Santa Barbara

An earthquake in June 1925 destroyed much of the commercial centre, and the rebuilding committee decided the new downtown would be uniformly Spanish Colonial Revival - white stucco, red tile, arcades and courtyards - a decision enforced by design review ever since, which is why the city looks coherent in a way few American cities do. The county courthouse of 1929 is the set piece, with a tiled Moorish tower open to climb and a mural room, generally reckoned among the finest public buildings in the state. The Old Mission, founded 1786, is the tenth of the California missions. The city faces south, which is unusual on this coast, so the sun sets over the water to the west along the shore.

What you actually see

• A downtown rebuilt after 1925 - and held to one style by ordinance.
• The 1929 courthouse - a climbable Moorish tower and mural room.
• The Old Mission of 1786 - tenth in the California chain.
• A south-facing coastline - unusual on this shore.

When to go

Year round; May and June bring coastal fog. A full day.

Honest expectations

It is expensive - lodging especially. Parking downtown is metered and limited. Late spring often has heavy morning overcast. Beaches face south, so surf is smaller than visitors expect.

Nearby

Solvang is inland; the Channel Islands are offshore by boat.