Santa Cruz: beaches, boardwalk and surf an hour from San Jose

Santa Cruz is the bay's relaxed counterpoint: a seaside amusement park, surf culture and redwood forests 15 minutes from downtown.

What to do

• Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: a 1907 amusement park with the wooden Giant Dipper coaster; free to enter.
• Municipal Wharf: a pier with restaurants and sea lions under the planks.
• Steamer Lane and the Surfing Museum: at Lighthouse Point, the best place to watch surfers up close.
• Natural Bridges State Beach: rock arches and, from October to February, thousands of monarch butterflies.
• Henry Cowell Redwoods: old-growth redwoods and the Roaring Camp steam train.

Fitting it into a route

Santa Cruz is 1h15 from San Francisco via Highway 17 and 45 minutes from Monterey on Highway 1. It works beautifully as a midday stop between the two, especially with children.

Weather

There is more sun here than in San Francisco, but the water stays cold year-round (55-60°F). Bring a swimsuit; swimming without a wetsuit is another matter.

With a chauffeur

The Highway 17 mountain stretch is narrow and busy. We drive it for you and drop your group at the boardwalk gate or the beach of your choice.