Santa Cruz California

Santa Cruz offers the perfect mix of towering redwoods, coastal adventures, and laid-back beach town charm. Key highlights include riding the historic Giant Dipper roller coaster, strolling along West Cliff Drive, exploring the deep redwood forests at Henry Cowell, and visiting the gravity-defying Mystery Spot.

down town santa cruz

So many things to do in and around Santa Cruz!

  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: California’s oldest surviving amusement park (est. 1907) features classic arcade games, carnival food, and the iconic 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster.
  • Take the West Cliff Drive tour Take a scenic, 3-mile walk or bike ride from the Santa Cruz Wharf to Natural Bridges State Beach, passing world-class surf breaks and dramatic ocean cliffs.
  • Natural Bridges State Park: Famous for its distinctive natural rock arch, this is a beautiful spot for tide-pooling, picnicking, and viewing migratory monarch butterflies (in the late fall and winter).
  • Santa Cruz Surfing Museum: Located inside the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, this pint-sized gem explores over a century of local surfing history.
  • Santa Cruz Wharf: Stroll down the half-mile pier to dine on fresh seafood, spot sea lions lounging below, and enjoy panoramic views of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Take the west cliff Drive tour to the wharf and the board walk. This is a big tourist area and as is often the case, Parking can be expensive.   Here are some ideas for parking at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and Wharf. 

Taking the tour of west cliff with natural bridges, the boardwalk, Wharf, surfers museum is a lot to see! Due to construction getting from west cliff to east cliff might be challenging. Assuming you are staying down town, try taking Soquel (So kell) drive to Capitola road or the free way at 41st ave. 41st ends at the ocean at pleasure point. You can get into Capitola Village fairly easily from pleasure point.

Downtown Santa Cruz

 Walk along Pacific Avenue to explore indie bookstores (like Bookshop Santa Cruz), sip artisan coffee, and browse unique local boutiques.

      • Abbot Square: Located right next to the Museum of Art & History, this outdoor hub offers great food trucks, craft beer, and local artist stalls.
      • Artisan food crafters: Grab a scoop of locally famous scratch-made ice cream from The Penny Ice Creamery or Mariannes Ice Cream.

Capitola

View of the capitola wharf at sun rise from the cliff
View of the Capitola wharf at sun rise from the cliff

Take the park ave exit off of Hiway one and drive in to the village of Capitola. Explore shopping dining and the beach. They are many yearly events in the village with music and art. Check out Capitola events here

You will find a walking tour map and Capitola history information on the city of Capitola web page.

 

 

Nature & Redwoods

  • Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Wander the flat, easy Redwood Loop trail to marvel at towering, old-growth trees up to 285 feet tall.
  • Roaring Camp Ride vintage 19th-century steam trains through the redwood canopy and up the steep mountain grades
  • The Mystery Spot A classic California roadside attraction nestled in the redwoods that features interactive, gravity-defying optical illusions.
  • Big Basin Redwoods State Park