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Beautiful little beach that gets so overcrowded during peak season. Well worth the time to explore. Plentiful parking behind the fire department. Fun to watch the surfers and the occasional whale in the right season.
This beach definitely gets very crowded in the summer and for a good reason. It's so beautiful!! In the off season, the beach is a little grosser with sea weed, but it is still a great place to go for a walk and grab a coffee in the village. I love this beach.
one of the most beautiful and cleanest beach i had ever seen. such amazing summer vibes here. people are so friendly and nice.
We tried to stop at the beach, but it was so packed and there weren't that many parking spots. I really wonder how people are parking around in order to get the speech. It looked a lot of fun, but unfortunately we weren't able to stay there because we couldn't find parking and when we did find parking, it was so far away from the beach with my elderly parents. We were not able to get there in easy method or way I wish they build a parking structure or something that was easy to get to that was closer to the play of the sand in Beach. This would've been a great place for my kids, but unfortunately we were Locked in with not being able to find parking.
Great and scenic beach. Lots of people out on the sand. At the end of the beach, you can view the colored houses. Even the pier is a good walk to the end to see the ocean view. Parking is free from 11/28-12/26. If there are not parking spaces available, you can park at the public parking at then end of the parking lot at the right side. There's a lot for more parking. It has a bar that is lifted up. We came here coincidentally when there was Surfing Santa. It was pretty cool. The Santa and his reindeers coming from the ocean to the beach. The reindeers were kids paddling to the shore while the Santa was in a kayak. It was pretty cool and create! Very cute!
I love Capitola's City Beach. It has a beautiful view of the beach with great restaurants, boutiques and great place to wonder and Cruz around.
In the summer time find me and my family at the beach! We arrived midday on a Saturday after checking out our hotel. It was a beautiful gorgeous day without all sunshine and not a cloud in the sky! We quickly found space and chilled the whole afternoon by the water !! Best beach day ever !!
The feels of a small vacation town with eats, shops and vibrant energy. Great for families and relaxing days on the beach. Get there early for close proximity parking.
I loved this beach so much! It's on the smaller side so I suggest getting there early if you want a good parking and beach spot. The buildings are colorful and bright and the area has so many different spots to check out (and eat at hehe). I am so excited to go back and see all the shops they have around the area.
I visited here before 7 am during a summer weekend and it was perfect-quaint, calm, beautiful. We walked up to the pier and the colorful Venetian houses. Parking was easy and is free until 8am, after which it costs $1.50 per hour. There are plenty of shops and restaurants on the strip, although most of them were closed during the early morning hours, except for coffee shops. The beach is not dog friendly, but I did see a couple people walking their dogs on the sand. There's also plenty of benches and beautiful tile art all over the beach.
2 weeks ago my boyfriend, my daughter and I ate our pizza slices from Pizza My Heart on my favorite beach and grabbed some Ice Cream from Souza Cones Ice Cream & Candy. We also enjoyed burying my boyfriend's feet in the sand, as well as my daughter's Barbie he-he! And ran in and out of the waves until we were soaked and sandy and had to rinse off in their showers and change clothing, lol since we didn't wear a swimsuit! Also careful wearing florals, a determined wasp was attracted to either me or my lunch, lol I'm not sure which, but I got scared and my sweet boyfriend got it off me! I would highly recommend this beautiful sandy beach and we will continue to come back each year for the views and nice village! Not to mention it was just 4 minutes away from Quality Inn & Suites Capitola By the Sea we stayed at!
One of our favorite "day-trip" beaches in the Monterey Bay area - just the right size, with adequate facilities (parking, restaurants, clean bathrooms), and doable from the East Bay. Pro tips: (1) arrive around 4 on a weekday and park right in front of the beach. Any later and you may not get a spot. Three hours of parking costs $4.50. Set a timer so you get back in time to move your car, or you may get a ticket. (2) stop by Zelda's (see separate review) to use the bathroom and get a quick appetizer or meal, before heading out onto the sand. (3) enjoy the beach - my favorite spot is one where we can see the sun setting behind the colorful homes on the north end of the beach. On the way back to Pleasanton, we usually stop by Zelda's again to get coffee and cookies for the road. You're welcome!
Saturday, 5/22/2021 - Enjoying today's sun getting some Vitamin D on the beach, CapitolaBeach. As sunny and beautiful as it looked, the wind made it cold. Water between the beach was clear. Lots of kids swimming in it. Sand was soft. Lots of sand crabs to catch. And see those beautiful, colorful little houses in the distance? You can rent those little villas to stay the night. Yes, i took these photos. ;) People were all very nice. We didn't run into any mean people. Sand was soft. Beach was beautiful. Area was nice.
This beach is a colorful one The coloured houses add a fun element to the sun and sand The extreme ends of the beach are a bit calmer . There is a public washroom at one end of the beach and that is so convenient Definitely coming back for the good feels read more
11 months ago
Yes. Just yes. Can be crowded, you won't burn your clam chowder calories off while taking a walk on this beach. It's very quaint. read more
8 months ago
The views are beautiful here and it's so lively! There's plenty of testaurants and shops to check out, colorful venetian homes and a nuce wharf to walk along. It's the perfect and quaint date spot read more
This beach definitely gets very crowded in the summer and for a good reason. It's so beautiful!! In the off season, the beach is a little grosser with sea weed, but it is still a great place to go for a walk and grab a coffee in the village. I love this beach. read more
4 months ago
one of the most beautiful and cleanest beach i had ever seen. such amazing summer vibes here. people are so friendly and nice. read more
We tried to stop at the beach, but it was so packed and there weren't that many parking spots. I really wonder how people are parking around in order to get the speech. It looked a lot of fun, but unfortunately we weren't able to stay there because we couldn't find parking and when we did find parking, it was so far away from the beach with my elderly parents. We were not able to get there in easy method or way I wish they build a parking structure or something that was easy to get to that was closer to the play of the sand in Beach. This would've been a great place for my kids, but unfortunately we were Locked in with not being able to find parking. read more
2 years ago
Great and scenic beach. Lots of people out on the sand. At the end of the beach, you can view the colored houses. Even the pier is a good walk to the end to see the ocean view. Parking is free from 11/28-12/26. If there are not parking spaces available, you can park at the public parking at then end of the parking lot at the right side. There's a lot for more parking. It has a bar that is lifted up. We came here coincidentally when there was Surfing Santa. It was pretty cool. The Santa and his reindeers coming from the ocean to the beach. The reindeers were kids paddling to the shore while the Santa was in a kayak. It was pretty cool and create! Very cute! read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
In the summer time find me and my family at the beach! We arrived midday on a Saturday after checking out our hotel. It was a beautiful gorgeous day without all sunshine and not a cloud in the sky! We quickly found space and chilled the whole afternoon by the water !! Best beach day ever !! read more
2 years ago
I loved this beach so much! It's on the smaller side so I suggest getting there early if you want a good parking and beach spot. The buildings are colorful and bright and the area has so many different spots to check out (and eat at hehe). I am so excited to go back and see all the shops they have around the area. read more
9 months ago
I visited here before 7 am during a summer weekend and it was perfect-quaint, calm, beautiful. We walked up to the pier and the colorful Venetian houses. Parking was easy and is free until 8am, after which it costs $1.50 per hour. There are plenty of shops and restaurants on the strip, although most of them were closed during the early morning hours, except for coffee shops. The beach is not dog friendly, but I did see a couple people walking their dogs on the sand. There's also plenty of benches and beautiful tile art all over the beach. read more
10 months ago
5 years ago
2 weeks ago my boyfriend, my daughter and I ate our pizza slices from Pizza My Heart on my favorite beach and grabbed some Ice Cream from Souza Cones Ice Cream & Candy. We also enjoyed burying my boyfriend's feet in the sand, as well as my daughter's Barbie he-he! And ran in and out of the waves until we were soaked and sandy and had to rinse off in their showers and change clothing, lol since we didn't wear a swimsuit! Also careful wearing florals, a determined wasp was attracted to either me or my lunch, lol I'm not sure which, but I got scared and my sweet boyfriend got it off me! I would highly recommend this beautiful sandy beach and we will continue to come back each year for the views and nice village! Not to mention it was just 4 minutes away from Quality Inn & Suites Capitola By the Sea we stayed at! read more
One of our favorite "day-trip" beaches in the Monterey Bay area - just the right size, with adequate facilities (parking, restaurants, clean bathrooms), and doable from the East Bay. Pro tips: (1) arrive around 4 on a weekday and park right in front of the beach. Any later and you may not get a spot. Three hours of parking costs $4.50. Set a timer so you get back in time to move your car, or you may get a ticket. (2) stop by Zelda's (see separate review) to use the bathroom and get a quick appetizer or meal, before heading out onto the sand. (3) enjoy the beach - my favorite spot is one where we can see the sun setting behind the colorful homes on the north end of the beach. On the way back to Pleasanton, we usually stop by Zelda's again to get coffee and cookies for the road. You're welcome! read more
2 years ago
Saturday, 5/22/2021 - Enjoying today's sun getting some Vitamin D on the beach, CapitolaBeach. As sunny and beautiful as it looked, the wind made it cold. Water between the beach was clear. Lots of kids swimming in it. Sand was soft. Lots of sand crabs to catch. And see those beautiful, colorful little houses in the distance? You can rent those little villas to stay the night. Yes, i took these photos. ;) People were all very nice. We didn't run into any mean people. Sand was soft. Beach was beautiful. Area was nice. read more
We love this place! There are so many restaurants, quaint little shops, live music, and a lot of sand to sink your toes into. It's kid-friendly, mother approved, and an all around awesome place to have a great time--whether you are with your family, on a date, or hanging with your buddies. Bring your flip flops, beach towels, pop-up tent, and a change of clothes--in case you decide to take a gander at running into the water or getting dirty by making sand castles! read more
My friend and I decided to go on a two day getaway in Santa Cruz. We spent our last day in Santa Cruz by the beach. Capitola was a wonderful time. There was parking nearby although during nice weather the spots do fill up. Parking rates are all done through a payment machine but rates are very reasonable and low. I highly recommend spending a day in this city beach. It is small but beautiful with stores nearby and the beach is the perfect spot to enjoy a sunset. Ig- Msanaflores read more
Came to the coast to spend the day at the beach. We went to New Brighton Beach and it was overcast! We traveled a little more south to Sea Cliff and it was still overcast. So we headed back north and decided to go to Capitola. What a great day it turned out to be! Got in some great relaxing and even got tanned! Capitola has everything you need for a visit or making it a vacation destination with vacation rentals, great restaurants, bars, (take out for Covid 19), many places of interest in the close vicinity don't forget the beautiful weather. Just wish I took more pictures! read more
This beach made me so mad. If it wasn't for the company I was with, I would've packed up and left as soon as I saw it. I came here many years ago when my son was about 5 or 6 years old, the beach THEN was so clean! NOW it's a dump. My son loves water and he could play for hours in it, but he went in once and refused to go back in again. The water was so disgusting and there was dried up seaweed all along the shoreline. It smelled like the ocean just took a dump on the sand and all the flies..one step on it and there were probably a thousand little flies that exploded from that step. Ew. I went to fetch water for my little human because he didn't want to go near the water anymore. My feet got tangled up in some seaweed and it was pulling me further out and after shaking it off, I realized there was a dead bird caught in it. Poor thing but I was so grossed out. I wanted to go rent a boat but I guess they stop service after 4pm. Bummer. There won't be a next time because I'm never coming back to this beach again. I guess the only good thing I can say about this beach is it does get very crowded so it was a fun vibe. A lot of shops and nice little restaurants. There's a bathroom very close to the beach, even a section where you can rinse off if you went into that disgusting water. read more
I came back to this tiny beach recently and it only reinforced my appreciation for it's beauty and convenience. City beaches can vary greatly between unkempt sand spits populated by homeless to stretches of rocky nothingness with no accessibility. Fortunately, this little gem is everything you'd look for in a beach neighboring a tiny coastal town. We came back and rented a house just two blocks from the beach. It was our ritual to spend each morning sitting on a large piece of driftwood, sipping coffee and looking out at the exceptionally calm water. The beach is well maintained. No trash or large rocks. Just soft sand, waves and sun. There is a colorful, iconic hotel at one end along with a pier and some cliffs at the other with waves more suitable for surfing. The waves were almost nonexistent during our time there, so I;m thinking this isn't the go-to surfing spot, although I have seen surfing classes here before. read more
Once you find a parking spot, this whole area is really nice to walk around and enjoy. We were lucky to find a spot fairly quickly--maybe that's the new norm, I dunno. It's not the most beautiful beach or best spot for swimming, but it's fairly convenient and good for picnicking. It's a tiny city beach after all, tho there's enough space to drop a blanket on the sand and even some concrete blocks along the perimeter that serve as good seating. That's where we enjoyed a sandwich and snacks from a nearby bakery, while the 'gulls lurked, waiting for us to share our food with them. Worth stopping by, especially if you wanna explore Capitola Village. read more
It's so sad with this place has become after the storms. Pretty much all of the shops on the main strip were destroyed along with the wharf. All the shops are very expensive so if you come here make sure you have plenty of money. They are going to be rebuilding within the next year read more
I'm not really sure what was up with the water when I came to visit here for the first time. The water was super brown and reminded me of sewage water, but folks were still swimming, surfing, and paddle boarding. As is the case with summer in California, the beach was packed with tons of people even on an early Friday afternoon. It's outdoors so most people had no mask, so if this bothers you, you may want to bring a mask or stay away until there's less people. The strip with cute shops were fun to walk past or check out. Most shops required masks and were uncrowded. A walk on the wharf/pier wasn't impressive. Mostly people fishing (also no masks because they're outdoors), and I wish the water didn't look so brown. It was nice to see the colorful buildings from the pier though. Parking was decent. There's a public parking lot behind city hall/the police station. Paid $1 for 2 hours so affordable. The lot is a good 5-10 minute walk to the beach so plan accordingly. It was a decent visit, but will likely opt to skip this spot and check out other beaches I haven't trekked to before in the area. read more
2 years ago
This is a popular beach and it gets pretty crowded on weekends. There are so many tents that it's a bit of an obstacle course to reach the water. The water feels great, but there's lots of seaweed, so be prepared to get a little tangled. The beach is very family oriented. There isn't much social distancing if that's a concern. Overall a nice beach if you don't mind the crowds. read more
7 years ago
Review #302 - 2019 After we finished our late lunch/early dinner at Margaritaville, we decided to bring the kids to the beach so they could play in the sand. Although I had this place bookmarked, I wasn't sure if we'd decide to hang out since it was getting cold & dark by 5:45 PM. I'm just grateful that my sister & her boyfriend made the ride over with us since I was already getting tired from the full day of fun! We actually didn't stay very long since it was so cold & windy. We probably spent less than half an hour here... There weren't very many people here either so we had the majority of the beach to ourselves. We did get some pretty awesome photos of the sunset & the pier, from a distance. We did not want to walk around in that cold, rough sand. My feet were hurting from all the small broken seashells. I just figured out why everyone else was wearing walking shoes instead of sandals. When those seashells get in between your feet & sandals, they hurt like heck! Being that the sand was so cold, the girls didn't even want to go near the water, and they love running around the beach! Thank goodness my sister was smart enough to bring extra large beach towels so we all sat around all bundled up like a bunch of monkeys! We'll definitely have to come back during summer, when it's nice and warm. read more
Beautiful spot to watch the sunset. The sky was breathtaking! This little beach town was a little crowded but that was to be expected on such a beautiful sunny day. We drive around the streets for parking and got lucky. A few eateries and stores line the front of the beach. We walked on the sand and towards the rainbow colored rentals called Capitola Venetian Hotel if you're interested. We walked towards the wharf and the kids were excited to explore. I was gravitating towards the sunset that was about to happen. We spent an hour on the wharf just enjoying the sea breeze, looking out at the ocean, watching the hills fly about and the sunset was gorgeous. Growing up as an island girl...I miss being near the ocean. It was a bit of a drive to Capitola from where I'm at now but it totally worth it. read more
Call me bias, but I believe the Hawaiian beaches within the Hawaiian islands are da Bestest! If you can't make it to da 808, and just happen to be cruising on the mainland, and driving down the Pacific Coast Hwy,. you may wanna drop by this place called - Capitola City Beach. Capitola City Beach is located in the northern end of Monterey Bay in Capitola, CA.. The town is really small, with a lot of small locally owned businesses. Upon parking our car on the street, I noticed street parking here was not free, as we had to pay at a parking kiosk (40 minutes for a $1.00), then put our parking ticket in our car dash board. As we walked around town, this place reminded me of a typical "surf town". I found the Capitola City Beach to be cooler in climate, and the sand to be not as "white", as what I'm use to seeing back home. There were lots of birds on the beach..........but I'm not sure what kinda birds they were.........maybe seagulls? A few attractions here - 1. Next to the creek are some multi-colored town homes in an area called the "Venetion". The town homes were built right on the sand. These unique looking homes have bright multi-colored facades, and form a perfect backdrop to this excellent beach. 2. The beach has a large fishing pier called "Capitola Wharf". This wharf is pretty big, and sticks out into Soquel Cove. 3. Behind the beach is a lagoon formed by Soquel Creek, and that's where you will find a lot of birds hanging out, and flying all over the place and putting on an aerial show. 4. I found out during the evenings (in the warmer months) at Capitola Beach, there are sometimes show movies, twilight concerts, and a few art shows while live music plays on the Esplanade Stage. Pretty cool yeah? If you're ever cruising down Hwy. 1...........got a little time? Check out Capitola City Beach........a nice little urban beach in the middle of no wear! Lol! read more
I've been to Capitola Village many times, but I can't remember going to the beach. Well, I finally did yesterday. I had lots of time before the Matthew Ward concert at Mount Hermon, enough time to find parking (always a challenge) and enjoy myself. If you're strolling down Esplanade, you see the beach, but it doesn't look impressive. You need to actually be on the beach to see that it's not as small as you thought. Still, it is on the small-medium side, not like the expansive stretches of sand next door at New Brighton and north toward and in Santa Cruz. Which ends up being okey-dokey: harder to lose the kids, more of a community feel, fitting for the small area. I was there on what is probably the busiest time of the week: Saturday afternoon. Little room to spread out. No problem for me, it was just me and a slice from Pizza My Heart. But large families and groups will have difficulty snagging enough real estate. Groups will have trouble finding parking anyway! Forget about throwing a football and not hitting anyone not in the group. Not much peace and quiet, unless you come at an off time. Capitola Beach reminds me of a hilly European village where the locals go down to the beach to have their siestas and they're quite boisterous about it. Unique among the area beaches in Santa Cruz. Good to experience once, maybe more times. Just know what you're getting into before leaving Highway 1. read more
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More info about Capitola State Beach
200 Esplanade
Capitola, CA 95010
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Outdoor Amenities
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Ask the Community - Capitola State Beach
Whose is monitoring Capitola Beach? No masks!!! No distancing!!! Super crowded!!! 7/4/2020 and 7/5/2020…
There are signs on both main roads as you drive into the area to maintain safety precautions. However, it was not observed on the beach or on the water really by anyone.…
Are dogs aloud on the beach?
Yes they are. The dogs we saw yesterday were all on leashes but they are allowed.
Does anybody know where you can park for more than 5 hours and not pay more than $20? Free parking would be ideal if anyone knows of a 1/2 mile or less spot. Thank you
Sorry nothing available within a half mile.
Where is the best place to park the whole day?
I always park in the Beach and Village Parking Lot and take the short walk down to the beach. They also run shuttles from this lot down to the beach area. They have more info here: capitolavillage.com
Can you take a little dog on Capital beach?
No. http://www.cityofcapitola.org/community/page/visitor-information
Can you sleep on the beach?
Day time only! Lay out, nap, get a tan. No night time sleeping allowed on Capitola Beach.
Bond fires allowed?
I don't think they're allowed at this specific beach, but they are allowed at New Brighton State Beach, which is also in Capitola.
Are pets allowed on the beach?
No. http://www.cityofcapitola.org/community/page/visitor-information
Review Highlights - Capitola State Beach
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