Santa Barbara Harbor

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!

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.

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!

My wife and I had so much on the harbor that we had to take a yacht from the harbor to enjoy it some more. It was a coastal yacht cruise for 1 hour and it was amazing and not to mention the weather was a perfect 75 degrees. I would definetly do this again and next time I plan to do the sunset cruise.

Maybe I’m biased having grown up in SB, but I love this place. The mountains truly reach the sea and there is beauty all around. Great for a walk, boat ride, or going to one of the great local restaurants. This is a must if you are visiting Santa Barbara.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 ¼ 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!

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

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.

Beautiful harbor! I come here every time I visit Santa Barbara. I enjoy walking out past the flag poles and sitting on the whale tails! It’s a great place to snap some photos! The only bummer is that you have to pay for parking even if you’re only there for a few minutes.

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
that you can ship from.

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!