Pleasure Point, on the northern Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County, California, is a world-renowned…read moresurf location, traditionally defined as the area along the coast from 41st Ave to Moran Lagoon, up 30th Ave to Portola and over to 41st Ave down to the sea at the "Hook". It has a firmly rooted surf culture. We regularly spend time in the Pleasure Point area renting vacation houses there in June. We recently got back from renting a property right on East Cliff named, "The Cabin." Great rental with an awesome view of the Bay and surfers. We enjoy seeing all the locals and tourists walk, ride their e-bikes, or surf there. It's location is near Capitola, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk , and many local restaurants, bars, coffee spots you'd expect. They have an annual neighborhood festival there every June also that's very fun to attend. Over 100 vendors sell arts, crafts, local services, food and beverages. They have a kids zone, beer garden and local bands perform a variety of styles of music on two stages including Americana, Blues, Rock, Reggae and Surf Music. Pleasure Point is a great area!

Such a great spot with a beautiful viewpoint for surfers. Limited spot mainly for surfing…read moreactivities. The stairs that lead down to the beach are perfect for surfers to easily get to the water. Today, they hosted a youth surfing competition, which was awesome to watch -- so much talent! The vibe is laid-back and the view of the ocean is just stunning. Whether you're a surfer or just enjoying the sights, it's a fantastic place to hang out. Careful of the sneaker waves though!

Mitchell's Cove Beach is the only off-leash beach for pups in Santa Cruz! Yay for that this exists…read more Long story short: it's a short stretch of beach along the cove. And it has potential but when we visited in September, it was covered in seaweed with seaweed flies/kelp flies all over, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy. Hopefully it was a time of year or time of day issue...or maybe it's the nature of the cove. We read a handful of other reviews about the seaweed too (I get it, it's the ocean. But still, we've been to many other off-leash beaches that feel cleaner). We'll give it another try when we visit Santa Cruz again. Location: It's about 1.0-1.5 mile from the boardwalk/pier. We walked over and it was a pleasant walk through the neighborhoods. Parking: I believe that there are a few spots on West Cliff Drive. Entrance: You walk down a few steep flights of steps to get there from West Cliff Drive.

Shout out to Adam (parking meter guy) from the City of Santa Cruz for directing me to a beach where…read moreI could take my dog. Located about a mile and a half from the Boardwalk, Michell's Cove Beach is accessible from highway 1. It's a moderately steep walk down the stairs to the beach so consider the shape you and your dog are in to get back up to the road. Mugdha K is correct the beach is filled with seaweed, but we found an area that was clean and clear of seaweed. This was Lola's second time to a dog beach, and she had a blast digging holes in the sand, rolling in the sand and chasing the waves. I live 48 miles from the beach, so this is a special treat to bring my dog Lola to Santa Cruz and find a place for dogs on the beach.

Shark Fin Cove really is a hidden gem. I saw it online and have had it saved for a while, but I was…read morenot too far from there adventuring the coast and decided to finally come check it out. Looking into it, I had seen a few reviews focusing on litter and people there taking photos(?), so I wasn't sure what to expect, but maybe we caught it on a good day. When we went, it felt peaceful and absolutely beautiful. It's a short but steep hike down, so be ready for that. Once you're at the bottom though, it's completely worth it. The way the cove is shaped makes the sound of the crashing waves feel amplified, it's dramatic and so calming at the same time. There's a small cave to the right when you first get down into the cove, we looked inside but didn't go all the way in. Closer to the water, there's another cave that opens out toward the ocean, which was really neat to see. Such a cool natural spot to explore and take in nature. I did notice a piece or two of trash, but instead of complaining and leaving it there, I just picked it up. My fiancé always brings a bag with us on hikes, beaches, or nature walks in case of any forgotten scraps. It's too beautiful of a place not to take a second to care for it. Definitely recommend checking it out :)

Visited Shark Fin Cove Beach and it was absolutely stunning! The dramatic cliffs, hidden cave, and…read morecrashing waves made it feel like a little slice of paradise. Such a peaceful spot to unwind, take in the ocean views, and soak up nature's beauty. Definitely one of the most breathtaking coastal gems along Highway 1! Trail down to the beach is a short but steep, rugged walk across abandoned railway tracks and down a cliffside trail.

This is a beautiful little beach that's great for letting your dog get sandy, wet and tired from…read moreromping around with other doggy buddies or chasing a ball. It's not the kind of beach for quiet relaxation. Only bring your kiddos if they are comfy around running dogs. The stairs leading from the sidewalk down to the beach are kinda steep so beware if that's an issue for you. With patience, parking is ok in the nearby lots. No lifeguard. No restrooms on the beach but there is one within a 10 min walk. BYO poop bags and enjoy the entertaining show!

Walking along west Cliff, we found the beach for dogs to romp, swim, explore, fetch, play in the…read moresand and just enjoy the beach waves. We went around what seemed to be high tide with crashing waves and lots of sea birds that flew by that we enjoyed. Plenty of parking along West Cliff drive and it's a lovely walk no matter where you walk to get to the beach... just be aware of the steep stairs to go down and up from the beach.

While camping nearby we wanted to spend an afternoon at the beach. We chose this particular beach…read moreafter reading reviews. After parking (which can fill up quickly) it was a short easy walk to beach. It was a bit windy yet we found a cove that was somewhat protected. The sand is pretty, almost white in color & soft to walk on. I took a stroll to the tidal pool areas which was fabulous. I discovered quite a bit of tidal life including a few varieties of crabs. I was even treated to watching a crab fight! The color of the water was also beautiful- almost aqua. The beach was clean which is always appreciated.

A smaller beach, but pleasant…read more There's a small parking lot. Plenty of restrooms. I actually prefer going there when there is a storm, to watch the waves crash on the rocks. It's a nice beach and I recommend visiting all the state beaches along the coast.

Nude beach side . Calm less crowd and in nature . Sunbath ... It's on north side little hiden u go…read moredown and on right side cross the wall

Not exactly family, friendly. But we're open minded grown-ups it's pretty nice…read more Not an easy walk down to the beach and then back up again to the street. But if you're healthy enough to handle it, it's worth it.

I don't surf! But I come out here a lot to birdwatch, and watch people surf since it's so cool (and…read moreI want to learn lol). But there are many birds here, and many nest right above the lookout spot in the trees. I've seen otters amongst the surfers here as well. And the waves are awesome. It looks to be a more intermediate spot for surfing. As the waves here get pretty large. It gets very packed on weekends and throughout the day. I recommend if you can going on weekday mornings, or parking down in one of the neighborhoods if the lots are still full and walking a little bit. Awesome place! Not really for swimming though, only surfing. And there are some rocks you have to be wary of.

Good fun waves when the tide is right and sun is shining,(or not). Some days it's hitting just…read moreright. The place can get a little crowded but it's still fun to grab a couple regardless. Get Surfing. Good times and fun healthy days. https://www.theoutbound.com/california/surfing/surf-the-hook

stopped here because highway 9 closed. 5 year old and 3 year old had fun. Little mushy from the…read morerain. Near where we're staying so super convenient.

I'm glad this park is here and I'm glad that it's being looked after…read more I was wrong to make my previous review.