Santa Cruz

A laid-back, hippie-flavored surf town on California's Central Coast, with a century-old beach boardwalk, redwood forests and monarch butterfly groves.

Santa Cruz lies on California's Central Coast at the northern end of Monterey Bay, about 120 km from San Francisco and 50 km from San Jose. This seaside town is known for surfing, hippie culture and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The climate is mild, around 10–25°C year-round; Jun–Sep is peak beach season, though mornings are often foggy, and Sep–Oct tends to be the sunniest. From October to February, monarch butterflies overwinter at Natural Bridges State Beach, and from December to March you can head north to Año Nuevo to watch elephant seals breed. The highlights fall into three areas. First, the coast: the century-old Beach Boardwalk and Main Beach, sea lions at the Santa Cruz Wharf, and West Cliff Drive, where you can walk or bike past the famous Steamer Lane surf break to Natural Bridges. Second, the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, the Roaring Camp steam train and, a bit farther, Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Third, to the east, the colorful village of Capitola and the beaches of Aptos. Getting there: it's about a 1–1.5-hour drive from the San Francisco or San Jose airports via Highway 17 or Highway 1. Sights are spread out, so a rental car is best, though bike share works well along the coast. Allow 2–3 days, and consider combining it with Monterey and Big Sur to the south for a Highway 1 road trip. Note: parking at beaches and state parks usually costs about $10–20; the ocean is cold year-round, so surfers need a wetsuit; and there are many homeless people downtown at night, so don't leave valuables in your car.

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Itineraries