Santa Cruz Beach Travel Guide

Other Guides for Santa Cruz

Beach Destinations Near Santa Cruz

Davenport, CA
(9.3 mi.)
Pacific Grove, CA
(26 mi.)
Monterey, CA
(27 mi.)
Pebble Beach, CA
(29 mi.)
Carmel, CA
(30 mi.)
Half Moon Bay, CA
(40 mi.)
Alameda, CA
(56 mi.)
San Francisco, CA
(59 mi.)
San Simeon Beach State Park, CA
(108 mi.)
Morro Bay, CA
(129 mi.)

Travel Guides Near Santa Cruz

Natural Bridges Beach State Park, CA (2.1 mi.)
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, CA (3.6 mi.)
Soquel, CA (4.2 mi.)
Capitola, CA (4.3 mi.)
Scotts Valley, CA (5.4 mi.)
Mount Hermon, CA (5.5 mi.)
Felton, CA (5.8 mi.)
Rio del Mar, CA (7.2 mi.)
Aptos, CA (7.3 mi.)
Bonny Doon, CA (8.1 mi.)

Pacific Coast Beach States/Provinces

Beach Travel Destinations

Santa Cruz coastline (Stockbyte)

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Santa Cruz Beach Travel Tips

By Ludmilla Alexander

Brave 55-mph twists and turns on the boardwalk's Giant Dipper, a classic wooden coaster.
Brush up on boardwalk trivia at The Art & History Museum in downtown Santa Cruz.
Toss steel rings into a clown's mouth on the 95-year-old Looff Carousel.
Trace 100 years of surfing history at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. Two inventive claims to fame: the wet suit and surfboard leash.

Santa Cruz Travel Guide

For a small bayside city, Santa Cruz has a lot to offer. The main show, of course, is the Beach Boardwalk, which attracts millions of visitors each year. But past the arcades and cotton candy is a surprisingly diverse and energetic city with a little something for everyone: Shopping, hiking, mountain biking, sailing, fishing, kayaking, surfing, wine tasting, golfing, whale-watching—the list of things to do here is almost endless, making Santa Cruz one of the premier family destinations on the California coast. Read More

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I'm staying in Salinas,CA, what is the best beach for swimming?
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Hotels

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Seascape Resort Monterey Bay

One Seascape Resort Drive
Aptos, CA 95003 Map

Distance: 8.6 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class:

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Expert Rated & Recommended

Santa Cruz KOA

1186 San Andreas Road
La Selva Beach, CA Map

Distance: 10.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated

Expert Rated & Recommended

Davenport Roadhouse Restaurant & Inn

31 Davenport Avenue
Davenport, CA Map

Distance: 9.4 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated

Expert Rated & Recommended

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Attractions

Monterey Bay Aquarium

886 Cannery Row
Monterey, California

Distance: 25.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

Monterey Bay Aquarium [STSTST] [kds]—Ranked one of the nation's top family... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Waddell State Beach

Highway 1
Davenport, California

Distance: 16.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Waddell Beach is internationally known as a prime spot for windsurfing, primarily because of its... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Monarch Grove Sanctuary

Ridge Road
Pacific Grove, California

Distance: 24.6 mi. (from destination center)

Description: Thousands of Monarch Butterflies migrate to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary every October and cluster... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

All Santa Cruz Attractions »

Airports

Major Airports near Santa Cruz

	Distance (mi.)
San Jose International Airport	26.9 map
San Francisco International Airport	48.5 map
Oakland International Airport	52.4 map

Other Smaller Airports near Santa Cruz

	Distance (mi.)
Carmel/Monterey Peninsula Airport	28.8 map
Modesto Municipal Airport	74.1 map
Merced Municipal Airport	86.1 map

More Airports

Flight Deals to Santa Cruz

Originating	From
Los Angeles (LAX) to San Jose (SJC)	$126
San Diego (SAN) to San Jose (SJC)	$145
Las Vegas (LAS) to San Jose (SJC)	$146
Seattle (SEA) to San Jose (SJC)	$166
Denver (DEN) to San Jose (SJC)	$176

See all flight deals to San Jose (SJC)

See fares originating from San Jose (SJC)

Feature Articles

Easy Rollers
outside
The best beaches for practicing your moves offer slow, gentle waves and a no-pressure atmosphere. Here are six of our faves.
Swellsville, USA
outside
Bare feet on hot sand. Surfboard on the waves. Lobster in the pot. A long, hot season to stay wet and never go back inside. summer starts here—don't let the screen door hit you on the way out.
August Family Travel Guide
San Francisco
outside
IF YOU'VE HAD your fill of lingering summer fog, yoga-mat gridlock, and a whole lotta dazed and confused former dotcommers, now's the time to leave your heart in San Francisco but take the rest of you out yonder to Sierra peaks and serene redwood forests.