In the California beach city of Santa Cruz you’ll find vibrant colors and photo-worthy vignettes scattered throughout the neighborhoods. From the old to the new, there’s colorful Victorian style homes to bright and modern eateries and coffee shops.

Santa Cruz is a great weekend getaway from the Bay Area, it’s only an hour and a half drive south from San Francisco. The weather is usually much warmer and it can be a much needed escape from the fog.

We spent the weekend cruising around Santa Cruz and I captured so much Insta-worthy moments with my camera. This guide includes my favorite places to explore, restaurants, neighborhoods, coffee shops, beaches, shopping destination and more!

Scroll to the bottom of the post to see my recommendations for most photogenic hotels in Santa Cruz!

Retro tiki mural located outside Old School Shoes on Pacific Avenue.

Instagrammable Foodie Spots in Santa Cruz

Snap Taco

Keep scrolling in this blog post to see the colorful pics from inside Snap Taco’s restaurant. We were famished by the time we rolled into Santa Cruz and went crazy ordering off the menu. We had carne aside tacos, sweet potato super tuber tacos, mushroom fun guy tacos and a giant quesadilla. I especially loved the picked onions on my tacos and the watermelon fresca!

West End Tap and Kitchen

A modern industrial style pub that serves fancy California fare which pairs with their large selection of craft beers and IPAs.

Hula's Island Grill

This restaurant is popular with locals because of the festive tropical decor, fruity tiki drinks at happy hour, and the Hawaiian inspired fusion cuisine. There’s also a location in Monterey.

Sweet Tooth Spots in Santa Cruz

Companion Bakeshop

Locals Cruzians rave that it’s the best bread in town. They began specializing in sourdough, but also carry a wide selection of baked goods. They partner with Cat & Cloud Coffee in Abbot Square so you can pick up your caffeine as well. Companion Bakeshop has 3 locations in Santa Cruz, and you can catch them at the Farmer’s Market.

Penny Ice Creamery

Serving ice cream flavors like Verve Coffee with chocolate almond praline and spiced pumpkin, do I need to say more? All ice cream is made from scratch in-house and folks love Instagramming their “marshmallow fluff” cones. #pennyicecreamery

Kelly's Bakery

My first impression of this bakery was a bit of awe because of the very modern and chic interiors. The lighting is so perfect for photos and makes for awesome ambiance. Try the extra large macarons, they come in flavors like olallieberry, caramel, dulce de leche, birthday cake and classic raspberry. They also serve a lunch menu, Stumptown Coffee and ice cream. The outdoor patio provides very pleasant seating.

Samba Rock Acai Cafe

If you’re in the mood for a healthier sweet treat, this cafe serves very pretty açaí fruit bowls. The vibes in this place have been described as “very Santa Cruz” and the menu offers a large selection of toppings to create your own customized açaí bowl.

Marianne's Ice Cream

A very old-school ice cream parlor, you’ll feel like you’ve returned to the 1990’s. Their menu is filled with approximately 100 flavors (I didn’t take the time to count them all). My favorite flavors are Mandarin Chocolate, Heath Bar, Ginger, Malt Ball and Lemon Custard.

Bellagio Gelato

They specialize in both Italian panini sandwiches and gelato. On their Instagram they proclaim with pride that they are dog friendly - so bring Fido along for some treat too. Stop by after an afternoon at the beach, they are just a couple of block away from the shore.

Mission Hill Creamery

Earl grey ice cream anyone?! Located right on Pacific Ave, it’s the perfect spot to chill for a few moments after a walk and window shopping. They also serve locally-roasted Chromatic Coffee and have fresh baked goods.

Pacific Cookie Company

During the summer months you can eat ice cream sandwiches with fresh baked cookies, and during the winter you can enjoy warm cookies from the oven. It’s a win-win always! Can I interest you in a Snickerdoodle?

Insta-Worthy Coffee-Shops in Santa Cruz

Verve Coffee Roasters

I had previously known Verve from San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it turns out they are in Santa Cruz too. Verve has a cult following from coffee lovers, and it’s also an Instagram favorite because of their super modern and trendy coffee shops. There are four locations scattered around Santa Cruz.

Cat & Cloud Coffee

With three locations in Santa Cruz, each one is both modern and filled with colorful whimsy. This local coffee chain was made to fill the hearts of millennials with joy… and of course Instagram too.

Favorite Brews & Booze in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Beer Garden

This beer garden has an industrial-meets-modern vibe. This microbrewery specialized in organic beer and boasts a dog-friendly tap room. You can order food from Kelly’s Bakery next door and have it sent over, or opt for some taproom small bites.

Humble Sea Brewing Co.

Although they don’t officially label their Santa Cruz taproom as a beer garden, the outdoor patio very much resembles the classic beer garden experience. Along with a large menu of on tap beers, they also have crowlers and growlers filled with beers labelled with cool hipster names.

Beer Thirty

A low-key hangout for beer lovers, you can hang and sip by the bottle or the pint. The Beer Thirty gang are dog lovers, and they will even have an occasional goat chilling too!

Discretion Brewing

If you’re a beer snob who’s reality into the process and logistics of brewing beer, at Discretion Brewing you can gaze at the the brewing equipment while enjoying sips. This family owned organic brewery has a family and dog friendly taproom and beer garden. You can also order some great tasting food, including pork belly tacos and beet with goat cheese salad.

Lupulo Craft Beer House

Their claim to fame is being able to acquire “hard-to-get beers” for their loyal beer sipping patrons. The atmosphere is casual and you can enjoy lunch, dinner and brunch paired with your favorite beer buzz.

The Best Shopping Spots in Santa Cruz

Pacific Avenue

This main downtown strip in Santa Cruz is filled with storefronts and restaurants. It’s a pleasant walk for window shopping, grabbing coffee, enjoying some sweets and exploring Santa Cruz.

Cameron Marks

A modern boutique selling a mix of curated decor for the home, clothing, office decor and paper goods. Keep scrolling to see my pics from inside the shop.

Abbott Square

A new and modern gathering spot in downtown Santa Cruz. You’ll find Cat & Cloud Coffee Shop, Companion Bakeshop, the colorful rainbow wall outside Artisans & Agency shop, and many more destinations at Abbott Square. There’s a spacious and welcoming outdoor seating area to enjoy those Santa Cruz sunshine days.

Bad Animal Books

Both a bookstore and a restaurant, it has very cool hipster vibes. The food options include wine with very fancy snacks, dinner and brunch. Be prepared to hang with the cool kids and maybe wear something slightly ironic.

Home/Work

A cute boutique carrying many American-made mercantile for the home. The store is located inside a converted old bank from the 1920’s on Soquel Ave.

Sawyer / Land, Sea & Supply

The coolest shop filled with everything you need to live that California surfer lifestyle… whether you actually surf or not. You’ll find the essentials such as clothing, home goods, outdoor gear and of course surf boards.

Colorful Murals in Santa Cruz

The Rainbow Wall at Artisans & Agency

If you follow the #mysantacruz hashtag you’ll see this colorful mural make an occasional cameo. It’s a fun little photo spot and you can also check out the Artisans & Agency shop filled with works from many local artists.

Giant Retro Tiki Mural

If you scroll through this blog post you’ll see photos of the enormous retro tiki mural located outside Old School Shoes on Pacific Avenue. This colorful mural depicts classic Santa Cruz beachy scenes and makes the perfect background for Instagram photos.

The Rainbow Wall outside Artisans & Agency.

Photo Worthy Santa Cruz Beaches & Lookout Spots

Capitola Beach

Located a short 10 minute drive from the Santa Cruz city center, Capitola Beach is filled with very Insta-worthy colorful beach cottages. You can check out my older blog post from our trip to Capitola back in 2016.

Seacliff State Beach

Walk down the picturesque wooden steps to the sandy shore. The long pier leads to an overlook of the large sunken ship SS Palo Alto. Located right off Highway 1, take the State Park Drive exit.

Santa Cruz Lighthouse + Surfing Museum

Located on the cliff above famous surfing spot Steamer Lane, the surfing museum is actually inside the lighthouse. The Lighthouse Field State Beach is a beautiful area to walk outdoors and observe the beach. Keep scrolling in this blog post to see our photos at the lighthouse.

Twin Lakes State Beach

This beach is popular with locals because it’s much less frequented by tourists. There’s easy access to the one mile shore so it’s great for picnics. It’s free to the public and parking is relatively easy to find.

Seabright Beach

This picturesque beach is extra cute because it offers views of Walton Lighthouse (different lighthouse than mentioned above). The park also provides fire rings for nighttime bonfires.. s’mores anyone?

West Cliff Drive

This scenic 3-mile walking and biking path takes you along the Monterey Bay coastline and provides stunning views and photo-worthy pit stops along the way. Popular photo spots include the Santa Cruz Dream Inn, surfer statue, a lighthouse and several beaches including the picturesque Natural Bridges State Beach and Park.

Popular Santa Cruz Attractions + Local Gems

Post Street Farm

An adorable urban farm located within the city limits of Santa Cruz. In the spring they have a cutting garden for dahlia flowers, pumpkins for Halloween and Christmas trees during the holidays.

Cute houses in Seabright Neighborhood

One of the most memorable parts of Santa Cruz are the residential streets filled with colorful and funky houses, many of them old Victorians. There’s a house with a rainbow fence on Cayuga St. in Seabright, and you’ll find lots of other fun house finds in the surrounding area.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Visiting the redwood forrest is like walking among giants, an experience you’ll always remember. Some of these trees are up to 1,500 years old and over 275 feet tall (yup you read that correctly!). Activities in the park include hiking, camping, bicycling and the Garden of Eden swimming hole.

Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market

The produce makers is open every Wednesday downtown at Cedar Street and Lincoln. Hours are 1-5pm running from Nov-March and 1-6pm from April-Oct.

Pleasure Point

This famous surfing community sits right on the Monterey Bay. On the coast there’s multiple lookout and surfing spots, and in the surrounding neighborhoods you’ll find restaurants and storefronts. Many scenes from the surfing movie Chasing Mavericks were filmed at Pleasure Point.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

I’ve been to this amusement park many times since I grew up in Half Moon Bay. Our most recent trip was in 2015 when my husband and I first started blogging. The Boardwalk is a fun place to set up a picnic on the beach and then ride some rollercoasters and eat carnival foods. It can get very busy during the summer holidays and weekends, so best to come during the week if possible.

San Lorenzo Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Surprisingly there’s a lot more to Santa Cruz than just the beaches. If you head into the San Lorenzo Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, you’ll find a whole new world of forests filled with giant redwood trees. Popular attractions include the Felton Covered Bridge, vintage steam trains at Roaring Camp Railroads, and the farmer’s market in downtown Felton from May - October on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Wine Tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

Napa Valley is not the only place in California with a thriving wine scene. In Santa Cruz County there’s over 70 wineries and tasting rooms which are open for the public to enjoy. The Corralitos Wine Trail is collaborative of family wineries with picturesque vineyards along the hillsides.