SANTA MONICA VS. SANTA BARBARA

Hi there! Welcome again to my blog! Today's topic is Santa Monica vs. Santa Bárbara, two of this most visited coastal cities of Los Angeles. In this post, we'll help to decide where to stay.

Santa Monica Highlights

1. Unbelievably magic sunsets

Before visiting Santa Monica, I had never seen a Sunset on the beach. So now I have at Santa Monica, I have to say that Sunsets are magical. The vibe on the beach is amazing, everyone is preparing their cameras. And then the sunset occurs, and for a couple of minutes, the sea looks like a beautiful mirror. I had enough time to take like a thousand photos. It's just a must-see.

2. Iconic film spots

The Ferris Wheel

At the Pier, you can find the amazing Ferris Wheel, a feature of the Pacific Park. The tickets for each game are around 5-10 dollars.

The End of 66 Route

You can take a picture with the end of the highly iconic route, which finishes on the pier. Driving on this route should be on your bucket list!

Bubba Gump

The film-inspired restaurant features a lot of details for fans; like the iconic spot where Forest waited and told his story.

If you wanna hang out with friends, Santa Monica is definitely the place to choose. That’s because it has so much going on that you won’t be bored at any time.

2. You can do shopping

The city owns Mall Centers and a full-of-shops main street (called Promenade). You can find A LOT of brands like Uniqlo, Adidas, Abercrombie and Apple. Something you ain't gonna find at Santa Barbara.

3. It's closer from LA and Malibu

Santa Monica is a shorter drive from Los Angeles than Santa Barbara. It toked us 2 hours to drive to Santa Barbara the first time, but the second it was a FIVE-HOURS DRIVE due to the terrible LA traffic.

What's more, Santa Monica is near Malibu, which an INCREDIBLE place to visit. I guess I'll be talking about Malibu very soon too, cause I loved it.

4. There's so much going on

Just to be clear, if you wanna hang out with friends, Santa Monica is definitely the place to choose. That’s because it has so much going on that you won’t be bored at any time. Santa Monica is busier than Santa Barbara which a coastal vibe as well.

YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO I MADE ABOUT SANTA MONICA (SORRY I FEEL PROUD OF IT) HERE.

Santa Barbara Highlights

1. Colonial Style

If you are looking forward to see the colonial-Spanish style, maybe Santa Barbara is the place of choice. The city features the Old Mision and The Presidio Real, among other important constructions.

2. Relaxing vibe

If you are looking for relaxation, Santa Barbara is the place to chose. Its main street, it's quiet and relaxing. This city is definitely more for families, with its not-that-busy city beaches and the city centre.

3. Lovely little hotels

We stayed at Franciscan Inn, a little but lovely hotel with old-fashioned rooms. It was great.

They offer afternoon treats, so you can grab an amazing chocolate chip cookie and a coffee and go to the beach.

All around you will find this kind of places. The only word to describe them is lovely. They are just like in movies!

One accommodation that called my attention was Hotel Milo. Although I haven't stayed there, the place looked stunning (and it's in front of the beach), so if you want to check it out, you can click (not an affiliate link) here.

What's more, they offer bikes so you can enjoy Santa Barbara by riding, which is a great idea due to the pretty sidewalk there's along the beach.

If we talk about food… there's a place called Toma Restaurant that serves one of the best pasta I ever had. It isn't cheap but worth it cause the service it's amazing.

If you want to hang-out with friends, there's a lot of bars and great Mexican places along the main street (which is called State Street). They serve amazing Margaritas made with local strawberries. Still, it's the main street is not that busy as the Santa Barbara one.

In summary, Santa Barbara has a small-town vibe, perfect for families and people who are looking for a quiet beach. But if you are hoping to have some adventure in a busy and still coastal city, Santa Monica, with its beautiful sunsets, might be the place for you.

That was everything for today! I'll see in the next post.

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