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Santa Barbara
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Coastal · Easy

Santa Barbara

The American Riviera, where every red-tile roof has a backstory.

Santa Barbara wears its history on its sleeve — Spanish missions, Chumash heritage, oil-baron mansions, and a downtown rebuilt entirely in red-tile Spanish Revival after the 1925 earthquake. This hunt walks you from the Mission down through the Funk Zone, with detours into the courthouse and the wharf.

The Map

Your route

Offline directionsOpen in Maps

Pinch to zoom. Tap a marker to see the stop name. The dashed line traces the suggested walking order.

The Hunt

Turn-by-turn stops

Each stop shows the walking distance and direction from the previous one, plus a tap-through to your phone's maps for step-by-step directions.

  1. 01

    Old Mission Santa Barbara

    "Begin at the Queen of the Missions. Two bell towers, one front fountain. Count the steps to the door."

    34.4383, -119.7136Start walking here
  2. 1.2 mi~26 min walkhead SSE from stop 1
    02

    Courthouse Sunken Garden

    "A grass amphitheater behind a Spanish-Moorish castle. Walk to the center. Look up at the clock tower."

    34.4231, -119.7036Walk from stop 1
  3. 1.5 mi~31 min walkhead SE from stop 2
    03

    Stearns Wharf

    "Walk the wood planks to the end. Find the brass plaque naming the year it was built."

    34.4086, -119.6850Walk from stop 2
  4. 1.0 mi~21 min walkhead NW from stop 3
    04

    El Paseo

    "An interior passage of arches and tile fountains. Find the iron lamp shaped like a galleon."

    34.4193, -119.6967Walk from stop 3
  5. 830 m~11 min walkhead ESE from stop 4
    05

    The Funk Zone Mural Wall

    "Where wine tasting meets street art. Find the mural with a giant blue whale."

    34.4156, -119.6889Walk from stop 4
  6. 340 m~5 min walkhead SW from stop 5
    06

    Moreton Bay Fig

    "Largest of its kind in the country. You can't miss it — the canopy covers half a block."

    34.4136, -119.6917Walk from stop 5
  7. 800 m~11 min walkhead NNW from stop 6
    07

    Presidio Adobe

    "Whitewashed walls, three feet thick. Find the room with the original beam ceiling."

    34.4197, -119.6964Walk from stop 6
  8. 450 m~6 min walkhead WNW from stop 7
    08

    State Street Tile

    "Look down at the sidewalk crossing State and Cota. Find the tile compass rose."

    34.4208, -119.7011Walk from stop 7
  9. 480 m~6 min walkhead ESE from stop 8
    09

    Lobero Theatre

    "California's oldest continuously operating theater. Find the cornerstone."

    34.4194, -119.6961Walk from stop 8
  10. 940 m~13 min walkhead SE from stop 9
    10

    Chase Palm Park Carousel

    "An antique carousel under a tile-roofed pavilion. Find the horse with the carved butterfly."

    34.4144, -119.6878Walk from stop 9
  11. 1.4 mi~31 min walkhead WNW from stop 10
    11

    Alameda Park Bandstand

    "An octagonal bandstand under jacarandas. Find the date carved on the cornerstone."

    34.4253, -119.7094Walk from stop 10
  12. 1.8 mi~38 min walkhead SSE from stop 11
    12

    Sunset at the Breakwater

    "End on the granite jetty. Walk to the bend. Watch the harbor lights come on."

    34.4039, -119.6925Walk from stop 11