It's a fun time! Local amusement park on the beach. It was featured in a few movies like The Lost Boys and the movie Us. It has a 100-year-old wooden roller coaster. There is also a huge arcade that has indoor, pirate-themed mini golf. They have tickets and wristbands. Depending on how many want to go, group rates are possible. You don't have to pay to get into the boardwalk, only if you want to go on rides. You can just roam around if you want to hang out. At this time of the year, the boardwalk is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tide pools are an opportunity to explore some of the sea life in the area, maybe see some starfish, urchins, sea anemones, hermit crabs, etc. And it's free! There are a couple of different spots to go and we can help with the locations.
They have private and group surf lessons. They have two different locations. One is on the beach where the Dream Inn Hotel is located (we put this in the travel section). The other is in the Pleasure Point area.
This is a great Japanese-inspired spa in Downtown Santa Cruz where you can get a private hot tub and sauna room for an hour for $40/person. They also have massages! Look at some of their specials to see when you can get a massage and a free hot tub/sauna right after. Call ahead to make reservations.
Love Kayak Connection! I have taken several lessons from them and we went on a sunset/night kayak tour. They have a location in Santa Cruz on the yacht harbor as well as on Elkhorn Slough which is south of Santa Cruz (about 40 min) and you can see a lot of sea life. This is on your way towards Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Big Sur.
You can ride a steam train through the redwoods! Plan ahead with buying tickets.
Incredible place to visit. Visiting the aquarium never gets old. If you are wanting to head south of Santa Cruz during your stay maybe to Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, or Big Sur, we highly recommend putting this on your itinerary.
Hiking! This is a beautiful redwood park to go hiking while you are here. This is very close to our house. There are a lot of mountain bikers here.
Henry Cowell is an incredible place to hike if you want to be in the redwoods. There are many different hiking trails here that range from easy to hard. The Redwood Grove Loop trail is 0.8 miles. It is an easy, flat, short loop where you can see many very, very large redwoods. Highly recommend! The Observation Deck trail is a 5-mile roundtrip, moderate hike that leads you to an observation deck that gives you a 360 degree view overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay. I think this is one of the best hikes in Santa Cruz County (and there are many). On this hike, you get to experience moving through two different ecosystems that Santa Cruz has to offer. One is the redwoods and the other is the chaparral.
At Wilder Ranch, you can walk on trails by the ocean, or across the hwy, there are many trails to explore. Many on this side are uphill. The trails by the ocean are flat. This park is right outside of town, just as you are headed north on HWY 1. There are a lot of mountain bikers in this area.
I grew up walking to this beach. Great swimming beach and place to just hang out. Weather should be really nice for soaking up the sun and swimming in the water. They also have fire pits for bonfires.
This beach has a swing set. This beach is north on HWY 1. It is a great drive up there. It is a great beach to hang out on. The water is more rough here because it is not in the bay so we don't recommend swimming here but it is a beautiful, quiet place for a beach sunset walk.
This lighthouse is on West Cliff Dr. which is a fantastic place to walk by the ocean. It is on a paved sidewalk. The surf spot by this lighthouse is called Steamer Lane and you will see some more of the advanced surfers shredding here.
Great little cafe with breakfast and lunch options right on West Cliff. Amazing views! My dad comes here a lot for their tacos. This cafe is right across the street from the lighthouse. A walk on West Cliff, a stop at Steamer Lane, and getting to watch the surfers by the lighthouse, are all great to do together and a great thing to do in the morning (really anytime of the day). If staying at the Dream Inn, it takes probably about a half hour to walk to the lighthouse and cafe. The Dream Inn is on West Cliff Dr.
Great breakfast/lunch spot near Seabright Beach.
Another great breakfast/lunch place. Can get very busy and have a long wait, so try to go earlier. This is by the Santa Cruz yacht harbor.
If you are wanting to go to downtown Santa Cruz, this is a great breakfast/lunch spot.
One of our favorite special occasion dinner spots. Definitely make a reservation days or a week in advance. Don't rely on getting in the day of. In the Seabright neighborhood.
Our favorite Thai restaurant in town. In Seabright neighborhood.
Great family-style Chinese restaurant. Right around the corner from the Hyatt Hotel (listed in the travel section).
One of our favorite sushi spots. Downtown Santa Cruz (by Trader Joe's). Get their fresh wasabi!
They have a few different locations around the county. Great coffee and artisanal pastries. This is their Pleasure Point location.
This is also great coffee and pastries. They have multiple locations in the county but this one is in the Seabright neighborhood.
Great taqueria in downtown Santa Cruz.
Great mexican food on the Santa Cruz Wharf. It is on the second story so has extra good views.
One of the best taquerias in Santa Cruz. Just on the end of downtown Santa Cruz by the clocktower.
A great Italian spot for dinner! In the Seabright neighborhood.
A well-established local chain, with many locations throughout Santa Cruz County. This location is in downtown Santa Cruz.