Going Green in Santa Barbara

The name El Encanto describes the enchantment of the lush setting of this hilltop hideaway. The resort's gardens are a dreamland of flowering trees and tumbling plants, a place to stretch out and absorb the sweeping green vistas that reach down to the ocean's edge.

Step just outside this romantic enclave and the magic continues. El Encanto sits in a peaceful residential area where private gardens are maintained as if each was an entrant in an ultra-exclusive flower show. Even the smallest home is prefaced by a display of giant ferns, cascading rose bushes or specimen trees worthy of a judge's gold medal. Just strolling among them makes for a fascinating hour or so.

Hikers and joggers have limitless choice as leafy routes wind around rambling slopes. Wild, open stretches like Rocky Nook Park are wonderful areas for children to scramble and play. Families also love the adjacent Natural History Museum, set in pretty grounds with a nature trail following a rushing stream. 

Further along Mission Creek is the excellent Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, where pathways lead through a California meadow, past desert flora and beneath giant redwood trees.

All of this gentle greenery lies almost on El Encanto's doorstep: venture further afield and you're in Santa Barbara County, where vineyards cover mountain slopes and rugged oaks contrast with delicate wildflowers.

Nothing is more relaxing than a gentle wander through nature, to a spot where you can stop and absorb the calm. In Santa Barbara you'll find your own special place almost everywhere you turn.

Visit the El Encanto website >