the beach today
Monterey Bay Guide

Capitola
Beach

Village Life

Everything for a day in Capitola Village, from surf and tides to the wharf, the Esplanade and where to eat after. A crescent of protected sand at the mouth of Soquel Creek, backed by the pastel Venetian Court and cafes right on the beach.

Today on the Sand

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Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Capitola Beach

Sheltered crescent at the mouth of Soquel Creek

Village lots, fills early

Hooper Beach

Small quiet sand pocket just west of the wharf

Wharf Rd access

New Brighton State Beach

Bluff-backed beach with a forested campground

State lot, day fee

Seacliff State Beach

Long sandy stretch and the old cement-ship pier

State lot, day fee

Rio Del Mar Beach

Wide flat sand and an esplanade in Aptos

Beach Dr street

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Santa Cruz

10 min north

Beach Boardwalk, wharf and surf culture

Pleasure Point

5 min west

Classic East Cliff surf breaks and cliff walk

Aptos

5 min south

Seacliff cement ship and redwood forest

Soquel

5 min north

Antique shops and Santa Cruz Mountains wineries

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Capitola Beach. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Beach Hazards Statement out for Capitola Beach until 8 PM Tuesday. Dangerous surf and rip currents. Swim only near a lifeguard. Right now at Capitola, the water is 65°F, surf is running 5–6 ft and the air is 65°F but feels like 62°F. Wind is 3 mph from the S and the UV index peaks at 3 (moderate) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 66 minutes right now. Today’s tides: High 5:40 AM, Low 10:43 AM, High 4:12 PM, Low 11:17 PM. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.