Santa Cruz (California)

A variety of conditions prevail, depending on the beach, few are suited for swimming due to temperature and current, several are considered an expert surfer's cold cold paradise. Don't expect a beach culture like Southern California, with bikini babes and children swimming in the surf; for much of the year, it's considered perfectly normal to wear a sweater and long pants to the beach.

The nearest airport is in San Jose (SJC ^IATA). To get to Santa Cruz, take either the Santa Cruz Airport Flyer, or the free airport shuttle to Santa Clara, the train or bus to Diridon Station and the Highway 17 Express bus. San Francisco International Airport (SFO ^IATA) and even Oakland (OAK ^IATA) aren't much farther away, and sometimes have cheaper flights. The Airport Flyer goes to SFO and Caltrain provides a route from SFO to San Jose, though with a transfer with BART in Millbrae. For private aircraft, there'a 2,000 ft (610 m) runway about 10 mi (16 km) northwest of downtown, near Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

from & Highway 17 south from San Jose is the most direct route when driving from the more populated parts of the Bay Area. It is a winding and very dangerous road over the mountains, arguably the most hazardous in the state shared during the week with heavy gravel trucks, so heed the speed limits take it easy and arrive alive. Accidents are very common, but the road is a bit safer since the addition of concrete barriers some years ago. Beware of fog, as well as "hurried" drivers, and drive with caution, especially when roads are wet. Going into San Jose Hwy 17 becomes I-880 at its intersection with I-280.

to To merge from Highway 17 to Highway 1 in Santa Cruz to continue south, you must merge three times on the dreaded "fish hook". This causes the beginning of the dreaded commute from "over the hill" to the coast for many. Congestion usually lasts M-F 3PM until 6PM, from just south of 41st Ave. on Highway 1, spilling back onto Highway 17 going south.

is a slower, longer, and more scenic route over the mountains, but it can get congested, and is often subject to extended periods of closure due to landslide damage during the winter. It's also very popular with both bicyclists and motorcyclists, so if driving a car over it be sure to be vigilant.

A much more beautiful, but slower, approach to Santa Cruz is on Highway 1, either from the north, San Francisco and Pacifica (about 65 mi (105 km)), or from the south, Monterey and Big Sur (about 35 mi (56 km)). During stormy seasons, check for rare, but often long-term road closures, although Devil's Slide, the most notorious location for landslides, was bypassed by a tunnel several years ago.

• 🌍 Santa Cruz Metro, 920 Pacific Ave (map marker is at customer service office at Elm and Pacific), ☏ +1 831 425-8600. Santa Cruz Metro serves as public transportation in Santa Cruz and to adjacent cities & communities around Santa Cruz County. The Santa Cruz Metro Center serves as both an Amtrak and Greyhound bus station. (updated Oct 2022)

• 17- Amtrak Hwy 17 Express to San Jose Diridon Station where passengers transfer to Greyhound, Amtrak, Altmont Corridor Express (ACE), Caltrain, and VTA. This route serves as the Amtrak Thruway bus and a Greyhound Connect (partner) route between San Jose and Santa Cruz. Therefore, tickets for this route can be part of an onward Amtrak or Greyhound ticket to/from Santa Cruz booked through their respective sites or paid for separately.
• 35 to San Lorenzo Park via Boulder Creek in Scotts Valley on CA-Hwy 9
• 40 to Davenport on CA-Hwy 1
• 71 & 91x to Watsonville where passengers transfer to the Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) bus to Salinas (MST #28 or 29). Route 71 goes towards Watsonville on Soquel Dr & Freedom Blvd while 91x travels on CA-Hwy 1.

• Santa Cruz Airport Flyer, ☏ +1 831 423-5937. Operates a direct (door to door) shuttle from the bay area airports to Santa Cruz. (updated Sep 2016)

There is no train service in Santa Cruz. The nearby San Jose Diridon Station is the central station for Amtrak, Altmont Corridor Express (ACE) and Caltrain. Metro's "17 Express" bus serves as the Amtrak Thruway bus (#35) between San Jose and Santa Cruz (see By bus in above).

The main downtown strip is pedestrian friendly, and it's a 20-minute stroll from there to the beach. Walking to the University of California Santa Cruz from downtown is a little more difficult with a steep climb.

Santa Cruz Metro provides bus service within the city.

While driving is certainly an option, parking is tight, so be careful to not get ticketed.

Santa Cruz can be a wonderful town for cycling, but be careful because drivers are no better here than in many other places. Around town and along Highway 1 is easy, but roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains are steep, winding and challenging for many cyclists. Be careful. Collisions between bicycles and cars are often reported. A number of pedestrian and car collisions have also happened in the downtown area.

Santa Cruz County is home to talented artists, musicians, and writers. Check out some of the locals' favorite art, music, and literary events:

• Open Studios Art Tour. A program of the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County which was created in 1985 to give the public with an opportunity to collect art and to meet and learn from Santa Cruz County artists. Approximately 275 artists open their studios (which are usually in their homes) to the public. The tour runs for three consecutive weekends each fall. 
• Santa Cruz County Fair. 
• Salsa By The Sea. Santa Cruz boasts a lively salsa dancing scene, with Salsa By The Sea a key attraction. Every Sunday year round (weather permitting), locals come to the Boardwalk to dance in the open air by the beach. Hours vary by the time of the year, but sometime in the afternoon, and always free. Other regular events are at the Vets Hall every Tuesday and the Palomar every Friday. 
• Cabrillo Music Festival. The Cabrillo Music Festival, Marin Alsop at the podium, is an internationally acclaimed celebration of contemporary orchestral music that opens during the end of July. Musicians from key orchestras around the country attend without pay for the experience of playing new works by the leading composers of our time who are usually in attendance. Many rehearsals are open and free to the public, as are workshops for new composers and conductors. The Festival, which began in 1962, lasts two weeks and is perhaps the most exciting and prestigious festival of contemporary music anywhere. 

Santa Cruz is a beach town, with a beach to match almost any interest. 🌍 Main Beach and 🌍 Cowell Beach attract large crowds to the boardwalk area on sunny summer weekends. Flocks of novice surfers balance on their boards in the quiet waters just north of the municipal wharf, in front of the big hotel that locals still call the 🌍 Dream Inn. Volleyball nets are strung just south of the wharf. The boardwalk amusement area is adjacent to main beach. Heading north, 🌍 Steamers Lane isn't a beach, but the famous surf break in front of the lighthouse. In the summer, its sometimes hard to see what the fuss is about, but the winter can bring big waves and spectators line the rail watching the surfers and the sea lions.

North of the lighthouse are a series of little pocket beaches, some that disappear entirely in the winter. The first one, 🌍 It's Beach, and across the street at Lighthouse Field (see www.folf.org) are two of the few places in town that dogs can be run off leash (before 10AM and after 4PM only) you will often dozens of dogs are chasing sticks, balls, and each other. 🌍 Mitchell's Cove, just north, also allows dogs. Natural Bridges State Beach, whose famous monarch butterflies are discussed above, is a popular windsurfing beach. Natural Bridges is also known for its tide pools - little pockets in the rocky formation just north of the main beach that are exposed at low tide and house all sorts of small marine creatures. Kids love them but keep a close eye on them as the rocks can be slippery and the ocean unpredictable. The name is misleading: one of the two stone bridges collapsed a few years ago. Just south of Natural Bridges is the tiny clothing-optional 2222 Beach.

Heading further north along the coast, you leave the city limits and pass through agricultural fields for 11 mi (18 km) before reaching the small town of Davenport, which has a couple of restaurants, a B&B, and a huge cement plant that dominates the skyline. Each turnout along the road marks a beach, many of which are prime surf spots. 🌍 Wilder Ranch State Park can be reached by a new bike path from just north of Natural Bridges. Its several nice beaches include 🌍 Three Mile Beach and 🌍 Four Mile Beach, named after their distances from town. 🌍 Laguna Creek Beach (with parking on the east of highway 1), 🌍 Panther and 🌍 Hole-in-the-Wall Beach (connected by a passage that closes at high tide), 🌍 Bonny Doon Beach (another famous clothing optional spot), and 🌍 Davenport Beach. For those who want to tour the beaches, Highway 1 has wide shoulders that are generally safe for cycling.

The beaches north of the Boardwalk, especially those on the open ocean instead of the bay, can have huge waves and strong currents, so care should be taken in the water, even by strong swimmers.

There are lots of beaches south of Main Beach as well, but you'll need another guide for them.

Santa Cruz is also surrounded by a great number of open space parks. There are two types of parks to choose from. There are inland wooded parks, (like Henry Cowell State Park) with redwood groves, and swimming in the river and open space preserves built on the coastal hills.

Wilder Ranch is a state park sitting in the hills adjacent to the coast (just west of town on Hwy 1). It has expansive views of the Monterey Bay as well as sweeping views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The ranch also includes many old historic building, staffed with docents to demonstrate the workings of the historic ranch.

The Pogonip is within the city boundaries adjacent to the university and accessible from Spring Street and from Highway 9 (via Golf Club). The Pogonip is an old country club which has reverted to a fairly natural state. It sits on the side of a hill and has great views as well as great natural items. Numerous springs fill the creeks, as well as a special fish pond along the Spring Box Trail.

• 🌍 Taqueria Jalapeños, 206 Laurel St, ☏ +1 831 457-0159. Mexican fast food. Seating is very cramped at Laurel St. location, so don't plan on being able to eat there with all your family and friends. $2–10. 
• 🌍 Pizza My Heart, 1116 Pacific Ave. Tasty cheap pizza by the slice or the pie, salads. $2–5. Great Santa Cruz souvenir: slice of pizza and Pizza My Heart T-shirt for $5. 
• 🌍 Tacos Moreno, 1053 Water St. 10AM-9PM. Award-winning tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Family-owned. Limited dining and parking space. A local favorite and worth a visit. $2–5. 
• 🌍 Taqueria Vallarta, 608 Soquel Ave. There are many taquerias in town, but this one attracts Mexican-American families, college students, and visitors from up and down the coast who come just for the huge traditional style meals. $1–6. 
• Taqueria Santa Cruz (2 locations). Daily 9AM-11:45PM. A great taqueria with unquestionably some of the most authentic Mexican food you will find in Santa Cruz. The 49er Burrito on their menu ($6.50) is a super burrito with red sauce and cheese poured on top (like an enchillada) and is one of their specialties. 
  • 🌍 2215 Mission St, ☏ +1 831-423-0606. (updated Mar 2023)
  • 🌍 1002 Soquel Ave, ☏ +1 831-429-5193. (updated Mar 2023)
• 🌍 Top-A-Lot Yogurt, 738 Water St, ☏ +1 831 426-1375. M-F 12:30 PM-10PM; Sa-Su Noon-10PM. Self-serve frozen yogurt shop. The flavors are changed daily and rather than paying for a size, you pay 42 cents an ounce for all the ice cream and toppings you want. Pick from pumpkin or jasmine yogurt to cheesecake and cookie dough toppings. If you do not like the taste of frozen yogurt, this is a good place. It tastes just like soft serve ice cream. Average cup is $3–5. 

• 🌍 Chaminade Resort & Spa, One Chaminade Ln, toll-free: +1-800-283-6569. Two amazing restaurants featuring menus using only the freshest produce from local farms. If you're in town on a Sunday, Chaminade's Sunset Restaurant has an award-winning Sunday morning Champagne brunch. Happy hour is every Tuesday-Thursday, 4-6PM. 
• 🌍 Charlie Hong Kong, 1141 Soquel Ave. An oddly small colorful building which contains a restaurant of decent inauthentic Thai/Vietnamese fusion. There is half-outdoor seating complete with heat lamps, foliage, and colorful decorative lighting. Very vegan/vegetarian friendly. $4-6 for standard entree. 
• 🌍 El Palomar, 1336 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 425-7575. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Reservations are taken only for large parties on weeknights, and the wait can be very long on weekends. Great Mexican food in dramatic dining room, but not cheap. Brighter cantina in back is a good lunch spot that becomes a bar at night, serves some of the best tacos in town for $2.50 a pop and has specials on Tuesday nights. Lots of seafood specialties. Homemade tortillas are excellent, as are the margaritas. Strolling guitar players some evenings. Kid friendly. Typical entrees $10–16. 
• 🌍 Kianti's, 1100 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 469-4400. This is a great downtown Italian spot. The food is quite good, and it's a very entertaining place to eat. On weekend evenings, you may even get a fully choreographed performance by the entire staff. $8–10. 
• 🌍 Malabar, 514 Front St, ☏ +1 831 423-7906. Excellent curried mangos and Kofta Joe. The service can be surly, but don't worry about it. Eat and be happy. Sunday night dinner is a fixed menu consisting of naan, salad, various curries and rice (in small amounts) and a dessert; however, the price is determined by what you think it is worth. Only have $5? It's okay. Feel like it's worth $20, that works too. 
• 🌍 Mobo Sushi, 105 River St (San Lorenzo Park Plaza Shopping Center). Innovative sushi and jazz club. Check local listings for music. 
• 🌍 Oswalds, 121 Soquel Ave. Classy Californian cuisine using organic and fresh ingredients. Reservations recommended on the weekend. $8–25. 
• 🌍 Red Restaurant and Lounge, 200 Locust St, ☏ +1 831 425-1913. 3PM-2AM. Features a plush lounge and an elegant dining room. Menu consists of happy hour bites (3-7PM) appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads, and nightly dinner specials. Organic local produce from the downtown farmer's market provides fresh, healthy, and delicious food. Chef Bobby Madrid. Exquisite cocktails featuring an array of house-infused liquors - you don't want to be in Santa Cruz without experiencing the Red. $6-30. 
• 🌍 Seabreeze Cafe, 542 Seabright Ave, ☏ +1 831 427-9713. Still often called "Linda's" even though the personable owner sold this cafe to the her business partner Tex Hintze quite a few years ago. Often a wait on weekends but you can start your mug of coffee while you wait. Cinnamon Rolls on the weekend are a must! Best breakfast in town! Vegan-friendly, kid friendly. 
• 🌍 Seabright Brewery, 519 Seabright Ave, ☏ +1 831 426-BREW (2739). 11:30AM – 11:30PM daily (kitchen closes at 10PM). Updated pub grub, and fresh beer made on the premises. Salmon fish and chips, with beer battered salmon fried in Japanese bread crumbs and served with sesame-wasabi tartar sauce and teriyaki garlic chili sauce is almost too rich to eat. Lots of vegetarian food. Big patio overlooks a busy road, but is a pleasant place to head after a day at the beach. Beer and pizza specials on some weekdays. $8–12 sandwiches and entrees. 
• 🌍 Shogun, 1123 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 469-4477. Excellent sushi restaurant in a convenient downtown location. The exceptionally fresh ingredients and talented sushi staff make this some of the best sushi available in Santa Cruz County. They offer all the traditional sushis, as well as lots of variations, some of which are veggie/vegan friendly. Of particular interest is the "korokke," a potato croquette served with tonkatsu sauce, which you won't find in many local Japanese restaurants. Serves lunch and dinner through the week, dinner Saturdays, closed Sundays. Sushi plates are $3–9. 
• 🌍 Silver Spur Restaurant, 2650 Soquel Dr, ☏ +1 831 475-2725. It's letting the secret out of the bag to tell you that Linda of Seabreeze Cafe fame bought this larger venue to sling her famous fabulous food. Vegan-friendly, kid-friendly. 
• 🌍 The Buttery Café, 702 Soquel Avenue, ☏ +1 831 458-3020, fax: +1 831 458-1012, info@butterybakery.com. 7AM-7PM. The café serves breakfast foods, sandwiches, salads, and, of course, delectable fresh bakery items. (updated Aug 2017)
• 🌍 Walnut Avenue Cafe, 106 Walnut Ave, ☏ +1 831 457-2307. American breakfast and lunch. Fresh ingredients, friendly service, and a complete lack of trendiness. A favorite of Santa Cruz locals—long waits on the weekends. 
• 🌍 Zachary's, 819 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 427-0646. Fantastic breakfasts featuring homemade bread French toasts, fruit salads, home fries, and more. Finishing Mike's Mess is a worthwhile challenge. Expect a line Saturday and Sunday. $1–10. 
• 🌍 Zoccoli's Deli, 1534 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 423-1711. Amazing sandwich place. It's where all the locals go. The Castroville Italian sandwich and the tiramisu are to die for. 

• 🌍 Crow's Nest, 2218 East Cliff Dr, ☏ +1 831 476-4560. Steak and seafood restaurant. Ocean view and full bar that's a favorite of locals. In the top three annually for "best happy hour" award from the local weekly paper. 
• 🌍 Gabriella Cafe, 910 Cedar St, ☏ +1 831 457-1677. W-Su for lunch: 11:30AM-2:30PM & dinner 5:30PM-9PM. Amazing local, organic food and great wine list. $20–50. 

• 🌍 Asti, 715 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 423-7337. End your pub crawl here and have a photo of your bare butt added to the lovely collage on the wall. Lots of cheap beer and college students in this dive bar. (updated Apr 2021)
• 🌍 Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 423-7117. Also known as "the meat market." Has $2 drinks on Tuesdays, attracting a huge crowd of cheap drinkers. Thursday is 1980s night drawing a large college crowd. Monday is Goth/Industrial night. 
• 🌍 The Rush Inn, 113 Knight St, ☏ +1 831 425-9673. Has a reputation for allowing cigarette smoking indoors for many years after state law prohibited it. (updated Apr 2021)

• 🌍 Lulu Carpenter's, 1545 Pacific Ave (downtown), ☏ +1 831 429-9804. 7AM–9PM. Free WiFi access point. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company, 1330 Pacific Ave (downtown), ☏ +1 831 459-0100. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Coffeetopia, 3701 Portola Dr, ☏ +1 831 477-1940. Free WiFi plus computers available. Great espresso. 
• 🌍 The Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Dr, ☏ +1 831 477-1341. 6:30AM–2PM. Free Wi-Fi. The Mug is a full service coffeehouse down the road a little, in the Soquel neighborhood east of the city proper. It's a place where you can socialize, study, and conduct business meetings in a warm friendly atmosphere. All local, all organic. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Verve Coffee Roasters, 1540 Pacific Ave (downtown), ☏ +1 831 600-7784. 8AM–6PM. Free Wi-Fi. They roast to order so you can sample far-out blends from all around the world and not have to buy the 12 oz (340 g) bag just to get a taste. (updated May 2022)

• 🌍 The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 423-1336. Large venue with bar/restaurant in the front and music venue in the back. Pool tables. Happy hour. Check local weekly papers for line-up. 
• 🌍 The Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St, ☏ +1 831 427-2227. "Kuumbwa" (pronounced koo-um-ba, silent "w"), a Swahili word meaning "act of spontaneous creation." Kuumbwa Jazz is an internationally recognized nonprofit jazz venue. It's one of the longest weekly nonprofit jazz presenters on the West Coast, established in 1975. When we aren't presenting our own weekly jazz series, the venue is available for outside promoters to bring in acts such as bluegrass, folk, Celtic and world music. The venue is also available for special occasions such as receptions, private parties, and community events. 

• 🌍 Bay Front Inn Hotel, 325 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 423-8564. Free high-speed Internet access. 
• 🌍 Casablanca Inn & Bistro, 101 Main St, ☏ +1 831 423-1570. 
• 🌍 Chaminade Resort & Spa, 1 Chaminade Ln, toll-free: +1-800-283-6569. 156 rooms & suites on a scenic mountain ridge, overlooking the Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Offers two restaurants, a spa, fitness center, heated outdoor swimming pool, two outdoor Jacuzzis, four lighted tennis courts, geocaching and 3 mi (4.8 km) of hiking trails. 
• 🌍 Marea Sol Hotel, 301 Beach St, ☏ +1 831 426-0420. 
• 🌍 Comfort Inn Santa Cruz, 314 Riverside Ave, ☏ +1 831 471-9999, gm.ca926@choicehotels.com. 
• 🌍 Hinds Victorian Guest House, 529 Chestnut St, ☏ +1 831 423-0423. Weekly European style lodging in a downtown 1888 Victorian mansion with private and shared baths. Full kitchen and laundry. 
• 🌍 Inn at Pasatiempo, 555 Highway 17, ☏ +1 831 423-5000. 
• 🌍 Pacific Blue Inn, 636 Pacific Ave, ☏ +1 831 600-8880, pbinn@pacificblueinn.com. This eB&B offers nine eco-friendly rooms, free Wi-Fi, bikes, parking and all rooms are ADA. from $149 + tax. 
• 🌍 Santa Cruz Dream Inn, 175 West Cliff Dr, ☏ +1 831 426-4330. Every room has a private ocean-front balcony. 
• 🌍 Santa Cruz Hostel (Hostelling International), 321 Main St (on Beach Hill), ☏ +1 831 423-8304. Housed in some of the city's oldest and most famous dwellings (the Carmelita Cottages). 14-day maximum stay. 

For our bohemian friends passing through (keep Santa Cruz Weird!), sleeping on city beaches cannot be recommended. Try the more chill beaches along the cliffs northwest of town, or along the sandy banks of the San Lorenzo, upriver in the gorge, along Highway 9.

• 🌍 New Brighton State Beach, ☏ +1 831-464-6329. Just south of Santa Cruz in Capitola. Campsites sit on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Very popular site and reservations are recommended far in advance. (updated Sep 2020)
• 🌍 Butano State Park. Just north of Santa Cruz, Butano is a nice park among giant old growth and second growth redwood trees. Close to Highway 1, this spot is an ideal location for travelers plying the San Francisco to Monterrey route. Not recommended for large RVs and trailers over 24 ft (7.3 m). 
• 🌍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Just north of Santa Cruz on Highway 9, Henry Cowell sits in giant redwoods trees. Nice enough to be a destination in and of itself but also a nice central spot to use as a base of operations for exploring Santa Cruz and surroundings. 
• 🌍 Portola Redwoods State Park. Long, winding, one-lane mountain roads keep most people away from this park. Their loss can be your gain. Some of the biggest trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains can be found in this park in the Peters Creek area. This park is nearly always empty. Not recommended for vehicles longer than 21 ft (6.4 m). 
• 🌍 Seacliff State Beach, ☏ +1 831 685-6500. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. South of Santa Cruz in Aptos, this camp site offers beach side RV camping year round. Tent camping not permitted. (updated Sep 2020)
• 🌍 Manresa Uplands State Beach (formally called Sand Dollar), ☏ +1 831 724-3750. Walk-in camp sites along a bluff overlooking the ocean. Closed winters. 
• 🌍 Sunset State Beach (south of Santa Cruz near Watsonville). Campsites on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Reservations recommended far in advance. 
• 🌍 Castle Rock State Park, ☏ +1 408-868-9540. Backpacking sites about 3 mi (4.8 km) from the parking lot. No cell phone reception. Camping $15/night (includes 1 vehicle). Extra vehicles and day use $10. (updated Sep 2020)
• 🌍 The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, ☏ +1 831-763-7063. Backpacking sites about 9 mi (14 km) form the visitors center and 3 mi (4.8 km) from Olive Springs Road. (updated Sep 2020)