Santa Cruz
Tourist Attractions
Santa Cruz, CA
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Main Attractions in Santa Cruz
West Cliff Drive is a popular Santa Cruz destination for both visitors and locals alike. You can enjoy a leisurely stroll along cliffs while you take in the wonderful ocean views. You can picnic in the park and visit Lighthouse Field and the Surfer's Museum located in the lighthouse.
For the more adventurous, Steamer's Lane offers experienced surfers some of the best surfing in Santa Cruz. And for those that are land lovers, the area is perfect for biking, walking and roller skating.
Featured Santa Cruz Hotels & Resorts
Chaminade ─ Click for Hotel reviews or to book online
One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, CA
This Santa Cruz hotel is a AAA 4-Diamond Mission Style Resort hotel located on 300 acres in the Santa Cruz mountains. With its wonderful facilities and staff, this is an ideal location for business, pleasure, or a romantic getaway. The great views of Monterey Bay from the main patio areas also makes this a great pick for weddings, too!
Santa Cruz
Main Tourist Attractions
101 N Big Trees Park Rd., Felton (831) 335-4598
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA (831) 648-4888
We've included this world class aquarium in our Santa Cruz listings. Although it's 40+ minutes away, it worth the drive. The aquarium features habitats of Monterey Bay in its permanent galleries, and global marine life and marine conservation issues in its special exhibitions.
465 Mystery Spot Rd., Santa Cruz (831) 423-8897
Downtown Santa Cruz.
The Pacific Garden Mall has a multitude of fine restaurants, coffee houses, nightclubs, movie theaters, and small boutiques and book stores. The mall's extra wide sidewalks and benches make it ideal for people watching.
One downside is that it can get extremely busy during the peak tourist season. Also, the concentration of pedestrians seem to make it ideal for panhandling, student protesting, etc.
Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad
Graham Hill Rd., Felton (831) 335-4484
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Beach Street, Santa Cruz
Fun for all ages. The boardwalk offers fun rides, food and exhibits and it's located on a beach that's perfect for all of your summer activities.
Yacht Harbor Santa Cruz Port Dist., 135 Fifth Ave., Santa Cruz, CA (831) 475-6161
Along with housing sail and motor boats of all sizes, it's also home to several restaurants and bars. What I personally like best about the harbor is the wide walk way and road that boarders the harbor. It's perfect for walking, jogging or biking.
Next the the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. (831) 420-5270
Home to some excellent restaurants and small shops, you can spend hours strolling along the wood deck taking in the sights and sounds of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz County Wineries ─ A directory of local wineries
Seymour Marine Discovery Center -- at Long Marine Lab
100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA (831-459-3800
This is a working marine laboratory. Tourists can experience exhibit halls, aquarium, touch tanks, tours to marine mammal research overlook, and beautiful views of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
705 Front Street (downtown Santa Cruz) (831) 429-1964
Theater Arts/UCSC, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA (831) 459-2121
Shakespeare Santa Cruz is a professional repertory company in residence at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Our Festival was founded in 1981 and continues to be held annually each summer at UC Santa Cruz. Plays are held indoors on the UCSC Theatre Arts Main stage and outdoors among the redwoods in the Festival Glen. Bringing in professional actors, directors and designers from throughout the country, the Company's season runs from mid-July through August and features four plays presented in repertory. Hailed by USA Today as “one of the nation’s top ten most influential” Shakespeare companies, SSC interprets the works of William Shakespeare through a contemporary lens and introduces our audiences to the newer work of American playwrights.
Located between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf at one end and Natural Bridges State Park at the other, it is perhaps the most scenic pathway in Santa Cruz. The 2 mile drive has extra wide pathways that are wheelchair accessible and are designated "multiuse". Perfect for cycling, skating, and walking, it also provides visual and physical access points to surfing, tide pools, beaches, kite flying, fishing, Frisbee, and skim boarding.
When visiting West Cliff Drive, don't forget to visit the "Surf Museum" located at Lighthouse Point in the middle of West Cliff.
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