We got to sit and meditate. So much so, that I got a sunburn! crazy. This is a good place to eat and relax. read more

Very nice walk, can get wet or slippery if waves are fierce! Fun eats around the harbor, you can rent water sports equipment nearby, not sure how good it is for storing boats bc I don't store one there... they have this amazing beach when tide is low enough that you can get to by walking straight down the rock wall, which can be dangerous if you are not good on your feet or have good balance, it has shallow sand bar you can play with kids on, very fun! read more

Santa Barbara Harbor - Please don't do that... - Tours Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Sometimes they have divers who bring their fresh wares / catches to sell at SB Harbor. This alone makes it worth the visit. But they aren't always there... so it is definitely hit or miss. Brophy Bros is supposed to be great for clam chowder, but that's not available until 11am. SO I have not been able to try it on my last two visits there. They really need to make this available in the morning... Santa Barbara Fish Market is also available there. You can pick up some fresh local fish OR even have your own catch filleted (just make sure you tip them). Make sure you go with what is seasonal and local. They have a website sbfish.com that you can ship from. read more

Very peaceful place, good food, good shops, good Maritime Museum, great walk along the paved breakwater. read more

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Very nice walk, with a great view of the boats, cruise ship, and local marine wildlife. A must see! read more

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