By Sophie Habermann (Germany)
A lot of tourists are travelling to Santa Barbara each year. One reason for travelling to this city is the variety of activities, especially outdoor activities, that Santa Barbara offers to their tourists.
Kayaking is a very popular outdoor activity in many places. If you’re in Santa Barbara you’ve got the opportunity to do different kayaking courses\routes. On the one hand, you can do coastal kayaking at the Santa Barbara Harbor. Coastal kayaking includes a relaxing introduction to the exciting sport of sea kayaking and afterwards a two hours paddling adventure around the Santa Barbara shoreline. The paddling distance of this tour is about 1-2 miles and it costs $55 per person. Coastal kayaking is the perfect half day activity for the whole family. On the other hand you can do Channel Islands Kayaking, the most popular Channel Island National Park tour. It’s a 2-3 hour trip with a paddling distance of 2.5-3 miles. By doing Channel Islands Kayaking you’re going to explore the sea caves around Scorpion anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, where some of the most beautiful sea caves of the world can be found. The costs of this this trip are $149 per adult and $139 per child (12 and under).
Other popular water sports in Santa Barbara are surfing and stand up paddling. Stand up paddling is the fastest growing ocean sport that allows guests to experience incredible views of the city, mountains and ocean while enjoying a great total body workout. In Santa Barbara it’s possible to take stand up paddle lessons, a two hour session of instruction and practice for $89 per person.
If you’re not interested in stand up paddling you can take surfing lessons instead. Surfing lessons are a simple introduction for a first time surfer or someone who has tried surfing a few times and needs some pointers. Santa Barbara Adventure Company’s surf lessons offer students a great foundation to this exciting sport with knowledgeable instructors.
In addition to water activities, Santa Barbara offers different outdoor activities. Biking tours in Santa Barbara are very popular. For example, the wine country tour is a moderate biking tour for $159 per person. The distance is about 10-15 miles and it takes you into the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country, home to several very popular California vintners. Another popular biking tour is the Mountains to shore tour for $119 per person. This bike ride is great for all skill levels. The start of the tour is high in the mountains and while heading downhill you’ll be stopping to enjoy some of the area’s most loved locations, including the Santa Barbara Mission. The end of this biking tour is at a local Santa Barbara beach. The biking tours are not just about biking. If you want to enjoy the beauty of Santa Barbara you can do the Seaside Biking Tour for $119 per person. This tour, with a distance of 15 miles, is designed to show the beauty of coastal Santa Barbara. The guides will be guiding you along the way, stopping at points of interest for photo opportunities and talking about natural history.
Another outdoor sport in Santa Barbara is rock climbing. Santa Barbara offers you the opportunity to choose between basic and intermediate climbing. Basic climbing is a thorough introduction to rock craft with emphasis on safety and fun. Intermediate Climbing will cost $169 per person and you’ll be climbing basic and challenging routes.
If you’re in Santa Barbara you have got way more activities like horseback riding, snorkeling, etc.. The opportunities for outdoor activities in Santa Barbara are limitless, just give them a try.
Writing this article inspired my to do some of these outdoor activities. Next week I’m going to do surfing and maybe kayaking.
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