Whether you’re a UCSB student or live in our beautiful city of Santa Barbara, you should most definitely take advantage of all the adventures and fun times you can have here, especially on Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t matter if you are single, in a relationship or just chilling for Valentine’s Day, Santa Barbara has an array of activities you can take advantage of here for an unforgettable V-day. Santa Barbara is the perfect place for a date as there are hikes with spectactular views that overlook mountains, natural hot springs, butterfly park, downtown and of course fluffy sand beaches. Here’s a list of things you can do this Valentine’s Day whether you’re with your best friends or bae or boyfriend! (You can probably try all these things as a couple, in a group or even alone!!!)
1. Knapp’s Castle
Knapp’s Castle is a spooky but beautiful abandoned mansion ruins located high in the Santa Ynez mountains. It is about a forty minute drive from IV/Downtown Santa Barbara but it is definitely worth the drive and the visit as the drive itself will give you the best view of the ocean and mountains as you go higher and higher up. As you reach Knapp’s Castle, you can see ruins, more mountains, clouds, the sun, and just how beautiful our world is. Bring a picnic blanket with you and some dank Chipotle and you can have the cutest picnic with your friends or boo.
2. Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove
Goleta Monarch Butterfly Grove is open from November to Februrary…just in time for you to go for Valentine’s Day! Stroll through the grove and dance with the butterflies under the sun with your girls or boy! The butterflies are perfect for a day date that ends with a dinner on state street. The grove is open from sunrise to sunset so you could even time your visit to see the butterflies as the sun rises or sets; the colours would make for a prime instagram pic and memory for you to keep!
3. State Street
State Street is Santa Barbara’s Downtown and is filled with restaurants, thirft stores, movie theaters, shops and the beach. You could start your Valentine’s Day off with a day of shopping, thrifting, browsing through street stalls, and eating, then end the day with dinner and a stroll on the beach at sunset. The beach on State Street is covered with palm trees and really gives you the nostalgic Cali vibe as you stroll down.
4. Ostrich Land
Ostrich Land is one of the funniest and cutest places you can visit in the Santa Barbara area. Visit Ostrich Land to feed majestic birds whilst taking in the beautiful nature of the mountains. Ostrich Land even has baby ostriches at certain points of the year and trust me you might just die when you see these flufffy baby birds.
5. Gaviota Hot Springs
Located just a few miles from Santa Barbara in Gaviota is a hidden hot spring. This would be the perfect Valentine’s day adventure as you have to hike a hill in order to find the hot springs. It takes a little while but as soon as you find it, you’ll be enchanted by the blue water but maybe a little grossed out by the phosphorus smell let off by natural elements in the hot spring. The hot spring is a really warm and comfortable temperature and you definitley won’t want to get out to hike back to your car. Bring a picnic here for an adventurous and secluded date in nature by a natural hot spring.