Santa Ana Travel Guide

Santa Ana is a large city in Orange County, Southern California. This wonderful historical town lays next to the Santa Ana River and only 10 miles away from the gorgeous California Coast. Santa Ana is built on the base of New Spain, and the city base was founded around 1770. After the Mexican-American war, this area was taken over by American settlers and today's city of Santa Ana. In the second half of the 1800s the Southern Pacific Railroad reached Los Angeles and Santa Ana which helped the city bloom.

Things to Do in Santa Ana

Since the beach is only 10 miles away from downtown Santa Ana, there are plenty of sandy strips for you to kick back and relax on. The best nearby beaches to visit are Newport Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and Laguna Beach. These beaches offer amazing, golden-sand beach shores and large areas to swim, and you can rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, jet skis, and surfboards. You can also find fishing areas, picnic, and barbecue areas and sports courts.

History and art are also a very important aspect of city life, and if you are interested in arts and heritage visit Bowers Museum, which specializes in art created by some of the world’s indigenous peoples.

Furthermore, the Heritage Museum of Orange County is an excellent spot to visit if you want to imagine what 19th-century California looked like, and how various nationalities have contributed to the rich cultural growth of Santa Ana.

Meanwhile, Knott Berry Farm is a fun activity for the whole family - do not let the name fool you, it is actually California’s top-ranked theme park! If you love theme parks and rides, then be sure to visit Disneyland as well.

Best Places to Stay in Santa Ana

The best areas to stay at Santa Ana are Park Santiago and Portola Park where you can be close to parks, restaurants, museums and historical landmarks.

Best Time to Visit Santa Ana

The best time to visit Santa Ana is anytime between March and October when the weather is sunny and warm. The average temperature in this period is 74 degrees, but in the late summer months it can peak over 85 degrees as well. There is a lot of rain from the months of November to February.