Hip Rental Apartments in Santa Cruz, California, You'll Want to Call Home
Santa Cruz is a great beach town at the top of Monterey Bay, with a boardwalk, wharf, amusements arcade and, of course, miles of golden sand. It’s fun to be self-sufficient on a holiday like this, and an apartment with a kitchen, and maybe even a private balcony or patio with ocean views, will be a welcome place to retire to after a long day at the beach. Here are the best rental apartments in Santa Cruz.
Beach Street Inn and Suites
Bed and Breakfast, Inn, Hotel, Apartment
Once a 1940s motel, Beach Street Inn and Suites has since been transformed into a mini-resort. It overlooks Main Beach and Cowell Beach, two of Santa Cruz’s most popular, as well as the Santa Cruz Wharf, lined with shops and eateries. The rooms are bright and cheerful, with lots of ocean blues and nautical touches such as crossed oars on the walls. The ocean view balcony room has a kitchen, while the two-bed cabana suite opens out onto the pool deck, which includes a heated pool, firepit and hot tub. Guests can enjoy complimentary coffee, cocoa and espresso in the guest lounge.
Casablanca on the Beach
Hotel, Apartment
This converted mansion just a few paces from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has a Mediterranean vibe and great views across Monterey Bay. There’s beach volleyball and soccer right in front of you, and the wharf is a short stroll away. The rooms have coffee makers, organic bath products and either shared or private balconies overlooking Main Beach. Bowling at Boardwalk Bowl and all the amusements at Cocoanut Grove are a short walk away, including minigolf, laser tag and the casino arcade.
Hitching Post Studios Inn
Hotel, Apartment
You’re in a tranquil spot a little away from the beach here, and the closest beach is a good one, Seabright, overlooked by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. You should try walking to the beach through mellow Arana Gulch Open Space Park, past Woods Lagoon and Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor. Some of the rooms at this cheerful motel feature a kitchenette, and all have complimentary coffee. If you’ve a hankering for Mexican food, family-owned Taqueria Agave is just across the street, serving Jalisco-inspired fare such as enchiladas with a choice of meat, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and tomatoes.
Edgewater Beach Inn and Suites
Hotel, Apartment
Edgewater Beach Inn and Suites is set back a little from Main Beach, with great access to and overlooking Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. All suites have kitchens and wood-beamed high ceilings; some boast jacuzzis and shared patios. There’s a swimming pool and an outdoor seating area where guests can barbecue. Lighthouse Field State Beach is a 20-minute walk along the coast and is fun to explore, along with Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, housed in the preserved lighthouse.
Super 8 by Wyndham Santa Cruz
Hotel, Apartment
This fun motel is just yards from the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, and a mellow stroll will take you down the San Lorenzo River to Main Beach and the boardwalk. If you don’t fancy the beach, there’s a pool, and the jacuzzi suite has a jetted tub. Cross the river and you’ll find scenic Riverside Gardens Park and Mike Fox Skate Park, with full bowls, pipe and rails. Jump on Ocean Street and you can be at the Mystery Spot in less than 15 minutes by car, a popular visual illusion tourist spot.
Ocean Echo Inn and Beach Cottages
Bed and Breakfast, Inn, Hotel
Sunny Cove Beach is mere steps from Ocean Echo Inn and Beach Cottages – and a beautiful patch of sand it is too, with a more intimate and relaxed vibe than the busier beaches to the west, closer to the centre of Santa Cruz. This boutique inn’s range of cottages sleep between two and six guests and all have kitchens, plus there are propane grills for your barbecuing pleasure and an ocean-view terrace to enjoy views across Monterey Bay. A complimentary light continental breakfast will set you up for the day.
Fern River Resort
Hotel, Apartment
Follow the San Lorenzo River a few miles upstream from Santa Cruz and you’ll come to Fern River Resort, with its array of wood-panelled cabins amid the redwood trees. The majority have kitchens, so you can be self-sufficient, and all have a campground-style pedestal barbecue. There’s a private sandbank on the San Lorenzo River called River Beach for use by guests, with a mix of rocky and sandy areas. Swimming holes further down the river can be hiked to via Henry Cowell State Park. Other amenities include a campfire ring, badminton court, tetherball, ping-pong table, basketball hoop and horseshoe pit. There’s also an outdoor kitchen which can be booked for events.
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.