- Our list of the best things to do in Santa Cruz, California, features the top 261 nearby activities — including 100 great attractions with user approval ratings of 90% or more!
- Santa Cruz, CA has a variety of great sights and experiences nearby. Top categories include: Outdoor Places, Food & Drink, Entertainment & Shows, and Amusement.
- The results below include the top 40 things to do within the city of Santa Cruz, CA , followed by 221 popular activities in nearby cities, including Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Watsonville, Capitola, Morgan Hill, Aptos, Gilroy, Campbell, Pacific Grove, San Jose, Marina, Los Altos, Big Sur, Half Moon Bay and Marina del Rey
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0.0 Miles
The Fat Tire Tour de Fat has world class bands, performance, and cirque artists, and craft beer all supporting your local non-profits
0.6 Miles
Located in Santa Cruz, California, West Cliff Drive is a popular hiking spot that offers beautiful views of the rocky beach and pounding surf below. Walking, biking and in-line skating are all permitted on West Cliff Drive.
0.7 Miles
Experience the ocean seascapes in a one-of-a-kind manner when you visit Segway Santa Cruz and book a tour. Choose from a variety of tour destinations and bring the kids, they can ride the new Robstep designed for children 14 and under.
1.6 Miles
93%
524 votes
790 Mariner Park Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
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Climb aboard Chardonnay II Sailing Charters and explore the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in style. Guests enjoy sailing past the glorious coastline, seeing the protected wildlife and relaxing on any of the variety of cruises offered.
3.3 Miles
One of the first self-sustained dairies of its time, Wilder Ranch, now a state park, is a popular venue for many outdoor activities and offers beautiful views of the ocean. It has a spacious picnic area and some of the old buildings with their original furnishings, are still intact.
1.2 Miles
93%
361 votes
1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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The University of California at Santa Cruz is a major research institution with ten component colleges. It is most respected for its programs in medicine, biology, biological engineering and chemistry.
1.6 Miles
93%
244 votes
500 7th Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
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Family owned and operated, Stagnaro Sport Fishing Charters & Whale Watching Cruises have been serving the area of Santa Cruz for over a century. Scenic bay cruises, fishing trips, whale watching, and private parties are available within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
0.3 Miles
The Del Mar Theatre is a movie theater that offers big-budget Hollywood movies as well as a variety of indie and foreign films. The cinema uses GMO-free popcorn and organic canola oil.
0.2 Miles
Nickelodeon Theatre shows a wide variety of independent and foreign films and some big-budget Hollywood movies, and they also run midnight showings of classics. Their concessions include organic and GMO-free popcorn and many locally crafted desserts.
0.9 Miles
Naturalist-led field trips and adventures are offered by Blue Water Ventures for a variety of guests. The company specializes in sea kayaking field trips for schools and adventures for women throughout the San Francisco Bay area though.
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There is no better way to learn about mastering the waves than taking lessons with Club Ed Santa Cruz Surf School. Their experienced trainers will have you up on the board in no time through a variety of lesson plans or surf camps.