VISITANTES INTERNACIONALES
La historia del condado de Santa Cruz se cuenta en sus rústicos bosques, la prístina costa californiana, los campos agrícolas tapizados de verde y las muestras de arte público de su apasionada comunidad creativa. Las antiguas e históricas secuoyas se nutren con la reparadora bruma marina que absorben sus agujas. Los mamíferos marinos, los peces y los invertebrados se desarrollan en las aguas ricas en nutrientes de la bahía de Monterey, que hace tiempo fueron esenciales para la subsistencia de los nativos Ohlone.
Las 29 millas/47 km de litoral y las hectáreas de bosques de secuoyas dan testimonio de un legado de preservación y conservación, perfecto para la exploración y las experiencias.
La interesante historia del surf, el deporte oficial de California, se inició en 1885, cuando tres príncipes hawaianos probaron el oleaje cercano a lo que hoy es Main Beach, en tablas elaboradas con secuoyas: así nació el surf en el continente. Solo dos décadas más tarde, la costanera de la playa Santa Cruz comenzó a florecer turísticamente como “la Coney Island de la costa oeste”, con dos lugares importantes en la historia nacional que aún se disfrutan.
Aquí, las alternativas de actividades parecen infinitas: descubra un sendero a través del frondoso corredor ribereño bajo un dosel de secuoyas, navegue junto a la brisa en la majestuosa bahía de Monterey o experimente la emoción de recorrer 17 millas/27 km montaña abajo en una bicicleta todo terreno.
Si lo suyo es de la granja a la mesa, se sentirá como en casa. Las raíces del movimiento de agricultura orgánica están literalmente en el suelo del Centro de Agroecología de la Universidad de California en Santa Cruz, donde los investigadores han encontrado formas alternativas más amables de cultivar y cosechar frutas y verduras en comunión con los elementos naturales. En las ferias agrícolas semanales pueden adquirirse productos locales que chefs de todo el condado suelen aprovechar.
Estos entornos naturales inspiran a un conjunto ecléctico de artistas creativos y modernos pero conscientes. La abundancia de música en vivo, teatros y bellas artes acompaña los festivales locales, las celebraciones y las representaciones, que se fundan en la continua energía artística del condado.
Santa Cruz le invita cordialmente a explorar la región con el fervor, la pasión y la apertura mental que define a este destino. ¡Le damos la bienvenida!
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Viaje al condado de Santa Cruz en automóvil desde San Francisco por la panorámica ruta 17 o la emblemática ruta 1 junto a la costa. El trayecto de aproximadamente 60 millas/96 km hacia el sur se recorre en unos 90 minutos. Desde el sur de California, el condado de Santa Cruz se encuentra a unas 349 millas/562 km en automóvil al norte de Los Ángeles y 30 minutos al norte de Monterey.
Santa Cruz County
Destinations
70 miles south of San Francisco, 35 miles north of Monterey, and unabashedly left of center, you’ll find great surf, sandy beaches, redwood-covered mountains, laid-back towns, organic farms, and a burgeoning beer and wine scene. It’s impossible to pick one place to visit in Santa Cruz County. Take a quick cruz of them all!
Picture Yourself Here
Get inspired and start planning your next visit to Santa Cruz County. #VisitSantaCruz
Over 30 years in the making, Santa Cruz welcomes its first luxury beachfront property, @labahiahotelandspa! Take a peek at the beauty, the balance, the design, and the luxury this brand new hotel and spa brings to Santa Cruz.
Want to learn more? Read below on this highly anticipated Santa Cruz property.
HISTORICAL NOTE:
Following multiple decades of planning and development, La Bahia Hotel & Spa marks an historic first for the City of Santa Cruz while paying tribute to the provenance of the grounds themselves, where a small hotel once stood over a century ago. A series of architecturally distinctive touchpoints can be found throughout the grounds, and a lovingly preserved, original bell tower from 1926 topped with a vintage mermaid weathervane anchors one corner of the property.
DESIGN + CONCEPT:
Embracing the concept of joyspan, La Bahia features 155 rooms including 21 ocean view suites that overlook the Monterey Bay. Designed with a Spanish-Mediterranean flavor elevated by an Art Deco interior theme, the property encompasses one city block. Four distinct culinary concepts can be enjoyed onsite, and a Moorish spa deriving inspiration from the rich sea life that calls the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary home rounds out the guest experience.
Videos in collaboration with @dgsc
#labahiahotelandspa #visitcalifornia #visitsantacruz #santacruz #labahia
GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Thank you to those who participated! Winners to me notified soon!
ORIGINAL POST:
The drop you have been waiting for: the 2026 Santa Cruz County Calendar Giveaway! Enjoy 12 months of beautiful Santa Cruz County scenes. These annual calendars are a hot item and they are not sold in stores, so here’s your chance to win one! Entering is simple, leave a comment below and we will randomly select FIFTY winners by Monday, January 12! You can leave as many comments as you want but it’s one entry per account.
If you are one of the randomly selected winners, we’ll comment on this post to let you know you were selected and ask you to message us your name and mailing address. If we don`t hear back from you within a couple days, we will send you a direct message letting you know you were selected. All we’ll need from you is your name and a mailing address (must be in the United States). That’s it! If an account asks for more than that, it’s not us! Please note: we can no longer send calendars outside of the country, so winners must have a mailing address in the U.S.
Ready to be inspired by the beauty of Santa Cruz County all year long? Enter now for your chance to win a 2026 calendar!
Special shoutout to our amazing photographers: @dgsc, @thecuratedfeast, @beningramvisuals, @carynhewlett and @jennday77 whose work is featured in this year’s calendar! 🙌🏽
#visitsantacruz #santacruzcalifornia #santacruz #santacruzcounty
Color of the year… 🐚✨🌊🍬🌲🌅
Videos 🎥 | @dgsc + @beningramvisuals + staff
#coloroftheyear #santacruz #nature #visitsantacruz #santacruzcounty
It’s simple. It’s beautiful. And it changes moment by moment. Winter brings unexpected beauty around every corner. What do you love about winter in Santa Cruz County?
Video 📹 | @dgsc
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #winter #rainbow #surfing
Hobbies include: chasing sunsets by the ocean. Tag someone who can relate.
Videos 🎥 | @dgsc
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #sunsets #oceansunset #sunset
What’s your pick? Santa Cruz County is ready for you in 2026!
Locations show:
Intro: Grehound Rock Beach
1. West Cliff Drive near Fair Avenue at sunrise
2. Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
3. Windy Oaks Winery
4. New Brighton State Beach at sunset
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty
Just a quick peek at our January vibe. Hope 2026 is starting off strong.
Photos 📷 | @beningramvisuals + @thecuratedfeast
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #january #winter #santacruzcounty
Hope 2026 brings better things your way. 🌊 Happy New Year from Santa Cruz County. See you soon. 💌
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #happynewyear #ocean #2026
Another beautiful year on the coast of Santa Cruz County. 🫶🏼 2025 has brought so much beauty, an endless supply of fresh mountain & ocean air, incredible vistas, and boundless inspiration for our community and its visitors. Cheers to an unforgettable 2025, and here’s to an even more memorable 2026! 🥂
Happy New Year from Santa Cruz County! 🌊🐚🌴🌲🍄🟫🌾
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty #happynewyear #santacruzcalifornia
Mark your calendar! The last King Tides of the season are January 1 – 3!
The extreme low tides expose tide pools rarely seen and allow for miles of beach walking and extended exploration. PLEASE remember to watch your step, leave the creatures alone, check the weather, and be ocean safe! Check the @visitsantacruz story and bio link for more on King Tides, where to go, and how to enjoy them responsibly! 🌊🐚🐙
We’ll list the low tides below – but remember, extreme lows and highs can happen on the surrounding couple of days as well.
Low Tide Dates & Times:
January 1: Low tide @ 3:08pm; -1.5
January 2: Low tide @ 3:55pm; -1.7
January 3: Low tide @ 4:41pm; -1.7
#santacruz #kingtides #tidepools #californiakingtides #visitsantacruz
No filter. No music. Simply Santa Cruz on this gorgeous winter morning.
Enjoy the magic. ✨
#santacruz #visitsantacruz #westcliff #winter #goodmorning
It’s got its own special magic. 🌊 Here’s to savoring the last bit of 2025 and looking forward to more slowdowns by the sea in 2026. 🙏
Video 📹 | @dgsc
#santacruz #visitsantacruz #oceantherapy #ocean #surfing
Wising you a very Merry Christmas from Santa Cruz County!
Photo 📷 | @beningramvisuals
#merrychristmas #santacruz #visitsantacruz #westcliff
Caught in a moment of December scenes. 📸
Photos 📷 | @desireexc
#santacruz #visitsantacruz #december #winter
Happy winter solstice. Longer days coming soon! ☀️
Video 📹 | @dgsc
#wintersolstice #visitsantacruz #santacruz #westcliff #winter
More exploring. 🌾
More sunsets by the sea. 🌅
More slowing down. 🌲
More noticing. 🌙
More Santa Cruz. 🌊
What do you want more of in 2026?
Videos 🎥 | @dgsc
#visitsantacruz #santacruz #2026 #newyear
You really can’t beat it. 🫶🏼
Videos 📹 | @dgsc
#visitsantacruz #december #santacruz #santacruzcounty #winter
Forest = for rest. Who’s ready for a redwood recharge? 🔌
Need a place to rest in the redwoods? Try these spots:
📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton
📍 Fall Creek Unit, 1101 Felton Empire Rd, Felton
📍 The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
📍 Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek
📍 Byrne-Milliron, 809 Browns Valley Rd, Corralitos
Intro 📹 Clip | @dgsc
#forest #santacruz #visitsantacruz #redwoods #santacruzcalifornia
Snow on the mind… Here’s a little throwback to 2023’s snowy surprise in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shoutout to @beningramvisuals for hunting down all the best shots! 📸
Do you think we’ll get a little dusting ❄️ this winter? We sure hope our friends inland get some soon! 🏂⛷️
Oh, December… We 🫶🏼 you. A look back so far…
Redwoods, sunsets, low tides, Yuletides, delicious season meals, the best views, and all the festive cheer.
#santacruz #visitsantacruz #decembertoremember #december
Santa Cruz Mood 🚀 Guide: sea, salty air, redwoods, good food & drinks, walks & lunch with ocean views, winter sunsets 🔁. #winterblues🌊
What are you adding to the list?
Here are the spots featured:
1. Pleasure Point 🌊
2. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park 🌲
3. Margarita from Low Tide at the brand new luxury hotel in Santa Cruz, @labahiahotelandspa 🍹
4. @pacificcookiecompanysantacruz 🍪
5. West Cliff Drive over Cowells 🏄♂️
6. @zeldasonthebeach in @capitolavillage 🏖️
7. Beer Can Beach in Aptos 🌅
#winterinsantacruz #winter #santacruz #visitsantacruz
See you soon? #wintermagic is real in Santa Cruz County. Where’s your favorite spot to catch a winter sunset? 🔥🌅🍬
Videos 🎥 | @dgsc
#winteriscoming #wintersunset #santacruz #capitola #sunset #sunsets #santacruzcounty #visitsantacruz
Consider yourself busy January 1 -3 for the next King Tides! Here’s a peek at yesterday’s King Tides from Pleasure Point. December won’t quit with the beauty! 💜
Want to learn more about King Tides? Check our bio 🔗 and start planning your stay in Santa Cruz County this winter!
#kingtides #lowtides #santacruz #santacruzcounty #visitsantacruz #december
We’re already experiencing some of the best of winter in Santa Cruz County and it’s still fall! Low tides, crazy sunsets, big waves, waterfall hikes, and quiet moments on the coast. Cheers to another great season ahead!
Videos 🎥 | @dgsc, @beningramvisuals
#winterinsantacruz#winterloading #winter #santacruzwinter #visitsantacruz #sunsets #waves #december
