How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Santa Cruz

Anyone who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s will almost certainly have the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk commercials etched into their subconscious alongside their best friend’s landline phone. But Santa Cruz is much more than a West Coast Coney Island. (By the way, the Boardwalk is California’s oldest amusement park and a great place to ride a historic roller coaster with an ocean view.)

Santa Cruz, a city of about 60,000, defies easy categorization. A college town (go Banana Slugs!) and a world-class surfing destination, it’s within commuting distance of Silicon Valley. And yet it somehow manages to feel hidden.

Located on the northern edge of the shell-shaped Monterey Bay, travelers can reach Santa Cruz via a scenic coastal drive on California’s Highway 1 or through dizzying curves through the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Technically the beginning of the Central Coast, Santa Cruz was influenced by Silicon Valley without actually becoming a part of it. It’s its own county and clearly has its own vibe. This is a place where you daily and unironically see an old Volkswagen Vanagon parked next to a Tesla, with surfboards emanating from both.

As a Bay Area ex-kid, I’ve been coming to Santa Cruz for as long as I can remember: memories of foggy summer days strolling alone on the boardwalk with a high school best friend meld with images of late-night veggie burgers and shakes Backpacking in Big Sur. But what once felt like a quirky, crispy pit stop is now one of my favorite weekend destinations from my home in San Francisco – for unbeatable outdoor adventures, both on land and water, a stellar live music scene, and excellent food and Drinking options that can hold their own against their better-known neighbors to the north and south.

Surfing is hip

Reportedly one of the first places to surf on the mainland, Santa Cruz has produced more than a few world-class professional surfers and boasts more than 10 surf breaks with spots for all levels. Popular stops include Cowell’s, a cruising, accessible break best suited to beginners and loved by longboarders; Steamer Lane, a famous spot in Santa Cruz and all of California; and Pleasure Point, a popular local wave on the town’s sleepy east side.

Santa Cruz’s surfing scene is notorious for its strong “just locals” attitude, but tension can be avoided by respecting the rules, helpfully posted on signs on the bluffs above Steamers and Pleasure Point — alongside memorials to fallen surfer buddies. (In short: respect the lineup and don’t be a weirdo.)

Take the opportunity to learn from local experts at facilities like Surf School Santa Cruz, which offers private surf lessons and group lessons (pre-booking is recommended). If you’re ready to shred solo and need a board, there are numerous surf shops, many with rental options, from Cowell’s Surf Shop right on the water to Traveler Surf Club on the Eastside. The Midtown Surf Shop + Coffee Bar is another worthwhile destination for your gear needs; In addition to boards, wetsuits, leashes and fins, they have a nice selection of clothing, gifts, a surfboard shaper (can be hired for $15 an hour) and a cafe serving Verve coffee.

If you’re feeling more comfortable as a spectator, or looking for inspiration, then check out the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, a World Surf League qualifier returning to Steamer Lane for the first time since 2015, November 15-19 .

While surfing may be king in Santa Cruz, there are other great ways to get in the water, including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming, as well as expansive beaches for beach volleyball, campfires, and of course, lounging. And don’t forget the many opportunities for adventure on land: Santa Cruz is a famous mountain biking hub with trails winding along the coast and through the surrounding mountains, and is also a hiking and camping destination, particularly in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park currently open for limited day-use access following the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires.

live music

As tempting as it may be to stay in the area’s beautiful wilderness, it’s worth returning to civilization to catch a show. Santa Cruz has a plethora of live music venues, attracting an impressive mix of indie bands and old acts, as well as a thriving community of local musicians who often perform in cafes and bars around town. Housed in a converted movie theater, Midtown’s Rio Theater is an intimate venue that draws a range of acts including Patti Smith, Little Feat and indie legends like Bill Callahan and Built to Spill. Other venues with calendars worth considering are Catalyst, which plays host to bands, karaoke nights and DJ events; Moe’s Alley, which has a spacious outdoor patio and food trucks; and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, a destination for jazz performances and educational programs. Up in the mountains you’ll find Felton Music Hall, an intimate venue with a solid bar and attached restaurant for pre- and post-show food and drinks.

where should we eat

All of these activities are a great way to work up an appetite, and Santa Cruz offers more than just delicious options at a range of price points. I’m evangelical about Point Market, a humble shop and cafe near Pleasure Point that reflects my platonic ideal of a breakfast burrito – perfect for fuel before or after surfing. (They also now have a store near Cowell’s called Pacific Point Market & Cafe.) Steamer Lane Supply, an understated stand on the bluffs above Steamers, has a flavor-packed menu of quesadillas, breakfast tacos, and bowls full of fresh, local ingredients. For a sit-down brunch, you can’t beat the Harbor Cafe, with its hangover-busting breakfast platters and hair-raising cocktails. In Soquel, a small town northeast of Santa Cruz, Pretty Good Advice, a project by chef Matt McNamara (formerly of San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters), offers breakfast sandwiches and burgers on point; The menu is fully vegetarian and includes produce from Mr. McNamara’s farm in the nearby mountains.

Elsewhere in Soquel, you’ll find Home, a charming dinner option with fresh pasta and an excellent in-house charcuterie program. Other favorites include Bantam, a wood-fired pizza on Santa Cruz’s bustling Westside (the soppressata pie and fried chicken are a must); Copal, for outstanding mole and an encyclopedic mezcal selection; and Alderwood, where you’ll find local produce alongside a selection of quality beef cuts. While it’s tempting to indulge in a bone-in rib eye, Alderwood is also an excellent place to take a seat at the bar for a deliciously messy burger and cocktail. (The mezcal-based director’s cut is superb.) During my most recent visit, I struck up a conversation — sharing bites of the restaurant’s signature maitake mushrooms, also known as the wood hen, with my neighbors. (Oswald is another local favorite for a burger cocktail combo.)

where to drink

Wine has long been a staple in Santa Cruz. (The Santa Cruz Mountains are a special AVA, or American Viticultural Area.) More recently, however, places dedicated to natural wine — wines made with minimal intervention and no added yeast — have taken root. Bad Animal, a rare and used bookstore and natural wine bar, offers wines from California and beyond and books ranging from $4 paperbacks to $40,000 used books. Dedicated to “the wild side of the human animal,” the store opened in 2019 and is home to a rotating roster of chefs-in-residence. (The most recent, Hanloh Thai Food, launched this month.) Apero Club, a warm, funky wine bar and shop on the Westside, opened in August 2020 and hosts food pop-ups and often loud dance parties to playing vinyl tunes.

Santa Cruz’s craft beer scene is also excellent, from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, an organic brewery founded in 2005, to New Bohemia Brewing Company, which focuses on European-style beers alongside IPAs. My favorites include Soquel’s Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, a destination for funky sours and farmhouse ales, and Humble Sea Brewing, which has some of the best canned art alongside standout cloudy IPAs and co-ferments. For a larger selection of beers, head to downtown Santa Cruz’s Lúpulo Craft Beer House for a regularly rotating selection of beers and Spanish-style small plates, or Beer Thirty, a sprawling beer garden in Soquel with 30 rotating taps. If you’re traveling with a group of beer lovers, you can sign up for a Brew Cruz, a craft beer tour of the area aboard a vintage VW bus.

Your explorations can lead to a lazy morning; Thankfully, Santa Cruz is also a serious coffee destination. Verve, which has coffee shops across the city (as well as in California and Japan), opened in 2007 and focuses on fair business practices and responsibly grown coffee beans. Cat & Cloud has four cafes in the area; the sunny Eastside location is a particularly nice place to spend a morning. At 11th Hour Coffee, the excellent coffee is roasted in-house and best enjoyed in the plant-filled cafes both downtown and on the Westside. (Their chai is superb, too.)

Where to sleep

There are numerous accommodation options in Santa Cruz, including Airbnbs and simple beach motels. The Dream Inn is the city’s only beachfront property; Renovated in 2017 in a retro surfer-kitsch style (the hotel’s Jack O’Neill restaurant was refreshed in 2019), the hotel has 165 rooms (starting at $299), all of which have ocean views. The pool deck overlooks Cowell’s Beach, with stairs leading directly to the sand, allowing for unparalleled ocean and surf access. It’s also nice to hear the waves (and sea lions barking) from the bed.

For a mountain retreat that’s still close to downtown Santa Cruz, the Chaminade Resort & Spa has 200 rooms (from $359) and is located on 300 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains with direct access to hiking trails . Also on offer are tennis, pickleball, disc golf and Santa Cruz’s only full-service day spa, as well as panoramic views of Monterey Bay from the hotel’s restaurant – aptly named The View. The property completed a major renovation in 2020 and completed a new pool area in 2022 that includes two pools, cabanas, a bar, and a food truck on weekends.

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