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• #Santa cruz hotels beachfront Patch

From Santa Cruz’s Main Beach, it’s a spectacular 12-mile coast-hugging drive (or bike ride) along the bluffs on West Cliff Drive to Natural Bridges along the way, you’ll pass the Lighthouse Point and Steamer Lane, the area’s most famous surf spot.Ī few miles west of Natural Bridges, Wilder Ranch State Park covers 7,000 acres of grassland, forest, and bluffs beside the Pacific Ocean, including an extensive stretch of land and several historic buildings that were once part of a coastal dairy farm. During low tide, you can find hermit crabs, starfish, and sea urchin in the many tide pools located on the western edge of the beach (check the park’s website for daily tide-pooling hours). Dip your toes into the chilly surf and watch for sea lions and otters off the coast. Though easy to access - and equipped with restrooms, picnic tables, and public grills - it’s a rustic beach and a natural stunner.

#Santa cruz hotels beachfront Patch

to sunset daily), a small patch of sand surrounded by headlands and beach grass. A good place to start is Natural Bridges State Park (open 8 a.m. Some of these, like Cowell Beach, are good for beginning surfers, and there is an abundance of local surf schools to help you catch your first wave.Īs a native Northern Californian, I love the wild beauty of the Pacific Coast, and I spent most of my recent trip to Santa Cruz exploring the west side. The more protected beaches on the bay side of Santa Cruz and in neighboring Capitola have gentler waves and are often a few degrees warmer than the beaches on the west side. You’ll find the area’s most famous surf breaks and prettiest shoreline on the west side of town, along with some of the newest and most memorable places to eat and drink. Santa Cruz is located on the northernmost edge of Monterey Bay, and it’s bordered by ocean to the south and west. If you’re going to spend extended time in the water, rent a wetsuit.Ĭomb the beach at Natural Bridges for starfish at low tide.

In addition to the usual necessities (bathing suit, towels, sun hat), add an extra layer of clothes to your beach bag, including a warm sweatshirt, hat, and extra towels. Late summer to early fall is the best season for beachgoing, when clear, sunny days are more frequent even then, it’s best to come prepared. Foggy and overcast mornings are common, and winds off the coast can chill the air, even on a clear day. Jack O’Neill, founder of the famous wetsuit and surfboard brand, was a Santa Cruz local, which tells you two things about the coast here: The swells are great, and the water is ice-cold. In fact, the city is small enough that it’s even walkable - it’s only about a mile from the city’s Main Beach to downtown. Once you’re in town, Santa Cruz is relatively flat and totally bike-friendly (many hotels offer loaner bikes or rentals to guests). If you’d like to buck California tradition and skip the car entirely, Amtrak runs trains between San Jose and points across the West Coast, including Oakland from the San Jose station, take an Amtrak connector bus to Santa Cruz. Out-of-towners can rent a car at the airport in San Francisco or San Jose, then take the redwood-fringed Highway 17 over the coastal mountains to the city of Santa Cruz. Everything to love about the West Coast comes together in California’s original Surf City: big waves, windswept beaches, craft beer, redwood forests, lounging sea lions, and an old wooden roller coaster overlooking the sea.Ī set of wheels will get you to Santa Cruz and make it easier to visit state parks and beaches along Highway 1, too.