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Butterfly Beach is a beautiful beach with dark golden cliffs and a small boardwalk that's romantic at night. In the morning, it's a joy to walk west along the sand all the way to the cliffs on the far end or even as far as East Beach. Chances are you'll be treated with a visit by dolphins who frequently swim happily along very close to shore! There were so many of them when I was here last! I also saw a photo shoot for an Eddie Bauer catalog! This is a fairly common occurrence in Santa Barbara- teams from LA shoot commercials.
A very pretty walk graced with tropical flowers is to the west above the beach on the path that runs along Channel Drive.
At night it's romantic to walk along the short boardwalk which lines Channel Drive. Listen to the ocean roar and watch the palm trees sway in the moonlight. The views of Santa Barbara's city lights and harbor are lovely. Across the street at the Biltmore, gardens filled with palms, tropical flowers, and pretty lights greet you. It's almost as romantic as Hawaii! The boardwalk is the best place to hang out at night because the beach is dark and a bit sketchy feeling.
There are no restrooms.
Another lovely place to walk at night in this area are the gardens at Music Academy of the West, just uphill on Channel Drive and to the right on Fairway Road after the stop sign. There is a great concert series during the summer and a few concerts the rest of the year. During intermission, stroll among the spectacular, tall trees and the archways strung with lanterns. It's very romantic- bring your lover or renew your desire to find one!
For something to eat, head over to Montecito town and grab a sandwich at one of the many delis- you might bump into someone famous.
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