The Santa Barbara Zoo, on a small hill above East Beach, is one of the most pleasantly compact zoos in the United States — only 30 acres but home to over 500 animals. The view of the Pacific from the giraffe enclosure is famously good. The condor exhibit is part of a serious captive-breeding programme that has helped pull the species back from the brink of extinction.
Family-friendly, easily seen in two or three hours. A small train circles the grounds. Get there early in summer to avoid the queue at the entrance.