Activities in Santa Barbara Area
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Santa Barbara Old Town Trolley
Santa Barbara Old Town Trolley operates 90-minute guided tours in an open-sided, San Francisco-style, motorized cable car. It gives a great overview of the city's sights, and allows you to get on and off at 14 different stops. Start the tour at Stearns Wharf, or call for other pick-up points. Pay the driver directly; check online for discounts.
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B
Santa Barbara Sailing Center
Santa Barbara Sailing Center will take you sailing on the Double Dolphin, a 50ft sailing catamaran, for around US$35. One child, age 12 and under, is free with each paid adult. If you want to pilot your own craft, the center also rents paddleboats, motorboats, fishing boats and sailboats. In season they offer whale-watching too.
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C
Open Air Bikes
Road cyclists should check out Open Air Bikes for rentals, sales and accessories. The helpful staff has loads of information on local rides. Road bikes rent for about around US$75 per day, with costs decreasing the longer the rental. It's about $210 per week.
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D
Sunset Kidd's Sailing Cruises
Sunset Kidd's Sailing Cruises will take you on a two-hour whale-watching trip in an 18-passenger sailboat for around US$35 per person. It also operates pleasure trips - try the sunset cocktail cruise - for the same price.
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E
Los Baños del Mar
You can also swim in Los Baños del Mar , a municipal outdoor pool near West Beach which is good for recreational and lap swimming. For little ones under eight years old, there's a wonderful wading pool.
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Land and Sea Tours
If you dig James Bond-style gadgets and vehicles, take a guided tour of the city on the Land Shark with Land and Sea Tours , then drive right into the water for a tour in this amphibious vehicle.
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F
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Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours
Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours runs guided jeep tours of the mountains and forest above the town, including hiking/driving tours, horseback riding/driving tours, family outings, wine-country jaunts, and sunset-chasing journeys for adults. Tours of three to 6½ hours cost around US$89 to around US$150 per person. The charge per child for the Family Discovery Mountain Tour is $69.
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Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
For info on biking in Santa Barbara, contact the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition , which also has online printable self-biking tours. The Cabrillo Blvd beachfront bike path runs for 3 miles along the water, between the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge and Leadbetter Beach. The Goleta Bikeway continues west to UCSB.
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Surf Happens
Surf Happens offers lessons which also incorporate the zen of surfing; if you decide that this is the place to begin your spiritual journey, it costs around US$60 per hour (two-hour minimum).
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G
Paddle Sports
Paddle Sports rents kayaks (singles two hour/four hour $20/30) and teaches stand-up paddle surfing (two-hour lesson $65).
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