Capitola Beach

Capitola Beach
FAQ

Everything you need to know before your beach day.

What are the beach conditions at Capitola Beach today?

Capitola Beach sits on the Monterey Bay. Our conditions page shows today's water temperature, surf height, wind, UV index, tide times from NOAA station 9413745, and rip current risk. Everything is pulled live from NOAA and Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day.

View Live Conditions

Where do you park at Capitola Beach?

Park at Capitola Beach in lots like Pacific Cove Parking Lot, Capitola Village Esplanade, McGregor Drive Park & Ride. Our parking page maps every option with addresses, rates from Paid lot and a live crowd-based availability estimate so you can plan ahead and skip circling.

Find Parking

Where should you eat at Capitola Beach?

At Capitola Beach, don't miss the Beachfront Seafood at Zelda's on the Beach. Our dining page pulls live ratings and hours from Google Places and highlights the local dishes worth ordering.

Explore Dining

What boat trips run from Capitola Beach?

Boats leave Capitola Beach from Capitola Wharf, including the Skiff Rental & Bait — dolphin watches, sunset sails, kayak tours and fishing charters. Our things to do page lists the operators, departure times and prices.

See Things to Do

What's happening at Capitola Beach this week?

Capitola Beach hosts Capitola Wharf Sunset and more. Our events page pulls the current week's lineup so nothing sneaks up on you.

Check Events

How long does it take to get sunburned at Capitola Beach?

It depends on the UV index and your skin. Our conditions page converts today's hourly UV forecast at Capitola Beach into minutes to burn using the standard erythemal dose model, so instead of "UV 9" you get "unprotected fair skin burns in about 18 minutes", along with the strongest stretch of the day and when to reapply. Open sand and water reflect UV back at you, so the estimate includes a beach uplift.

Check Today's Burn Time

At Capitola Beach, the sun sets at 6:54 PM today — about 11h 51m of daylight. Sunrise was 7:03 AM. Live water temperature, surf height, UV index, wind and tide for Capitola Beach update at the top of the conditions page.