Santa Cruz Beach

Santa Cruz Beach
FAQ

Everything you need to know before your beach day.

What are the beach conditions at Santa Cruz Beach today?

Santa Cruz Beach sits on the Monterey Bay. Our conditions page shows today's water temperature, surf height, wind, UV index, tide times from NOAA station 9413450, 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 Santa Cruz Beach?

Park at Santa Cruz Beach in lots like Boardwalk Parking Structure, W Cliff Drive Wharf Lot, Cowell's Beach Street Parking. Our parking page maps every option with addresses, rates from $10-20/day and a live crowd-based availability estimate so you can plan ahead and skip circling.

Find Parking

Where should you eat at Santa Cruz Beach?

At Santa Cruz Beach, don't miss the Clam Chowder on the Wharf at Stagnaro Bros Seafood. 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 Santa Cruz Beach?

Boats leave Santa Cruz Beach from Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor, including the Whale Watching Cruise — 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 Santa Cruz Beach this week?

Santa Cruz Beach hosts Surf Lessons at Cowell's and more. Our events page pulls the current week's lineup so nothing sneaks up on you.

Check Events

At Santa Cruz Beach, the sun sets at 8:02 PM today — about 13h 37m of daylight. Sunrise was 6:25 AM. Live water temperature, surf height, UV index, wind and tide for Santa Cruz Beach update at the top of the conditions page.