The Best Places To Go For A California Beach Vacation

Santa Cruz, Aptos and Capitola are all great places in California for a beach vacation. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is one of the many focal points that make Santa Cruz a great place to take your California beach vacation. Many people find this picturesque area to be the realization of what they see in their mind’s eye when they imagine the perfect California beach vacation. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is perfectly situated right on the beach, conveniently located in the middle of Santa Cruz, California. Visitors can ride the world-famous Giant Dipper roller coaster and enjoy the spectacular California beachfront setting on beautiful Monterey Bay. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk also has arcades, mini-golf and a bowling open daily with other rides and attractions open on the weekends. Santa Cruz also has great shopping, lodging and beach concerts which make it a premiere destination to host your next California beach vacation.

Perfectly situated on the "sunny side" of the Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz County, Aptos, California is a gateway to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. There is a wide variety of breathtaking natural beauty near Aptos that makes it an attractive place to plan your next California beach vacation, including beautiful mountains covered by towering redwood forests, some of the world's most fertile farmland, long sandy beaches, and sheer ocean cliffs. There is an endless amount of fun activities to enrich your California beach vacation in Aptos, like a visit to one of their award winning wineries, taking a hike in the forest, taking a ride on a historic a steam train, or just a romantic walk on the beach.

Located close nearby, Capitola, California is another great place to take a California beach vacation on the scenic shores of Monterey Bay. Capitola is a cozy beach village tucked away in a river valley that is located about an hour away from San Jose and an hour and a half from San Francisco. Capitola has amazing wharf and riverside areas reminiscent of a quaint France village, some say that the Capitola area is evocative of the Mediterranean coast in Italy. Capitola is the perfect place for a California beach vacation because of its location along a wide beach with a breathtaking view of Monterey Bay, complete with fishing and boating services in addition to its beachfront restaurants, shops and entertainment. The many craft galleries, boutiques and restaurants in Capitola are nice compliments to your California beach vacation, along with the Begonia Festival that takes place each Labor Day weekend. The festival features flower-draped floats and a sand castle contest. The fall brings the Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival. With so many great activities it’s no wonder that Capitola has been voted one of the best California beach vacation locations by leading publications.