Visiting El Presidio is like stepping into a time machine and being transported back over 230 years.

In 1782, by order of King Carlos III, Spain built the El Presidio de Santa Barbara to serve as a strategic military outpost, one of four constructed along the Alta California coast. A seat of Spanish governance, the presidio guarded the coast -- from the Pueblo of Los Angeles to the northern limits of today’s Santa Barbara County -- against foreign invasions. It also defended the mission and settlers. Constructed of sun-dried adobe bricks, the presidio consisted of an outer defense wall and a quadrangle of rooms, together with a church, enclosing a central plaza.

This historic site contains two original sections, including the El Cuartel, the second oldest building in California, and Canedo Adobe, where the Visitor Center is located. There is an excellent walking self-guided tour that explains the various parts of the Presidio, with an abundance of interpretive exhibits.