photo by Silas Fallstich
Travel
How To Plan A Girls’ Weekend in Santa Barbara
Girls, girls, my girls I do adore. Girls’ getaways are the best kind of getaways. Whether you’re planning a “Girls Gone Mild” weekend or heading out for a bachelorette getaway, Santa Barbara’s beaches...
photo by Silas Fallstich
Girls, girls, my girls I do adore. Girls’ getaways are the best kind of getaways. Whether you’re planning a “Girls Gone Mild” weekend or heading out for a bachelorette getaway, Santa Barbara’s beaches and laidback attitude are sure to keep your posse in high spirits.
From Santa Barbara hotels to different things to in the city of Santa Barbara, we’ve got your trip all planned out. Cute wine bars near Santa Barbara wineries, kitschy SoCal bungalows, the best sushi restaurants, and the cutest retail shops are just a few of the spots on our girls’ getaway must-do list. So, take a browse and we’ll catch ya on the beach!
Reporter: Alyssa Brown
From Santa Barbara hotels to different things to in the city of Santa Barbara, we’ve got your trip all planned out. Cute wine bars near Santa Barbara wineries, kitschy SoCal bungalows, the best sushi restaurants, and the cutest retail shops are just a few of the spots on our girls’ getaway must-do list. So, take a browse and we’ll catch ya on the beach!
Reporter: Alyssa Brown
Surf’s up at this Southern California Kimpton hotel. The Goodland is decked out in California flags, surfboards, cool textiles, and some seriously laidback beach vibes. If you and the girls are looking for a spot to park by the pool and sleep in past your alarm clocks, you’ll definitely want to book a room with a private terrace at this spot.
This Indonesian restaurant, with an adorable courtyard out back, is great gathering grounds for a big girls-only bash. Check out the artisan cocktail list for some serious stunners like the mushroom and black walnut cocktail, aptly named Where the Wild Things Are.
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Whether you head over to taste a wine flight with a handful of your gals or plan to throw a party for a larger group of ladies in their lovely courtyard, Margerum delights with its So Cal aesthetic. Red tile roofs, the scent of orange blossoms in the air, and the Mediterranean décor will make your crew feel right at home.
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With an urban industrial feel and a dash of cozy charm, The Lark is a fab meet-up spot for ladies looking to get together and share a good meal with good people. Just a couple of blocks from the beach, it’d be easy to spend a day lounging, surfing, shopping, and wine tasting before moseying over to this restaurant.
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Set on a hilltop overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley, Rancho Maroma is a private estate that sleeps up to ten guests. With easy access to Los Olivos and the surrounding vineyards, this spot makes a great home-base for a girls weekend of wine tasting and relaxing by the pool.
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Planning a big soiree for the ladies who light up your life? This spot is perfect for an evening of wine tasting and dining in a 1920s warehouse. The Santa Barbara Wine Collective can accommodate a group of up to 100 guests and requires basically no additional décor since it’s such a rad space.
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Calling all airstream dreamers! Santa Barbara’s Autocamp is a permanent airstream hotel set up right in the middle of town. With five trailers, you can sleep a total of 20 gal pals in this little enclave. Best part? The trailers are super luxe and even come with cruiser bikes so you can pop over to the beach and shops real quick.
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A girls-only weekend wouldn’t be complete without at least a little bit of shopping. Santa Barbara’s Diani has been around since 2002 and never disappoints. Stop by to add a little pop of chic SoCal inspiration to your wardrobe.
A Funk Zone favorite, Lucky Penny serves up some of the best wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches and fresh salads in town. Head on over when you and the ladies are looking for some much needed comfort food, and wash it down with a swig of Lucky Penny’s own craft beer or wine.
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One of the best Four Seasons resorts in California, the Biltmore has a Spanish Colonial ease that feels equal parts luxurious and laidback. If you’re looking to host a girls getaway that’s calm and pampering, check this spot out for a weekend of girls gone mild.
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Rent a few bungalows and sip cocktails by the pool at this 1920s luxury hotel. Perched on a hilltop overlooking Santa Barbara and the glittering ocean, Belmond El Encanto is a sweet spot for a weekend of delicious eats, plush spa treatments and some serious QT with your girls.
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If you and your girls are big tequila fans, Cielito will have you raising glasses and shouting, “arriba, abajo, al centro, pa’ dentro!” With over 90 tequilas to choose from, this bar and restaurant packs some serious heat. If you’re headed here with a group, check out the sweet patio tables with twinkly lights overhead.
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Set overlooking the great Pacific, Canary Hotel has a Mediterranean vibe that’ll have you and the girls feeling relaxed and even a little bit posh. A boutique hotel right in downtown Santa Barbara, this getaway is great for the girls who want to be able to enjoy walking around town to the shops and restaurants that make SB so charming.
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A true escape from the ho-hum of everyday life, San Ysidro Ranch is the type of resort you go to with your best friends to breathe in the fragrance of fresh air peppered with orange blossom and magnolias, wander the gardens, get a spa treatment or two, pop by a few vineyards for wine tasting, and lounge in the outdoor hot tubs. If mellow is your speed, this one’s for you.
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For the adventurous crew of women, El Capitan Canyon is a prime spot for a weekend of reconnecting with nature and each other. A collection of luxury cedar cabins and safari tents dotted along El Capitan Creek, this girls’ getaway spot is just twenty miles north of Santa Barbara.
Head on over to West Beach if you’re looking for a central Santa Barbara hotel that’s snuggled right up to the coast. With a colonial vibe that feels more sophisticated than your typical beach hotel, Hotel Milo is an awesome getaway spot for ladies looking to be able to hop around town easily between beach hangs.
Looking for a spot that’s a little more home-like than most resorts? This charming Victorian home and carriage house date back to the late 1800s and feel as cozy and welcoming as staying at a family member’s place. If you’re looking for a spot where you and the girls can just relax and be yourselves, and maybe take a daily stroll through the gardens, check out Simpson House Inn.
Little known fact: Santa Barbara is the uni capital of America. Sea urchin, that is. Arigato is known over much of the coast as one of the best sushi restaurants in California and they sure do serve up some delicious uni. Check it out for a night of good eats with your besties.
Ain’t no party like an ice cream party, y’all! Pop on over to this Santa Barbara ice creamery for a triple scoop with your BFF, or plan a whole event in the space. Either way, be sure to order the toasted almond chip. Or the boysenberry rosé milk jam. Or the Eureka lemon and marionberries. Okay, just order one of everything.
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Chasing butterflies is one of those activities we tend to think of as child’s play. But you know what? It’s real fun as grown ups too. Grab your girlfriends and wander the eucalyptus groves, sage scrub habitat and creek trails of this 9-acre land preserve that’s home to over a thousand plant species and countless monarchs.
Whether you’re in it for a simple dinner with your gal pals or a full-on party spot, Finch and Fork serves up some of Santa Barbara’s best eats. From fresh oysters on the half shell to buttermilk fried chicken, the menu provides a great mix of California comfort foods. Rent out the rooftop for an epic gathering with views of the Santa Barbara coastline.
Looking for an awesome place to spend sunset in Santa Barbara with your girls? Head on over to the Santa Barbara Sailing School to book a private charter for the evening, or rent a few paddleboards if you’re feeling a little more fitness-minded.
Craving authentic Japanese but can’t get the whole gaggle of girls over to Japan? Yoichi’s has just what you’re after, without the hefty price of a flight. With traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine, this restaurant is an easy place to spend a few hours sipping sake and making your way through the freshest of fish.
There’s nothing we love more than a night out with our ladies, sharing guac and tossing back margaritas. For really good, authentic Mexican food, head to Los Agaves. Order up a bit of everything and do it family style at this spot. Olé!
Feelin’ that beach life? Boathouse is a perfect stopover for lunch, brunch or dinner during your Santa Barbara girls’ getaway. Set right on the beach, this spot is great for soaking up some sun and tossing back fresh seafood and frozen dranks on the deck.
If you’re rolling deep with a crew of foodies during your girls’ weekend, you absolutely have to check out Farm Belly. Chef and farmer, Michelle Aronson, brings cooking classes straight to your rental house door (or your fave winery or your home or wherever you’d like, really). Don’t forget to pack the aprons!
This gorgeous wine shop is *the* place to go when you and the girls are looking to experience California’s best wines. Whether you’re looking for an after-dinner spot to unwind or just stopping by to pick up a pre-picnic bottle, Les Marchands has you covered. Take a browse at the event list too, as they often host winemaker dinners, educational events and interactive tastings.
Let’s be real. If you’re celebrating a girls’ weekend or bachelorette party in Santa Barbara, you’re bound to end up with at least one hangover. Best way to kick it? Veggie juice and cleansing ginger shots, of course. Juice Ranch serves up all organic, locally-sourced, cold-pressed juices that’ll kick that hangover in no time.
Just down the road from San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, Jenni Kayne’s inviting retail shop is a must-browse during a girls’ getaway. The designer’s easy California style shines through every stitch of clothing, and the accessories are some of our absolute favorites.
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Open all day every day, the Santa Barbara Public Market is a collective of merchants that range from coffee purveyors to a fish market and a wine seller. Head over to the market to stock up on treats for your rental house, or stop by for lunch during your girls’ weekend. Be sure to wander the gardens too!
Treatments, workshops and classes abound at the Salt Cave in downtown Santa Barbara. Plan ahead and book a group salt scrub with your girls or take a mat Pilates, gentle yoga or tai chi class. This underground spot is LIT and will have you feeling totally zen faster than you can say Himalayan pink salt.
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Do you know someone who owns a beautiful barn, gorgeous getaway, or rad rental home? Share this roundup and tell them to request an invitation today in order to be featured on The Venue Report.
Where will you celebrate?
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