This is by far one of my favorite spots in Santa Barbara! I almost don't want to say good things about it so that less people know about it...lol Dog friendly with a nice view in both directions. Parking is not that easy, but there is a good amount of it on the long stretch along the side of the Four Seasons hotel and some condos beside it. Once you park the steps down lead to a pretty secluded little beach area. Pretty cool look with some light rocks formations against the wall and lined on the water. If you are in the area make sure this is on your list! read more

Butterfly Beach - Beaches Near Me

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What could be better than a FREE DAY AT THE BEACH. Yes no paid parking. There is Free street parking here. What a beautiful picturesque beach. I love the bike path above the beach dotted with tall palm trees. It's Very relaxing here. read more

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Tourist alert - worst beach in SB. Stay far away, nothing exciting. Matter if fact, I can't recommend this to anyone.... Yeah....it's awful.....I hear Goleta beach is awesome....You should check that one out. read more

The most beautiful beach I've been too. Located right in front of the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara, not too crowded, clean and peaceful. Loved it! read more

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Beautiful and romantic beach in Montecito. Small and quaint. A perfect place to take a break from a coastal bike ride and dip into the ocean. read more

Butterfly Beach - Beautiful bike path to get you to this romantic beach. - Beaches Near Me

Beautiful scenery. We had our wedding there and couldn't ask for a better experience. Everyone who passed by was incredibly nice and a few took the time to congratulate us and chat with us. Not overcrowded. Sand was soft and warm. Easy parking all around, but also easy access by bike or on foot. We'll be back. read more

One of the most beautiful beaches anywhere. Just across from the Biltmore in a secluded nook of Montecito this gem of a beach has it all; sun, sand, surf, people (beautiful people), and the sounds of shoreline pleasure. Don't forget your pale, shovel and towel!! read more

We went to butterfly beach on a busy day at high tide, so my review might be a bit biased. This beach is in Montecito across from the Biltmore, so you will get a glimpse of some fancy people. There is free street parking all up and down in front of the beach. Unlike some other Santa Barbara beaches, this one is probably the best if you want to spend a day swimming, sunbathing and playing in the sand at the beach. It is very smooth sand (not rocky) and many people had towels, chairs, umbrellas, etc. laid out. It was a bit too crowded to take our dog off-leash because of the crowds, but I did see some locals running and playing ball with their dogs so that is an option too. Anywho, if you want to swim and enjoy a day at the beach this is it. read more

(Post 2/5 on our "Get the heck out of LA for a day" road trip) Lovely beach! We wished we had come later in the day to catch the sunset. From looking at other peoples' pics, it looks to be a stunning view! Very dog-friendly here too! We were regretting leaving our little Weezer at home. We had come straight from the Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden and saw many Monarch Butterflies there. I had a vision in my noggin that we'd be seeing many more at this beach. It's got to be named Butterfly Beach for this reason, right? Aw well, we enjoyed our brief visit. I am pea-green with envy because the local beaches in the LA area are so..............not as lovely (polite wording here). read more

My favorite beach! Super convenient parking and you can bring your dog. The beach is pretty clean. It is just lovely at sunset as well! read more

Butterfly Beach - Butterfly beach with Pluto - Beaches Near Me

This is where I take out-of-towners when they want to experience a breathtaking Santa Barbara beach. It's usually bustling with activity, ranging from walkers, people running with their dogs, high school kids playing around, even the occasional DJ daytime party. It also has some of the best sunsets around, and later in the day makes for a great moonlight walk with a special someone. With the Biltmore across the way, you can hop by for a nibble or a drink after you're done, which is handy. Thank goodness beaches are public land in CA, unlike some other states! read more

One of my best memories ever was one particular afternoon at Butterfly Beach - watching the dolphins swim by, lying in the sun with friends, taking a dip in the warm water and actually not getting covered in tar. Heaven! read more

Being near a beach most of my life, I would like to go out on a limb and say that this is seriously one of the most beautiful beaches I've been to, ever. My boyfriend and I enjoyed a lovely break from sightseeing here, and it was very romantic despite it being relatively hot. The beach was clean, no oil rigs in sight, no huge crowd of 909 tourists *insert HB native laugh here*, and a beautiful view of the clean water. Wished we could've watched the sun set at this beach before we left SB. Parking was relatively easy for being a Saturday afternoon; we found spots along the road and walked less than a few minutes to the beach. Dog-friendly beach, but still very clean (as they always are). Use Google maps to help you locate the beach -- we looked up the Four Seasons Biltmore in Montecito, as it was across the street from the beach. Highly recommended for a romantic date! Oh, I've heard that celebrity sightings are common here. Didn't see anybody famous, but who cares when you've got the most handsome man cuddling with you while wiping sweat off your brow from the heat? :) read more

Great for a light lunch snack and gaze at the wondrous prism of nature and earth, the sands of sweet America, I love the light that springs up and into the eyes of the person you are taking a picture of .....literally, or maybe, just your mind. Yes, handle with care. Travel light. And may the wind guide your back and hold your dreams above fate. read more

Nice clean beach. Parking it a little bit hard to fine because the only publuc parking is on the beach. No public restroom. read more

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I have lived in Orange County my whole life surrounded by Newport and Laguna beach and nothing compares to this beach. This definitely has to be the most beautiful beach in California. The locals come out at night and are great to talk to and everyone brings there dogs to play in the water. Local photgraphy students use the beach for photoshoots and the atmosphere is just surreal and something out of a movie. I can not say enough good things about this place. read more

Butterfly Beach - Beaches Near Me

This is very much a locals beach. Probably because its so damn hard to find. And despite the fact that I used to live 3 blocks from another sand and ocean water filled locale, I always drove 20 minutes to get to Butterfly because its just so much better than everything else in the area. The beaches of Goleta are filled with college students, and the beaches of Santa Barbara around the pier are filled with bugs, tourists, volleyball players and have dirty sand. Butterfly (which is in Montecito) is everything the other beaches are not. It can be hard to find and parking is often painful. But butterfly beach is one of those rare beaches where you can bring the family or you can bring the leftover keg and nobody cares. The sand and the water are clean. And I might just pack up my towels and be there before dawn tomorrow morning. read more

Great spot for alone time. It wasn't crowded on a Tuesday evening. There were a few good spots to sit down on benches, ledges, boulders, stairs or just the sand. Many locals bring their dogs. Sand is clean but not many rocks or shells to collect. read more

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So I've been to this beach many times through the years but I've never actually walked on the beach! Could be because it's typically windy and a little chilly whenever I've been there... Whatever the case, it's a beautiful spot. And the Biltmore is right across the street. read more

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A beach perfect for enjoying the vast open water. Few people walking their dogs, taking a stroll, or getting a run in. Nothing more than that. read more

Oh so beautiful... Emphassis on beautiful (Typo here but works! Brilliant!!) Surreal beach in Santa Barbara. If possible, I highly recommend some Bud Light Tall Cans (You don't want to deal with bottles). Although it is illegal to drink on this beach, people do it all the time, just move underneath the cliffs to the right when you walk up so you'll have some time and they'll bust the other people first. And bring your guitar: "Hmm Jenny, where should we sit?" -"Let's sit by that guy playing guitar" read more

This is one of the most chill beach I've ever been to. I came here with my girlfriends on a Tuesday during Spring Break and parking was super easy to find and it was also free! Separating the street & the parking lot is a wide ledge that stretches as far as the beach goes which is great for sitting/picnic if you don't want to be on the sand. A lot of people bring their dogs here without a leash. I'm not sure if there are any regulations but I thought it was pretty cool. There were many dogs in the water as well. Even though there were many dogs, the beach remained clean. read more

We went to Butterfly Beach on a rare 90+ degrees day in Santa Barbara, and it was semi-crowded but our overall experience was good. The beach was very clean, but the water was freezing. The water at this beach has a lot of seaweed, but much less than Goleta Beach which is a plus. Some attempted to surf, but the waves broke pretty close to the water. Casey enjoyed jumping in the waves, and I enjoyed relaxing in the sun. Make sure to bring your own water, food, umbrellas, etc., because as many say, this is a "locals beach," so there are no amenities like bathrooms or tables - just sand and water! read more

Beautiful beach, easy access (street parking no lot), fun for a quick stay. No public bathrooms. Must drive a few minutes to shopping center. Tame waves, kid friendly, cold water. Stairs and ramp access. read more

My favorite beach in Santa Barbara area! Very clean, nice trees, dog friendly, kids friendly and great to hang out especially on a warm sunny day! There is also a four season resort next to the beach. read more

Butterfly Beach - Butterfly beach! - Beaches Near Me

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Awesome beach, you can rent out those big bike thingees and explore!, Fun, Nice Weather. Gorgeous. 2nd best to San Diego, Parking SUCKS.

Love this beach. It is great for a long walk and just magnificent on any day. It is not as touristy as well. read more

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Mediocre at best, very little beach and it's way too crowded even on weekdays , there's no service and I saw a needle on the beach from the homeless encampment. Not worth the drive , I'm staying in Malibu next time. read more

Beautiful. A perfect spot to watch the sunset no matter the time of the year - would highly recommend recommend to visit if you are in the area! read more

Butterfly Beach - Beaches Near Me

Pretty beach right across from the beautiful Four Seasons Biltmore. You can run on the beach, or walk above it on the paved sidewalk, or enjoy the view sitting on the wall (or even go wandering around the Blitmore like we did) Don't forget your well behaved dog! Its an off the leash beach :) read more

HELLO. I'm here to review Butterfly Beach, in Santa Barbara (CA). My girlfriend (whom I love very much) and I just returned from Butterfly Beach. We had seen the effusive enthusiasm all over Yelp for this "best beach on the West Coast". We arrived at evening, with a low-hanging sun still giving its warmth. We found the beach certainly pleasant, enjoyable, and beachy. However, 5-star-status it cannot deserve. There were a number of swarthy locals huddled around a thumping dj/turntable setup on one end of the beach -- they were blasting horrific techno pulses that we couldn't get out of our brains. Lest you think us curmudgeons, we are ourselves young and vibrant and good-looking and open to the occasional beach party. This was not the only factor in the one-star markdown, however -- the beach itself was narrow, lacking in stunning vistas or extraordinary privacy, and overall was enjoyable, but not spectacular. Thank you very much, and I hope you will read more of my reviews in the future. Just search for "Douglas K.". That's me! Douglas K. read more

There are few beaches in the world as beautiful as Butterfly Beach. You can see some spectacular sunsets from this beach. Parking isn't ample, but if you go early enough, you can secure a street spot easily enough. There is beach access from the road. This is a safe, beautiful, scenic beach that, more than most beaches in Santa Barbara, shows off the culture of intense beauty. read more

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Pretty beach! Tons of sun, and space to play frisbee! I liked that it wasn't overcrowded! read more

Beautiful beach. Been around a long time. Rarely come across such a gem. Peaceful and beautiful. Great for individuals, couples and families. read more

Butterfly Beach - Almost noon. Never too crowded. Like having your own little piece of heaven. - Beaches Near Me

Butterfly beach is beautiful but be aware that parking is limited and there are a lot of dogs (off the leash).

the small coastline is absolutely gorgeous! the women cruising by, even more gorgeous :P its unbelievable how awesome coastline can be when theres no pollution to mess shit up. im sure the natural ethos will be more pimp daddy if the oil thingys werent around. im sure the navy base pollution doesnt help either. nothing against military... on a good day, u can see channel islands towards south east. well i think those are channel islands. theres decent flat level hiking around here and some intermediate ones 20 miles northwest from here to overlook the farm and hang out in wind caves. either way, the coast is just good gosh have mercy! :D do not use the Lord name in vain (xx), #4. its before dont murder for a reason on the mosaic laws (ten commandments). read more

Sorry to go against the grain, folks, and, maybe I went on a bad overcast gloomy day... but, what is the big deal? The view isn't that great, there weren't that many people or dogs for that matter. The sand isn't all that... this beach is small... there are HUGE tangles of seaweed all over the damn place, hmm... maybe I need to come back to re-evaluate when it's a lot warmer. read more

There are few places in the world with such charm and such impressive powers to burn an everlasting memory. Butterfly beach, named because of the seasonal Monarch butterflies that stop on by, is located right in front of the Four Season's Biltmore Hotel of Santa Barbara. The view of the California coastline mixed with the view of the Santa Barbara Montecito area is indescribable. The beach is all sand and the water is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Parking spots are off the street and are always difficult to find. I recommend eating or having a drink at the Four Season's while enjoying the phenomenal views. This is a must see for not only tourists but everyone. I recommend all to stop on by. read more

You know how I found this place, through Yelp. I just typed Beaches in the search box while I was in Santa Barbara. For awhile I meant to come to Santa Barbara because, I spent four years of my life living there while I went to UC Santa Barbara. I wish I knew about this place. It's pretty secluded and it seems only the type of beach where the locals hang out at. I didn't know about this beach even when I was living in Santa Barbara. It's a small beach when you go down the steps. Plenty of free street parking. read more

It's nice and sunny today It's definitely high tide and there's big & nice waves There's side street parking where it's closest to the beach side. read more