Santa Cruz, California real estate experts. Buy or sell your home today with Team Sedenquist!
Welcome to Santa Cruz County
The crowning jewel of the Golden State, Santa Cruz County offers an enchanting blend of nostalgia, natural beauty and invigorating activities. You can spend the day at the beach and Boardwalk, ride a train through the majestic redwood forest, sample wine in a friendly tasting room, or visit the sloughs near Watsonville and enjoy a bird-watching expidition.
Santa Cruz County is located on California's Central Coast, 65 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles north of Monterey. Situated on the northern side of Monterey Bay and hugged by redwood forested mountains, Santa Cruz County has 29 miles of beaches and includes 6 state parks and 6 state beaches.
There are four incorporated cities within Santa Cruz County; Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola and Watsonville. All the rest of the communities throughout the area are located in unincorporated Santa Cruz County.
Click here for a detailed profile of Santa Cruz, California Click here for the U.S. Census Bureau Santa Cruz County QuickFacts Click here for an interactive map of Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County Guide
Santa Cruz County is one of the smallest counties in California, and it contains the widest variety of beautiful scenery. We have magnificent mountains covered by towering redwood forests, some of the world's most fertile farmland, long sandy beaches, and ocean cliffs. We are also a gateway to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It is this incredible variety which makes the Monterey Bay such an exciting place to live, with something of interest for everyone. This guide will help you locate all of the special activities, attractions, restaurants, and accommodations.
Aptos includes the diverse communities of Aptos Seascape, Rio del Mar, Seacliff, and the Aptos Hills located north of Highway 1. Greater Aptos encompasses The Forest of Nisene Marks to the north down to the beaches. Aptos also extends into the Corralitos & Larkin Valley hills where you will find spacious horse ranches, wineries and apple orchards. Located just off Highway 1 at Seacliff State Beach is the famous cement ship "The Palo Alto" which was a casino and dance hall after World War II. Aptos beach lovers will find more than 3 miles of wide sandy beaches, usually empty of visitors, extending from New Brighton State Beach at Capitola through Rio Del Mar beach. These beaches offer day parking, camping, swimming, fishing, bicycling and wildlife viewing opportunities.
Bonny Doon
Bonny Doon is located about 12 miles north and west of the University of California, Santa Cruz. The closest towns are Felton, in the San Lorenzo Valley, home of Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and the Roaring Camp Railroad, and Davenport along the coast. Bonny Doon typically sees temperatures slightly higher than Santa Cruz and enjoys higher rainfall than along the coast. Ocean views, peaceful rural settings, vineyards and an active art scene are all found in Bonny Doon.
Capitola
Capitola-by-the-Sea is a scenic community located along the Monterey Bay, approximately 70 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles north of Monterey. Both the old (represented by the fine Victorian homes on Depot Hill) and the new (the primary shopping district of the Capitola Mall along 41st Avenue) are well represented in Capitola. The annual Begonia Festival Boat Parade along Soquel Creek and the Sand Sculpture contest are highlights not to be missed. At the time of California Gold Rush, Capitola was vying to be selected as the Capitol of California, hence the name.
Corralitos
Corralitos is a small agricultural community located in the inland Aptos hills of Santa Cruz County on the Central Coast of California. It is just south of the town of Aptos and north of Watsonville, approximately 50 minutes from the San Jose Airport. This is rural Santa Cruz County living at its best – beautiful, secluded, inviting - surrounded by apple orchards, vineyards and redwoods and just a few minutes drive to Pacific Coast beaches. The little town of Corralitos is famous for its fine apple orchards (Martinelli’s famous Cider is made nearby) and its town market, which smokes its own meat and sausage. A few miles south of town is the Pajaro Valley, one of the richest agricultural valleys in the country and the “Strawberry Capital of the World”.
Live Oak
The community of Live Oak is located between Capitola and the east side of Santa Cruz, on the ocean side of Highway 1. Live Oak includes attractions such as Twin Lakes State Beach, the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor, Sunny Cove and The Avenues. Twin Lakes beach enjoys a mile of sandy shoreline, popular for swimming and picnicking. The park’s adjacent Schwan Lake is a good location for bird watching. Sailing, fishing, hiking trails, wildlife tours, kayaking and outdoor cafe's on 'Harbor Beach' are among some of the recreational activities available. Fishing Charters and Whale Watching tours can also be found at the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor.
San Lorenzo Valley
The San Lorenzo Valley, a region of Santa Cruz County known as the "SLV” contains the towns of Ben Lomond, Felton, Brookdale and Boulder Creek, through which run Highway 9 and the San Lorenzo River. Much of the river valley is rural and wooded. At its northern end, it abuts Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Warmer, and wetter, than Santa Cruz, life in the San Lorenzo Valley is beautiful, indeed.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz or “Surf City” is a fun beach town on the sunny side of the beautiful Monterey Bay. An old fashioned boardwalk with amusement rides on the sand, beaches where students from the University of Santa Cruz can bring their books to read and surfers who range from original long boarders to the new wave, all share a common bond. They are energized in a land touched by the golden sun - and for those passing through, it feels like home. From spray paint artists who create magic on canvas along sidewalks near the pier, to an impromptu bongo and drum percussion band playing near a tree by Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, large groups congregate to watch and listen. From gourmet vegetarian to fungi fests, Santa Cruz is a bit different from the rest of the California beach cities. Things that might not work or are not allowed elsewhere seem to do just fine here. The many recreational activities, business and educational opportunities and perfect climate help produce a higher than average number of independent thinkers, artists and creative types who prefer less convention in their diets.
Scotts Valley
Located six miles north of the beach along Highway 17 in an upland valley of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Scotts Valley is a comfortable city with an active shopping district surrounded with redwood forests. Travelers on business or visiting nearby attractions enjoy its central location 20 miles south of San Jose and 68 miles south of San Francisco. With public bus service to the beach and commuter buses to San Jose, Scotts Valley is a popular bedroom community for Silicon Valley, as well.
Soquel
The community of “Sunny Soquel” is a great mix of both the old and new. Located just inland from Highway 1 and Capitola, Soquel is able to maintain its rich historical heritage through its abundant antique shops and fine gourmet restaurants. Cabrillo College, a well-respected community college, provides lectures from prestigious speakers, sporting events, and music festivals throughout the year.
South County Beaches
The South County Beaches include Manresa State Beach, the La Selva Beach community, Sand Dollar Beach and Sunset Beach. The area is also famous for its bird watching and wildlife viewing, including tours of the Elkhorn Slough Bird Sanctuary, and whale watching boat trips nearby. La Selva Beach is a small coastal community located along the central coast near Manresa State Beach. Manresa State Beach features a gorgeous stretch of sand and sea with swimming, surfing, fishing, clamming and other beach activities. Sand Dollar Beach connects with Manresa and has wonderful views from Santa Cruz to Monterey. Surrounded by fertile farmland growing strawberries and brussel sprouts, Sunset State Beach features a wooded campground, picnic area, group campground, and 200-foot high dunes (the largest in the country) built up in front of a wide sandy beach that stretches all the way down to the mouth of the Pajaro River and the boundary between Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. Visitors to Sunset State Beach enjoy broad vistas of the Monterey Bay from two main overlooks. During the summer and autumn, it is possible to see large groups of bottle nosed dolphins, and an occasional migrating whale.
Watsonville
Watsonville is a rich agricultural community (the Pajaro Valley is one of the world's largest agricultural centers) famous for its strawberries, apples, and cut flowers, and for its ethnic diversity. Today, agriculture and food processing remain the mainstay of the Pajaro Valley economic structure. Yet in keeping with recent trends, new opportunities have opened for residents and businesses, including light industry, manufacturing, tourism and service oriented businesses. Watsonville continues to move ahead building much needed housing for our growing communities.
Questions? Comments? Feedback? You may contact your Santa Cruz real estate experts anytime:
of American Dream Realty are Working Together for You!
Broker Associate (831) 818-0412
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
CRS, GRI, SRES® (831) 535-9711
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Working Together for You! 
