If you are looking for what to do in Santa Cruz, California, you will probably hear about the Boardwalk and the surfing, but it is the lesser known attractions that make this town so special. Don’t skip Santa Cruz just because it is winter – that’s when the Monarch butterflies return!
Dolphins and croissants
Santa Cruz has many excellent bakeries if you like to start the day with a croissant and a coffee. Check out Kellys French Bakery, which has nice courtyard seating, or The Buttery Cafe and Bakery, both long-time local favorites.
Make sure you grab a sandwich for a picnic later.
As a coastal town, Santa Cruz is often cool and foggy in the mornings, so this is the perfect time to check out Seymour Marine Discovery Center.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center is the ocean education center of the University of California, Santa Cruz. The center is small but packed full of interactive exhibits, including the opportunity to touch a shark. I really enjoyed taking my kids around this center and learning about the work marine scientists do in Monterey Bay.
A tour is included in the ticket. Not only do you get to see a shipwreck and a whale skeleton, you will also be introduced to the dolphins who live at the center.
Kelly’s French Bakery, 402 Ingalls St, Santa Cruz. Open every day 7am-7pm.
The Buttery Cafe and Bakery, 702 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz. Open every day 7am-7pm.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way in Santa Cruz. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm.
Beaches and butterflies
Hopefully once you have left Seymour Discovery Center, the fog will have cleared and the sun is out. Time to hit the beach! Fortunately, you are just a minute away from one of Santa Cruz’s best beaches for families – Natural Bridges. Park on nearby West Cliff Drive or Delaware Avenue for free, or pay to use the car park if you are there on a busy day.
This beach slopes down to the ocean, with shady trees plus a restroom at the top and beautiful rock formations at the bottom (which used to form a bridge, hence the name).
It’s the Pacific, so the water is always cold and rough, but fine for paddling. There is a creek where little kids can splash around too.
In the summer, this is one of my favorite beaches, as it has fewer crowds than by the Boardwalk. If you are visiting mid-October to the end of December, you are in luck: this is when the Monarch butterflies make their winter stop on their epic migration down to Mexico.
Thousands of the beautiful orange insects gather in the forest above Natural Bridges and you can see them on the easily accessible boardwalk trail, just off the car park. Guided tours are offered on weekends throughout the season, at 11am and 2pm.
Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Curious about those bumper stickers? The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot is a classic roadside tourist attraction located in the Redwoods just outside the town. Describing itself as a “gravitational anomaly” this is something you just have to experience for yourself.
Buy tickets in advance from the website, as tours are a must and often sell out by noon on the day. Children three and under are free – but due to a pretty steep hill this is generally best suited to slightly older kids (unless you are prepared to do plenty of carrying). The bumper sticker is included in the ticker price!
Santa Cruz Mystery Spot, 465 Mystery Spot Rd, Santa Cruz. Admission $8. Open 10am-4pm Monday-Friday and 9am-6pm Saturday and Sunday during the summer.
At the Boardwalk
Once you have brushed off all the sand and left the beach, get back in the car and drive to Santa Cruz’s main hub: the Boardwalk. A classic seaside amusement park, the Boardwalk has more than 40 rides and is open daily during the summer. Rides are ticket-based or you can buy a wristband for the entire day.
There are around ten rides suitable for young children (under 48 inches) with a chaperone (who rides free) and another five rides small children can ride on their own. Most of these cost $4 (as of 2019).
Bigger kids of course get a bigger selection and if you want to spend a few hours on the rides here, it makes sense to buy them wristbands instead of paying per ride. Games are also available and there are a few with guaranteed prizes.
The rides are all good fun! There are rollercoasters and spinners for the bigger kids and small, non-scary rides for the littles.
Food is about what you would expect at a fairground, with Dippin’ Dots and fried everything. Santa Cruz is not short of healthy eating options but I do love the garlic fries. They are a local delicacy.
Parking at the Boardwalk
Street parking is available everywhere and you can almost always find a spot, especially if you drive all the way along Beach Street and onto Third Street. Bring plenty of quarters if you don’t want to park at the all-day parking lots.
If you don’t have enough, you can also pay on credit card by calling the number on the meter or by downloading the parking app (carries a 35 cent charge). You don’t have to estimate your time with these options, you will just be charged for the time you stay.
Where to eat in Santa Cruz
West End Tap and Kitchen is a traditional pub offering local Californian cuisine and a superb variety of craft beers. There is outdoor seating in the courtyard and a relaxed, family-friendly vibe.
Gilda’s is another favorite spot with locals. Right on the wharf, this family business has been around since 1930. Gilda’s serves fresh fish, sandwiches, pasta with French bread and butter and has a kid’s menu.
West End Tap and Kitchen: 334D Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz
Kitchen open Sunday-Thursday 11.30am-9.30pm and Friday and Saturday 11.30am-10pm.
Gilda’s: 37 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz
Open 7.30am-8.30pm Monday-Friday and 7am-9pm Saturday and Sunday
Where to stay in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is full of cute, colorful bed-and-breakfasts and motels. Carousel Beach Inn is a great choice for families on a budget, offering comfortable rooms just steps from the Boardwalk.
There is parking and breakfast is included in the price. Double Queen rooms are available, or ask for interconnecting rooms if you are a larger group.
If you prefer a hotel with a pool, check out the relaxed but luxurious Dream Inn Santa Cruz. All rooms and suites have a private balcony or patio, with views over the Monterey Bay. The sun deck has a pool and a hot tub.
Around Santa Cruz
If you are staying in Santa Cruz, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Redwoods. Check out my post on the best ways to see the Redwoods in California.
