Santa Cruz Main Beach
Santa Cruz Main Beach is known as Boardwalk Beach because of the popular boardwalk and amusement park at the...
Beaches in Santa Cruz
Natural Bridges State Beach
Natural Bridges State Beach is named for its natural rock arch located in the shore break. This is one...
Seabright Beach
Seabright Beach is a popular sandy beach next to Santa Cruz Main Beach in Santa Cruz. It is on...
Lighthouse Field State Beach
Lighthouse Field State Beach is a California state park that occupies a large tract of land along West Cliff...
Twin Lakes State Beach
Twin Lakes State Beach is a sandy beach on the east side of the entrance to Santa Cruz Harbor....
Santa Cruz Harbor Beach
Santa Cruz Harbor Beach is a south-facing beach at the corner of 5th Avenue and East Cliff Drive in...
Wilder Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
Wilder Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park is a natural reserve that is unfortunately off-limits to public visitation. Snowy...
Panther Beach
Panther Beach is a popular sandy beach north of Santa Cruz near the hamlet of Davenport. It’s part of...
Hole-in-the-Wall Beach
Hole-in-the-Wall Beach is located immediately south of Panther Beach between Santa Cruz and the town of Davenport. The only access...
Its Beach
Its Beach is the name of the south-facing beach below the bluff on the west side of Point Santa...
Laguna Creek Beach
Laguna Creek Beach, near Santa Cruz, is a remote and wide sandy beach with a creek, wetlands, unique rocks,...
Blacks Beach
This local beach in the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz goes by many names. Some call it Black’s...
4 Mile Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
4 Mile Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park is the most accessible beach open to the public in the...
Pleasure Point Beach
Pleasure Point Park is a small park on the bluff above a popular surfing spot in the Live Oak...
Cowell Beach
Cowell Beach, aka Cowell’s, is the name of the beach west of the Municipal Wharf pier in downtown Santa...
Corcoran Lagoon Beach
Corcoran Lagoon Beach is located between 20th and 23rd Avenues on East Cliff Drive in the Live Oak area...
Santa Maria’s Beach
Santa Maria’s Beach is a small beach at the end of 19th Avenue in the Live Oak area of...
Moran Lake Park Beach
Moran Lake Park surrounds a lagoon in the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz. The park has its own...
Sunny Cove
Sunny Cove Beach is in a deep cove filled with sand in eastern Santa Cruz, CA. The cove has...
26th Avenue Beach
The 26th Avenue Access leads to a narrow sandy beach between Moran Lake and Corcoran Lagoon on the east...
Steamer Lane
Steamer Lane is really just a surfing spot for experienced surfers near Point Santa Cruz. The shoreline here is...
36th Avenue Beach Access
The beach located between below East Cliff Drive at 36th Avenue in Santa Cruz isn’t a large beach and...
Mitchell’s Cove Beach
Mitchell’s Cove Beach is another south-facing beach in west Santa Cruz, CA. It is located below the bluff between...
38th Avenue Beach Access
The 38th Avenue Beach Access is a stairwell that leads down to a small beach in the Live Oak...
Fern Grotto Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
Fern Grotto Beach is definitely worth the hike from the Wilder Ranch State Park visitor center. The grotto is...
3 Mile Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
3 Mile Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park is a secluded sandy beach west of Santa Cruz. It requires quite...
Sand Plant Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
Sand Plant Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park is at the base of a gulch that connects to a...
Strawberry Beach at Wilder Ranch State Park
Strawberry Beach is a remote sandy beach in Wilder Ranch State Park north of Santa Cruz, CA. It’s probably...
Younger Lagoon Beach
The beach at Younger Lagoon Reserve in Santa Cruz is off-limits to the general public, but can be visited...
Sand Hill Bluff
Sand Hill Bluff is a protected public property between Wilder Ranch State Park and Laguna Creek Beach north of...
The Hook
The Hook is a popular surfing spot near the intersection of East Cliff Drive and 41st Avenue in the...
Privates Beach
Privates Beach in the Opal Cliffs area of Santa Cruz is a public beach again! In 2018 the California...
2222 Beach
The tiny beach known as 2222 Beach is located along West Cliff Drive at Auburn Avenue in Santa Cruz....
Red White and Blue Beach
Red White and Blue Beach was once a popular clothing-optional beach and campground north of Santa Cruz, but it...
Explore Santa Cruz
Nearby Hotels
The Santa Cruz Dream Inn
The Santa Cruz Dream Inn serves up a beachside location, with retro-style accommodations. While all of the 160+ guestrooms...
Nearby Attractions
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park, located in Santa Cruz, California, offers more than 30 amusement park rides from...
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park sits atop Mission Hill in Santa Cruz offering a patio, gardens, and...
Walton Lighthouse
Some cities would enjoy claiming rights to a single lighthouse. Santa Cruz enjoys two beautiful structures and though the...
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is located just north of Santa Cruz. The park is open to the public...
Roaring Camp Railroad Train Ride
When visiting Santa Cruz or Felton, take a ride on the Roaring Camp Railroad Train. The train takes passengers...
Santa Cruz Wharf
The Santa Cruz Wharf, once known as the Pleasure Pier is an enjoyable pier. Once part of the Santa...
About Santa Cruz
With more than 30 beaches, Santa Cruz has plenty to offer tourists. There are several small beaches to the east, and a number of remote beaches to the west, some of which are clothing-optional. You’ll find the secluded Bonny Doon Beach at the base of a cliff and fantastic waves at the place locals call Its Beach. To grab a souvenir, or a bite to eat, head to Santa Cruz Wharf. For some family-friendly fun, check out the rides at Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Amusement Park. To make it easier to find the right beach we created a list of the best beaches in Santa Cruz.
