Montecito Activities

The music conservatory's annual Summer Festival hosts concerts most nights of the week.

You can rent a bicycle—a 7-speed, or an electric pedal-assist or throttle bike—from Mad Dogs & Englishmen and spend the day cycling through the Montecito hills, along the coast, and into downtown Santa Barbara. If you book a tour, a guide will point out all the best local spots and hard-to-spot wildlife. But the real treat is what Mad Dogs is named for: bikes with sidecars, where your dog can ride along with you. (If they like the windows down in the car, they’ll love this.)

Lotusland is a truly unique botanical garden founded by singer turned botanical gardener Ganna Walska. She bought the property in 1941 and over the years transformed it with the help of several world-renowned landscape designers. Today, the garden continues her work by preserving her singular designs and continually expanding the stunning collections of plants from all over the world. It’s located in a private residential neighborhood, with a private entrance. Reservations are limited and necessary for both self-guided and docent-led tours, and tickets often sell out well in advance. (Also note that they're closed mid-November through mid-February.)