Westside Santa Cruz, CA

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
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
Natural Bridges State Beach is named for the natural arch in the huge rock located in the shore break here. This is one of the most photographed beach icons in the state of California. We went right before sunset. The beach was slightly crowded but the sunset and rock formation made for beautiful pictures. Finding the butterflies was a bit of a walk (up the hill, across a parking lot and down a zigzaging ramp). The "monach trail" was peaceful and pretty, but it was hard to see any butterflies. I saw one large cluster at the end of the trail. It was high up and looked like a cluster of leaves until I saw them flap. It was a nice stop and nice walk, but it'd probably be better earlier in the day and when the butterflies are flying around. #likealocal

Popular places to visit

Gotta ride this 100 year old wooden roller Coaster on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

4.5/5(2,018 reviews)

Enjoy the thrill rides with your kiddos at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk as part of your trip to Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area, or seek out the biking trails.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
USA-Santa Cruz-Natural Bridges State Beach; Shutterstock ID 101070745

Natural Bridges State Park

4.5/5(254 reviews)

You can take time to visit Natural Bridges State Park during your travels to Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area, or seek out the biking trails.

Natural Bridges State Park
Pier at Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz Wharf

4.5/5(85 reviews)

After visiting Santa Cruz Wharf, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area, or seek out the surfing spots.

Santa Cruz Wharf
EN5XP1 Street scene in autumn with shops art galleries on Ocean Avenue Carmel Monterey County California

Ocean Street

4.5/5(14 reviews)

During your visit to Santa Cruz, you can enjoy retail therapy at Ocean Street. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.

Ocean Street
CWFJJA USA California CA Santa Cruz clock tower and trolley on Pacific Avenue

Pacific Avenue

4.5/5(7 reviews)

During your visit to Santa Cruz, you can browse for the perfect souvenirs at Pacific Avenue. Wander the beautiful beaches in this family-friendly area.

Pacific Avenue
T4D055 Sunset, Cowell Beach, Santa Cruz, California, United States

Cowell's Beach

Explore the waterfront of Cowell's Beach and enjoy activities such as surfing in Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area, or seek out the biking trails.

Cowell's Beach

Westside Santa Cruz Hotel Deals

Dream Inn Santa Cruz

Dream Inn Santa Cruz

4 out of 5
175 W Cliff Dr Santa Cruz CA
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is NT$8,318 per night from Apr 21 to Apr 22
NT$8,318
NT$9,466 total
Apr 21 - Apr 22
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this beach resort in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and a beach locale. Our guests praise the restaurant and the helpful staff ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,005 reviews)
AC is very loud. Staff would not accommodate either early check in nor late checkout. The room bathroom tile had missing sections of grout.

Reviewed on 2026/3/23

Dream Inn Santa Cruz
Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

4 out of 5
611 Ocean St Santa Cruz CA
The price is NT$4,432 per night from Apr 12 to Apr 13
NT$4,432
NT$5,106 total
Apr 12 - Apr 13
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and room service. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,233 reviews)
Pool was great and plenty of lounge chairs available.

Reviewed on 2026/3/23

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection
La Bahia Hotel and Spa

La Bahia Hotel and Spa

4.5 out of 5
215 Beach Street Santa Cruz CA
The price is NT$13,693 per night from Mar 25 to Mar 26
NT$13,693
NT$17,151 total
Mar 25 - Mar 26
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this luxury hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free WiFi, a full-service spa, and 3 restaurants. Popular attractions Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Capitola ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (188 reviews)
Room very clean warm water at pool and really relaxing hot tub and pool areas

Reviewed on 2026/3/23

La Bahia Hotel and Spa
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 NT$4,941 per night from Apr 23 to Apr 24
NT$4,941
NT$5,677 total
Apr 23 - Apr 24
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the breakfast and ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,249 reviews)
The suite was spacious and well-maintained, and the updated bathroom added a nice modern touch. I also appreciated the clean and convenient garage, which made parking easy. One minor issue was that a $100 security deposit was charged without prior notice, which would have been helpful to know in ...

Reviewed on 2026/3/23

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Santa Cruz
Casablanca On The Beach

Casablanca On The Beach

3.5 out of 5
101 Main St Santa Cruz CA
The price is NT$4,784 per night from Apr 12 to Apr 13
NT$4,784
NT$6,563 total
Apr 12 - Apr 13
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this beach hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free WiFi, parking (surcharge), and daily housekeeping. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,193 reviews)
The property location was great and the room was nice however the wifi did not work

Reviewed on 2026/3/23

Casablanca On The Beach
Marea Sol Hotel

Marea Sol Hotel

2 out of 5
301 Beach St Santa Cruz CA
The price is NT$5,717 per night from Mar 25 to Mar 26
NT$5,717
NT$6,546 total
Mar 25 - Mar 26
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this beach hotel in Santa Cruz. Enjoy free WiFi, a rooftop terrace, and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,432 reviews)
Great stopping point :) nice clean and

Reviewed on 2026/3/24

Marea Sol Hotel
See all 1,248 properties in Westside Santa Cruz
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 neighborhoods 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

If you're spending some time in Downtown, Pacific Avenue and Williams-Reynolds House are top sights worth seeing.

Downtown
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Circles

While there might not be top attractions in Circles, you can explore the larger area and discover places 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

4.5/5(28 area reviews)

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 might 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, CA