Westside Santa Cruz Travel Guide

Santa Cruz

This is a small state park at the northern end of Santa Cruz' scenic West Cliff Drive and a little over a mile from the Boardwalk, wharf and Main Beach.  A couple of times a year you can see Monarch butterflies during their migration. They are not in the numbers of years past, but you'll still see some.

If you walk north towards the rocks during low tide you will find some amazing tidepools full of sea anenomes, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and all sorts of marine life. The tidepools are on a ledge, so the tide needs to be quite high (>4 ft?) to reach them.

The beach is absolutely stunning at sunset.

#localsecrets
This is a small state park at the northern end of Santa Cruz' scenic West Cliff Drive and a little over a mile from the Boardwalk, wharf and Main Beach.  A couple of times a year you can see Monarch butterflies during their migration. They are not in the numbers of years past, but you'll still see some.

If you walk north towards the rocks during low tide you will find some amazing tidepools full of sea anenomes, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and all sorts of marine life. The tidepools are on a ledge, so the tide needs to be quite high (>4 ft?) to reach them.

The beach is absolutely stunning at sunset.

#localsecrets
Not only is the beach beautiful but there is a refugee for wintering monarch butterflies! This was also where I saw my first sea lion when I moved here! #beachbound
Walk through cave!
A few hours before low tide, the beach was completely foggy! We tromped all over the rocks and the kids ran into the water, completely soaking themselves! 

It finally cleared up and was a beautiful evening, but the fog had its own mystery.
#beach

Popular places to visit

Things to do


Top hotels in Westside Santa Cruz

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

4 out of 5
611 Ocean St Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp1.988.890 per night from 20 Jan to 21 Jan
Rp1.988.890
Rp2.301.383 total
20 Jan - 21 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and room service. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,174 reviews)
Love staying here

Reviewed on 8 Jan 2026

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Santa Cruz

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Santa Cruz

3 out of 5
550 2nd St Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp2.034.399 per night from 20 Jan to 21 Jan
Rp2.034.399
Rp2.352.442 total
20 Jan - 21 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,252 reviews)
Rooms are nice, staff is nice, excellent full breakfast.

Reviewed on 5 Jan 2026

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Santa Cruz
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz by IHG

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz by IHG

2.5 out of 5
1410 Ocean Street Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp2.005.745 per night from 19 Jan to 20 Jan
Rp2.005.745
Rp2.320.294 total
19 Jan - 20 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,173 reviews)
It was clean and front desk person was awesome.

Reviewed on 11 Jan 2026

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Santa Cruz by IHG
Dream Inn Santa Cruz

Dream Inn Santa Cruz

4 out of 5
175 W Cliff Dr Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp3.928.900 per night from 19 Jan to 20 Jan
Rp3.928.900
Rp4.477.977 total
19 Jan - 20 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this beach resort in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and a beach locale. Our guests praise the restaurant and the helpful staff in their ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,001 reviews)
Property is clean and well designed. View of the ocean is fantastic. Very nice and helpful staff.

Reviewed on 7 Jan 2026

Dream Inn Santa Cruz
Casablanca On The Beach

Casablanca On The Beach

3.5 out of 5
101 Main St Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp1.496.893 per night from 19 Jan to 20 Jan
Rp1.496.893
Rp2.312.843 total
19 Jan - 20 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this beach hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, parking (surcharge) and daily housekeeping. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,185 reviews)
Loved everything about the room. Location. View. Bed was big and comfy. The room was spacious and clean. We wanted an extra chair and a small table so we brought the patio table in and chair from the balcony. Other than that, accommodations were very nice.

Reviewed on 8 Jan 2026

Casablanca On The Beach
La Bahia Hotel and Spa

La Bahia Hotel and Spa

4.5 out of 5
215 Beach Street Santa Cruz CA
The price is Rp4.436.236 per night from 15 Jan to 16 Jan
Rp4.436.236
Rp5.819.986 total
15 Jan - 16 Jan
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this luxury hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and 3 restaurants. Popular attractions Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Capitola ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (85 reviews)
We love it

Reviewed on 5 Jan 2026

La Bahia Hotel and Spa
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Westside Santa Cruz

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Mission Hill

While visiting Mission Hill, you might make a stop by sights like Mission Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.

Mission Hill
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Downtown

While visiting Downtown, you might make a stop by sights like Pacific Avenue and Williams-Reynolds House.

Downtown
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Circles

While Circles may not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like Cowell's Beach and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center.

Circles
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Westlake

When in Westlake, you can plan a visit to University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Mission Santa Cruz, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Westlake
Downtown, Santa Cruz, California, USA, during autumn. The image shows the street with trees in fall colors, buildings, and a bus. The photo shows the city's architecture.

Downtown Santa Cruz

Unique features of Downtown Santa Cruz include the beaches and restaurants. Make a stop by Pacific Avenue or Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History while you're exploring the area.

Downtown Santa Cruz
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Nobel

While Nobel may not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Natural Bridges State Park.

Nobel


Westside Santa Cruz Travel Guide