CAPITOLA CITY BEACH AND WHARF: Reported
to be the oldest seaside resort on the Pacific Coast, Capitola Village
is a popular tourist target, with its quaint shops and restaurants.
Less than an hour’s drive from San Jose, or an hour north of the
Monterey Peninsula, Capitola has a Mediterranean flair and draws an
array of people, if even for a stop off for a day, however it is far
better to set aside an entire weekend for the visit. Originally the
wharf was built as a commercial pier for shipping lumber and farm products
between Soquel and San Francisco, but with the establishment of the
railways, the commercial use of the wharf lessened. Today the wharf
is primarily used for fishing, boat launching and renting boats.
CLIMATE: Moderate temperatures, with occasional
fog and rain in the winter. Quite often the fog burns off by noontime.
ACTIVITIES: There is a wide variety of
shops and restaurants. One might see a lot of swimming, surfing, volleyball,
kites flying and typical beach activities for the whole family. Capitola
Beach has been voted a favorite and written up in many magazines as
one of the top ten beaches on the west coast. One of the famed attractions
is the annual Begonia Festival. Now 47 years of tradition, featuring
a weeklong fall flower festival, featuring the parade of begonia petal-laden
rafts floating down Soquel Creek. The Begonia Festival is usually in
the first couple of weeks of September.
LOCAL FLAVORS: The village of Capitola
is set between two bluffs on a flat wide path of beach at the mouth
of the Soquel Creek. For over 100 years this area of the coast has wooed
inlanders trying to escape the hot temperatures during the summer.
An hour South is the world famous Monterey
Peninsula Aquarium with one of the most extensive shark display on record.
Santa Cruz has a mile long Beach Boardwalk
with typical amusement park rides, fun and food stops from fast food
to restaurants. From the beach to the Redwood forests and vibrant cityscapes,
Santa Cruz has year-round fun for everyone.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk &
Amusement Park
University of California at Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
Steamer Lane, world famous surfing spot (Santa Cruz)
Santa Cruz Wharf
Santa Cruz Memorial Lighthouse
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Cave Train/Kiddie ride at amusement park
Antonelli Brothers Begonia Gardens, Santa Cruz
Long Marine Laboratory
Santa Cruz Mission
Mystery spot, Santa Cruz
Aptos Village Park/Aptos
Pajaro Dunes State Park/Off Beach Road, near Watsonville
Rio Del Mar State Beach- Biking, barbeque pits, swimming, tide
pools. 831-685-6442.
William Volk Memorial Museum- 261 Beach Street. Watsonville.
Open Tues-Thurs 11am-3pm. 831-722-0305.
by: Carla Iacovetti
©2006Carla Iacovetti
