the beach today
Central Coast Guide

Santa Cruz
Beach

Boardwalk Life

The heart of the Central California coast -- a wide sandy beach anchored by a Victorian boardwalk, a long fishing wharf and a lively surf culture. Whether you ride the Giant Dipper roller coaster, rent a wetsuit at Cowell's or eat chowder on the wharf at sunset, Santa Cruz delivers.

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

Main Beach

Boardwalk stretch, wide sand and lifeguards

Boardwalk lot adjacent

Cowell's Beach

Beginner surf break, sheltered from swell

W Cliff Dr street

Natural Bridges

Sea arch, tidepools and monarch butterflies

State park lot

Seabright Beach

East-end strand, dog-friendly section

Seabright Ave access

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

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

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

adjacent

Giant Dipper, arcades and Friday night fireworks

Natural Bridges Park

3 min north

Monarch grove and sea arch tidepools

UC Santa Cruz

5 min east

Redwood campus with ocean views

Capitola

10 min south

Colorful village beach and wharf

see you on the sand

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

Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Beach Hazards Statement out for Santa Cruz Beach until 8 PM Tuesday. Dangerous surf and rip currents. Swim only near a lifeguard. Right now at Santa Cruz, the water is 65°F, surf is running 6–7 ft and the air is 66°F but feels like 62°F. Wind is 4 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 5:46 AM, Low 10:54 AM, High 4:18 PM, Low 11:28 PM. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.