Perfect Santa Cruz Itinerary
If you’re looking for a weekend getaway to Santa Cruz, California, then look no further than this itinerary where I share where to eat and what to do in this strange but vibrant beach town.
Where to stay in Santa Cruz
We stayed on both of these trips at an awesome little AirBnB in Aptos (a town directly south of Santa Cruz) that had an epic breakfast. You can check out the listing here or check out Booking.com for some great local hotel options.
Where to eat in Santa Cruz
No trip to Santa Cruz is complete now without a trip to May’s Sushi Bar & Grill, which has the freshest tasting all you can eat sushi I have ever had in the Bay Area (and I have visited quite a few). Following May’s, you have to go to Marianne’s for some ice cream. They have an overwhelming amount of flavors. My faves include Mexican chocolate and horchata.
What to do in Santa Cruz
Hike the redwoods
Newsflash – tourists always go to Muir Woods when they go to SF to see redwoods, but the best kept secret is that the best redwood forests are actually east of Santa Cruz. I’m talking Big Basin State Park and The Forest of Nisene Marks. Both are filled with incredible redwoods and 1/4 of the crowds.
Visit the Mystery Spot
While you are in the redwoods, a must in Santa Cruz is a visit to the Mystery Spot. If you drive around the Bay Area, you probably have noticed the Mystery Spot bumper stickers on lots of cars. Now you can find out why. The Mystery Spot requires reservations online in advance and costs $8. Parking costs $5. You sign up to go on a tour at a certain interval throughout the day, and on the tour they take you to the… mysteries! I mentioned Santa Cruz was kind of weird before – and this place proves it. The whole point of this experience requires buying in with your imagination to the theories of magical magnetic forces in the forest… or are they real? We’ll never know…Anyway, it is worth checking out at least once.
Walk the Boardwalk
This is usually the main attraction in Santa Cruz. In the summer the boardwalk activities are in full swing, but it is fun any time of year just to walk down the boardwalk or pier and admire the sea lions and sea otters that hang out there, or watch the surfers. You can also walk/drive along the coast on East Sea Cliff Dr. and check out the Santa Cruz Breakwater Lighthouse. This place was beautiful even in the rain.
Shop at The Patagonia Outlet
Patagonia is expensive, and the only outlet in the Bay Area is in Santa Cruz. Driving down the eastern shore of Maryland as a kid was always associated with going to the beach and shopping at the outlets simulatenously, so maybe that is why this place has a special spot in my heart.
Spend a day in nearby Monterey Bay
If it is raining in Santa Cruz, you should head south to Monterey Bay. You can check out the famous Aquarium, or channel your inner Steinbeck and walk along Cannery Row, which is a lot like Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco with tourist chachkies.
Berry and Pumpkin Picking
There are a lot of nice farms in and around Santa Cruz. We checked out Swanton’s Organic Berry Farm in the summer for some amazing strawberries, and Crystal Bay Farm in the fall for some pumpkins and other gourds.
If you’re looking for other exciting weekend getaways from San Francisco, don’t forget to check out my Mendocino Weekend Itinerary, Pinnacles National Park Hiking Guide or my guide to Lassen National Park in a weekend.
