West Cliff Drive is a scenic route starting downtown at the pier that winds along the rugged…read morecoastline northward to the Natural Bridges Park. This beautiful path is approximately 3 miles long which can be enjoyed by walking, biking or a slow ride in one's vehicle. A good portion of the route is wheelchair accessible. It is a great route to enjoy the sights and sounds of the abundant marine life including seals and dolphins, the waters of the Pacific ocean and Monterey Bay, fantastic views of the rugged coastline, and the waters full of surfers at iconic Steamer Lane. There are a few parking spots along the way. The parking lot at the north end of West Cliff Drive can fill up quickly.

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I had never been to Twin Lakes State Beach before and it did not disappoint! We arrived around…read more1045am and we were able to find parking on the street but it was definitely busy and full. There are two ways to get to the sand...a set of stairs or this low grade slope that is sand. I recommend taking the stairs especially if you have a wagon, it was very hard to pull my wagon through the low grade slope sand. It would have been easier to unload and carry things down the stairs and then load the wagon back up. I will say my favorite part of this beach was watching the sail boats launch! The beach was clean from any trash and also offered bathrooms and outdoor showers. Will definitely come back to this beach! Highly recommend!

It's a busy beach with stunning views of the pier and boardwalk. Parking can be difficult. Parking…read morefeels far from the beach. Water is cold.

Very clean beach ! Love it here ! Always family friendly. I don't think they allow bonfires though.read more

Seabright Beach always holds a special place in my heart as it's our family's comfort beach which…read morewe always go to for fun family outdoor events and a running place for my beloved puppy Butter. I like the fact that this beach is super close to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History with the giant whale (in iron) in front and the Walton Lighthouse as well the Boardwalk is just walking distance. In fact, during low tide, though not recommended, you can cross under a cave and get right onto the Boardwalk :) There are decently clean public restrooms and trash bins here, which are a plus in my opinion. The sand is in earthy yellow tones and if you're lucky, the sky looks amazingly. The waves are not too strong here either. Perfect spot for beach picnic or a simple stroll. There are so many dogs running around and everyone is so friendly. This beach is deep and spacious! There are spaces for everyone, even in the weekends. There are street parkings all around :) Love this beach and highly recommend!

The only reason this is 4 stars is because of insane parking and lack of accessibility. The parking…read moreis in a dirt lot, and if you turn your car facing the entrance to the beach, it's quite hard to turn around when you're leaving, especially when crowded. You literally have to scale a cliff to get to and from the beach, which is a little difficult if you're hauling things or very difficult if you're physically disabled. Once you're on the beach though, it's gorgeous. Plenty of room to spread out, and the waves are super big. The Saturday we went (7/17) it was clear and sunny- perfect weather! Would recommend this beach if you are able-bodied and want to get away from the crowds at Santa Cruz and Capitola.

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BEACH…read more When I go to the beach at Half Moon Bay I go boogie boarding to relax. Last summer my cousin introduced me to this beach as it is his getaway to relax. This is not a place to boogie board or surf due to the rip tides and the steep steps walking down to this beach. That doesn't mean you cannot have a great time here. In fact I like going to beaches that are different from each other. I came here with that same cousin on Friday July 3. Due to the pandemic we practiced social distancing. There were people but the beach wasn't packed. However I knew if we had come to this beach on Saturday July 4 this beach would've been crowded. What makes this beach unique is the serenity. Walking down the steep steps the cliff acts as a barrier to prevent the sounds of traffic. Even though the beach isn't big due to the rugged terrain behind the beach the the area on the beach makes it spacious. With the depth of the area you can throw a football, fling a frisbee, and kick a soccer ball without feeling cramped. I'll admit Northern California doesn't have the glamourous beaches like Southern California. That doesn't mean you can't relax and have "fun in the sun" at certain beaches in Northern California. If you don't want to go the congestion at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz I recommend coming to free-flowing atmosphere at Panther Beach.

My friend recommended this place and I never knew it was a dog beach and I am so glad I checked it…read moreout. It is literally going to be one of my favorite places to visit. You HAVE to like dogs to come here. Like legit. If you don't, you seriously will be miserable! I came on easter sunday and it was soooo packed. Like 100 dogs. It was amazing. I was in heaven. I want to come here every week if I could, it really is THAT great. Parking is free, and what I've been told by many, I just came on a VERY busy weekend. Usually parking is easy from what the locals told me. You do have to go down a few stairs to reach the beach. It's a little cove with so many friendly people. Stay as long as you please. Bathroom across the street.

If you love lighthouses come see this one…read more Food and coffee close by. Closed to look at but the view is worth it. Lots of parking Lots of places to sit and listen to the water.

Really nice beach but I wish they allowed Bonfires . Most Davenport beaches do not , overall great…read morehangout location.

OMFG...I finally made it to the swing at the Davenport Beach?! :D…read more I did not read any reviews about this spot before coming here. I just bookmarked for a couple of years, and I finally visited it. My boyfriend and I along with his doggie were having a day out in Santa Cruz. I told him that we should visit this place so that we can swing on the beach. He was down for it, but once we found the way to get down to it--he said, "No way, I'm doing that." I *did* not let that stop me from going down there to experience the swing though. My boyfriend and his doggie stayed at the top of the cliff and watched me climbed down to the beach. Yes, it was pretty treacherous. Thank goodness there was a rope with knots to hold onto. Otherwise, I don't think I would be able to do it successfully without that lifesaver rope. Thank you so much to whoever secured that rope there! Also, I do want to point out I did this in a dress and flipflops?! Crazy right.. Then again.. I'm crazy, I do admit it. ;) There were a four gals and guys down there chilling. I asked them if there was another way to get in and out of here, but they confirm that that was the only way in and out. I got to swing on the swing and took some videos. The swing looked cool from the photos that I seen, but it doesn't swing well straight. It does swing sideways. Lol... It took me about 7 minutes to go down and about 4 minutes to climb back up. I know this because my boyfriend recorded me. Lol... I'm very grateful that I was determined to do this despite the company that I had didn't want to do it. Years ago I let someone that I was with who didn't want to do it influence me to also not do it when we visitied Alamere Falls so I won't let that happen anymore. If there is something I want to do, it's okay to do it alone when other people don't want to do it. That's on self-love, baby! There is two parking areas. We initially parked in the one right across the post office, but then we follow this group to the other one right next to it because it was closer. We walked across the railroad tracks and found the opening to the climb to the beach. I was sore for a few days afterwards in my legs from climbing the side of the cliff, but oh gosh... It was so worth it!

I often stop here for a picnic on my ride on the rail trail from Santa Cruz. The new trail…read moreextension to Davenport is almost complete!! Wilder ranch is such a great place. I bought a patch last weekend. Can't wait to eat another picnic lunch here while biking between Santa Cruz and Davenport!

Went out for a hike on the trails at the beginning of July. The trails are very open and exposed,…read moreand not very well marked to start. We hiked the Wilder Ridge trail loop and hiked up the wider side of the trail and came down on the north side which is a single track that passes right next to a landfill dump. I recommend the wide trail, but not the single track. There were alot of ticks on the trail, we assume that they got picked up on the single track we took to return on. Make sure to check for ticks if you hike out there.

Pleasure Point, on the northern Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County, California, is a world-renowned…read moresurf location, traditionally defined as the area along the coast from 41st Ave to Moran Lagoon, up 30th Ave to Portola and over to 41st Ave down to the sea at the "Hook". It has a firmly rooted surf culture. We regularly spend time in the Pleasure Point area renting vacation houses there in June. We recently got back from renting a property right on East Cliff named, "The Cabin." Great rental with an awesome view of the Bay and surfers. We enjoy seeing all the locals and tourists walk, ride their e-bikes, or surf there. It's location is near Capitola, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk , and many local restaurants, bars, coffee spots you'd expect. They have an annual neighborhood festival there every June also that's very fun to attend. Over 100 vendors sell arts, crafts, local services, food and beverages. They have a kids zone, beer garden and local bands perform a variety of styles of music on two stages including Americana, Blues, Rock, Reggae and Surf Music. Pleasure Point is a great area!

Such a great spot with a beautiful viewpoint for surfers. Limited spot mainly for surfing…read moreactivities. The stairs that lead down to the beach are perfect for surfers to easily get to the water. Today, they hosted a youth surfing competition, which was awesome to watch -- so much talent! The vibe is laid-back and the view of the ocean is just stunning. Whether you're a surfer or just enjoying the sights, it's a fantastic place to hang out. Careful of the sneaker waves though!