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
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

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(2,013 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
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
USA-Santa Cruz-Natural Bridges State Beach; Shutterstock ID 101070745

Natural Bridges State Park

4.5/5(251 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
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
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Main Beach

4.5/5(661 reviews)

Why not spend a carefree afternoon at Main Beach during your travels in Santa Cruz? Attend a sporting event in this walkable area, or seek out the biking trails.

Main Beach

Westside Santa Cruz Hotel Deals

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
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ₩197,092 per night from Feb 25 to Feb 26
₩197,092
₩227,179 total
Feb 25 - Feb 26
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! (1,262 reviews)
The room was clean, the staff were nice and the location was great!

Reviewed on Feb 7, 2026

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Santa Cruz
Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection

4 out of 5
611 Ocean St Santa Cruz CA
The price is ₩180,921 per night from Mar 1 to Mar 2
₩180,921
₩209,039 total
Mar 1 - Mar 2
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! (1,206 reviews)
Room was clean and the beds were comfortable

Reviewed on Feb 2, 2026

Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection
Marea Sol Hotel

Marea Sol Hotel

2 out of 5
301 Beach St Santa Cruz CA
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ₩169,311 per night from Feb 25 to Feb 26
₩169,311
₩196,013 total
Feb 25 - Feb 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 ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,374 reviews)
Great location and amazing hotel

Reviewed on Feb 4, 2026

Marea Sol Hotel
Dream Inn Santa Cruz

Dream Inn Santa Cruz

4 out of 5
175 W Cliff Dr Santa Cruz CA
The price is ₩366,184 per night from Feb 22 to Feb 23
₩366,184
₩416,890 total
Feb 22 - Feb 23
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! (1,010 reviews)
Mellow staff. clean room. Good food.

Reviewed on Feb 8, 2026

Dream Inn Santa Cruz
La Bahia Hotel and Spa

La Bahia Hotel and Spa

4.5 out of 5
215 Beach Street Santa Cruz CA
The price is ₩372,347 per night from Feb 24 to Feb 25
₩372,347
₩499,461 total
Feb 24 - Feb 25
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 ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (108 reviews)
The room and hotel were excellent and extremely clean. I wasn’t crazy with the food service so we only experienced it once. If we stayed again I would try it one more time.

Reviewed on Feb 9, 2026

La Bahia Hotel and Spa
Casablanca On The Beach

Casablanca On The Beach

3.5 out of 5
101 Main St Santa Cruz CA
The price is ₩129,513 per night from Feb 17 to Feb 18
₩129,513
₩200,111 total
Feb 17 - Feb 18
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! (1,194 reviews)
This was my second time here and this time we had a beach view. Once again everything was nice from staff to room. The shared balcony overlooking the beach and wharf was lovely

Reviewed on Jan 31, 2026

Casablanca On The Beach
See all 1,214 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(27 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 Swift Street Courtyard.

Nobel

Westside Santa Cruz, CA