I find myself advising international travelers visiting Santa Cruz on food, dining, hotels and family outings… but surely I'm missing some world-class things that only SC can provide.
My woefully inadequate list below is what I presently send them before they fly in.
Personal recommendations for visiting Santa Cruz:
Food (Casual):
Taco Vallarta & Los Gallos (Mexican)
Seabright Deli
Charlie Hong Kong
Food (Upscale dining) *you'll want reservations for these 3:
Lago di Como (Italian)
Shadowbrook (American & Californian)
Copal (Oaxacan)
Family entertainment:
The Boardwalk
The Mystery Spot
Roaring Camp
Bars/cocktails:
Alley-Oop (Speakeasy) *reservation recommended
Nature:
Henry Cowell State Park, old-growth redwood loop (15 minutes) $10/car
Fall Creek trail (30 min-2 hrs out & back) Free
Stroll along West Cliff Drive Free
An interesting observation: a new client flew in from the UK and had been to Santa Cruz twice before. We talked about recommendations, restaurants and fun things for their family.
And it turns out they had never been to either Henry Cowell or to Shadowbrook! I couldn't believe it.
I just dropped them back off at the airport and wouldn't you know, they still couldn't find time to do either and were sorry they'd have to put it off for next year.
Goes to show that there's more to do than even I can imagine! 👌
