Nicknamed “the Good Land,” this comely coastal plain 10 miles west of Santa Barbara is home to a flourishing tech industry, premier golf and surf hotspots, and the innovative University of California in Santa Barbara—as well as all the pleasant beaches, farm-fresh food, and regional wineries the Gold Coast is known for.
Once considered the sleepier, small-town sister to Santa Barbara, the city is fast becoming a destination in its own right due to a crop of new craft breweries, the opening of several stylish hotels and resorts, its popular annual festivals, and a growing awareness of the area’s natural beauty and charms.