Summertime is well underway in California! With sunny days and warm nights, there’s no shortage of fun things to do around here. Check out some of our favorite places and tips for enjoying the best Santa Barbara has to offer in July.

Fourth of July Celebration
WHEN: July 4th
WHERE: West Beach
The City of Santa Barbara’s traditional Fourth of July beachfront celebration will be back again and ready to build upon the fabulous events in years past. The festivities will be held at the beautiful Santa Barbara waterfront along West Beach on Independence Day for an afternoon and evening of food, music, fireworks, and fun for all ages.

Harbor Wildlife Kayak Tour
WHEN: Runs daily at 10AM and 1PM
WHERE: Santa Barbara Harbor
Join a fun and relaxing kayak tour around the Santa Barbara harbor. This is the perfect half-day activity filled with incredible views from the water and local marine life sightings. — Book Now

Concerts in the Park
LINEUP: 
• July 3 – The Molly Ringwald Project
• July 10 – Captain Cardiac and The Coronaries
• July 17 – The Academy
• July 24 – Soul Majestic
TIME: 6-7:30PM
WHERE: Chase Palm Park
Enjoy an evening of free live music along Santa Barbara’s waterfront. This annual concert series is hosted in partnership with the PARC Foundation.

Snorkel Tours at Channel Islands National Park
WHEN: Available Sundays in July at 11AM or 1:30PM
WHERE: Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island
Explore beautiful kelp forests and sea life in a marine protected area (MPA) off the coast of Santa Cruz Island. — Book Now

The Swiftest Recovery, Island Fox Chronicles — Photography by Chuck Graham
WHEN: Every day in July
WHERE: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
TIME: 10AM to 5PM
Discover the inspiring story of the island fox’s comeback through stunning, intimate wildlife photography by Chuck Graham—captured while paddling the Channel Islands and hiking remote trails. This powerful exhibition reveals the beauty, resilience, and conservation success behind one of America’s fastest wildlife recoveries.

Santa Ynez Wine Tour (All-Inclusive)
WHEN: Every day from 10AM to 5PM
Spend a day wine tasting in Santa Ynez Valley on a wine country tour! Includes pick-up & drop-off transportation, lunch, tastings, and a knowledgeable guide. — Book Now

Free Summer Cinema
WHEN:
• July 11 – 101 Dalmatians
• July 18 – The Sandlot
• July 25 – Best in Show
WHERE: Santa Barbara County Courthouse
TIME: 8:30PM
UCSB Arts and Lectures is excited to announce the return of the free cinema series! The 2025 theme is “Dog Days of Summer” and will feature feel-good movies that span multiple decades and genres starring our favorite furry friends.  

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However, you can book kayaking and snorkeling tours on Santa Cruz Island year around by taking the ferry to the island. These tours have the advantage of a “landing” meaning you can also hike and explore the island.

While on the ferry you can whale watching, witness mega dolphin pods and enjoy a quick right to the island. Come and see blue whales, bald eagles, mega pods of dolphins and beautiful sea life.

Want to read more about Santa Barbara Adventure Company’s tours?

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Book your Channel Island National Park Tour online

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Hot summer days and long evenings are the best time to take advantage of Santa Barbara’s greatest events and activities. Enjoy some of our favorite places and tips for enjoying the coast in July. We included as much helpful information as possible, including both free events and some with fees. If we missed something, feel free to add details in the comments section below. Hope you are enjoying your summer, exploring the beaches and having lots of family fun!

Stand Up Paddle Lessons – available most days in July. Enjoy a unique view of the American Riviera while enjoying an ocean sport quickly becoming a favorite among locals. Most tours see wildlife including sea lions, seals and sea stars.

Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens – Tours are scheduled on weekends at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and are included in admission. Tours are led by a knowledgeable docent and generally last for one hour. Join guest lecturer Susan Van Atta on July 18th for the SBBG Wine & Cheese Botanic Lecture Series. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve ahead of time.

Channel Islands Foxes Playing

Channel Islands National Park Kayaking Tours – available most days in July. Kayak and explore this remarkable ocean environment. Only 20 miles off the California Coast, the Channel Islands isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants and birds found nowhere else on Earth. Come explore the beauty and richness of California’s Channel Islands.

Painted Cave Kayak Tour – 5, 7, 10, 13, 17, 26, 27, 28, 31: Venture into one of the largest sea caves in the world. This three-hour tour of some of Santa Cruz Island’s best sea caves is accompanied by free time for snorkeling and plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing. Enjoy breakfast and lunch on the two-hour boat ride out to the island while keeping an eye out for dolphins and whales in the channel. A fun, all-inclusive day!

Learn To Surf – available most days in July. Experience the waves of the Pacific Ocean with our surf instructors who have over 25 years of experience. Find the best local breaks in the area while mastering the fundamentals of one of Santa Barbara’s favorite past times.

26th Annual S.B. French Festival – Oak Park transforms into a French Village with all the sights, sounds, aromas and flavors that Paris has to offer. You can even enjoy a poodles and pals parade! Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19, 11am to 7pm.

Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show, Every Sunday – Approximately 300 Santa Barbara County resident artists come to display their own works in an informal atmosphere under the palms of seaside Chase Palm Park. All items are original art, created by the artists you meet. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. ’til Dusk.

Explore the Funk Zone or Presidio, Santa Barbara’s foodie neighborhoods, through your taste buds and camera lens with Eat This, Shoot That! Spend an afternoon savoring amazing food or sipping top-shelf wines while learning food and travel photo tips from a pro tour guide/local foodie.

Fun Paddle – available most days in July. $55 per person. Join us for a relaxing introduction to kayaking where we’ll take a 2 hour paddling adventure around Santa Barbara shoreline. This tour is the perfect half day activity, and a great introduction to the exciting sport of sea kayaking. Fun and affordable for the whole family!

Downtown Santa Barbara Farmers Market – Come down and buy local fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, small plants and specialty items. Street musicians, music and downtown shops and restaurants. Year round, rain or shine. Corner of Santa Barbara and Cota Streets on Sunday and on State Street (500-600 bocks) on Tuesday. Every Saturday and Tuesday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m/4:00pm – 7:30.

Please add events and activities that we may have missed in the comment section below.

Photo credit: Zabowski/Creative Commons

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Adam at Machu Picchu – on an adventure.

Name: Adam Sachs
Age: 25
Birth place: Los Osos, CA
First car: ’98 Chevy S-10–And she’s still goin’ strong
Favorite place for lunch: Los Agaves on Milpas–chicken mole enchiladas!
Favorite hiking spot: I’ve been enjoying the trails around Mission Canyon lately

How did you find you way to SBACo? Do you remember your interview?
My old college roommate at UCSB had briefly worked for Santa Barbara Adventure on a couple specialty trips, and recommended that I check it out. Since I was already spending most of my free time surfing and kayaking it seemed like a good fit. My first “interview” was when I showed up to work as a lifeguard for SBACo. during a large surf trip. I stood on the sand for a few hours watching the water until the owner came down to talk to me face to face.

Do you remember your first time visiting the Channel Islands? Tell us about its impression on you.
I first visited Santa Cruz Island in the spring of 2007 when I was getting my bareboat captain’s license from the Santa Barbara Sailing Center. My roommate and I were on the boat with two other guys and our instructor, Rob Bollay. We set a course towards Painted Cave near the west end of the island and I was in awe when Rob expertly backed the 50ft sailboat deep into the cave. I also remember marveling at the vertical volcanic cliffs and wondering how they got so ferocious looking. I’d never seen anything like it before.

Every trip is different when you are guiding – the weather, the people, the waves. What is the most memorable trip you have had so far and why?
The most memorable trips are usually the ones where things don’t go according to plan, but they always make the best stories when you retell them.  One day last Fall we arrived at the beach to run a school program for over 100 students on a day when the swell was pumping. Several other guides and myself spent much of the day swimming back and forth with our fins in the impact zone to prevent kayaks from capsizing during the launching and landing. It was physically exhausting but also very rewarding to have the state park lifeguards come over at the end of the day to compliment us on doing a great job of keeping the kids safe.  We also got some great bodysurfing rides throughout the day.

March 2011 at the foot of Cerro Fitz Roy outside town of El Chalten in Argentinian Patagonia.

Can you give 3 tips for someone interested in guiding?
First, treat each trip like it’s your first one. Be enthusiastic and smile. In reality it might be your 97th of the season, but for your guests it might be their one day to relax and have fun.  Make it special for them.
Second, keep things in perspective. Can guiding feel like a grind sometimes? Sure, but show me a job that doesn’t.  When I start to feel that way I remind myself that Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful places in the world, I enjoy the people that I work with, and I get paid to do something I love.  Not many people have that opportunity.
Third, let go of the bad days. Not every trip will be the best day ever, and things will happen that are out of your control. Learn from those experiences and move on.  Remember that each day is a new trip.

And don’t forget your sunscreen.

Any other adventures of your horizon?
I’m always looking forward to my next trip, even when I don’t know where I’m going. I’d like to spend more time with friends down in Baja this winter or a few weeks spearfishing someplace with warm water, clear water, and big fish. Hopefully both if I’m lucky.

Thanks for taking the time to share with us Adam.

Adam with the crew traveling to Painted Cave, Channel Islands National Park

If you have been on an adventure with Adam please share in the comments section below. I am sure he would love to hear from you.

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How did you get into guiding? What was your first trip? 

I got into guiding for SBACo by answering an ad on Craig’s list for a mountain biking/wine tasting tour guide. When I walked into the interview at the warehouse, Mike (the owner) pulled up a cooler and asked me to take a seat. I told him I would be one of the best employees he ever hired. He put me up to the challenge. 

The first trip I helped lead was a three day surf camp at Santa Claus Lane for what seemed like hundreds of high school students.  I had previously worked for Toes On The Nose in Laguna Beach teaching moms how to surf. I had also worked for the city of Santa Cruz Parks and Rec Department for 5 years. I would drive a 15 passenger natural gas van full of teenagers all over the county, engaging all types of kids in new activities and experiences. So, the surf camp was a great introduction to SBACo for me and the company because I was able to apply my past experiences. Then Mike asked me if I knew how to kayak… 

Kayaking at Painted Cave.

You are a legend for running a hell of a kayak trip without paddles. How did you pull that one off? 

During my second season as a kayak guide, I took a few personal trips out to the west end of Santa Cruz Island to explore Painted Cave. This is one of the largest sea caves in the world.  I had made some friends on the charter boat that goes out to this part of the island a couple times a week, and they kept hooking me up with free trips. At this time, the Painted Cave trip was new to SBACo, so I had more hours exploring this area under my belt than anyone else in the company. 

A corporate group contacted SBACo for a preview tour. They would be considering using SBACo for a future rewards trip out to Painted Cave. Mike put me in charge. We loaded up onto a small charter boat. There were all kinds of lunches, special drinks, chairs, sun hats, lots of fluff for these VIP’s.  The event planner that set up the trip told our clients they would not be getting wet (a common misbelief), so one guest arrived in jeans, a cardinal “no-no” on the water. 

I was so nervous about running a great trip, I didn’t notice I left our paddles in the van until halfway across the channel! When I discovered my mistake I freaked out. The clients said, “Don’t worry Amy, we don’t need paddles”. HA! I paid the boat captain $50 for extra gas and asked him if he could change course. I knew if we went back to shore the trip would be a bust. Instead we motored over to the east side of the island where SBACo had a permit to store gear on shore. Fortunately, we were at the perfect spot to change course without adding too many extra miles to the trip. 

We arrived to Scorpion Anchorage and I sprinted up the ladder, down the dock and into our storage box. I introduced myself to some of the other guides, grabbed three paddles and a wet suit for our jean clad man, and headed back to the boat. The captain was super stoked on my success. He couldn’t believe I was actually going to pull the trip off! We followed the 26 miles of Santa Cruz coast line all the way west to Painted Cave. None of us had ever seen that much of the island. In addition, we came across three huge pods of dolphins, and two huge pods of sea lions. It was a magical day. No wind, no swell, warm water. 

The beauty of the caves speaks for themselves. These are really holy places. No human influence can be detected, besides exploration. We sang in one of the caves. The sound echoed off the walls like a cathedral. It was a life changing event for our clients. They swore secrecy; no one would ever mention the forgotten paddles. SBACo scored the contract for the trip. Yet somehow Mike found out about the paddles. 

Amy leading a campfire program with her guitar.

 Any advice you can give to someone just getting into guiding? 

The best part about being a guide is not what you show others, but what nature and humans show you. Every day, if you are open and humble, you will learn something new. Guiding has completely redefined who I am; it has given me a new identity that I am proud of. However, I don’t take any credit for that, I give thanks to all the amazing people and places that guiding has exposed me to. Also, don’t smoke in Rosie (the company van), ever. 

 You stay busy in the slow season. Where are you up to right now? 

I am currently working as a waitress at Soho, a local music club, and Steve’s patio cafe, an awesome breakfast place on De La Vina Street. On Friday afternoons I take my Grandma to the hairdresser and we go out to lunch to a new restaurant every week. I take a sewing class on Monday and Tuesday where I am making reusable bags out of old t-shirts to help eliminate single use plastic bags from the world. I just got back from a road trip up to Big Sur where we hit up some awesome hot springs. Been surfing as much as I can. Trying to rehearse to play some music shows around town with Allan, the sound guy from Soho. I think our first gig will be at The Coffee Bean on upper state. Classic. 

The guides that work for SBACo are some of the coolest people I have ever met in my life. I feel honored to be a part of such a unique organization. They have taught me so much. Entering my forth season, I still feel like there is so much more to learn. That is the most exciting part of the job for me. 

Amy and fellow guides participating in a clean-up.

Thanks for sharing with Amy. We are honored to have you on our crew! 

If you have a memory of Amy from a trip or elsewhere, please share it in our comment section below.  I am sure Amy would love to hear from you! 

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