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Capitola is a small, charming town on the coast of Monterey Bay in California. It is approximately 6 miles east of downtown Santa Cruz.

Get in

Take bus lines 66, 68 or 69 from Santa Cruz Metro Center towards Capitola Mall. The cost is 2 dollars. If you're driving, Highway 1 and use 41st Avenue, Park Avenue or Bay Porter exits.

Get around

Map
36°58′35″N 121°57′17″W
Map of Capitola

By bicycle, skateboard or bus. You could also call a taxi or an Uber.

See

  • Capitola Historical Museum. Provides a physical history of Capitola with its collections of photographs and artifacts important to Capitola’s history. It also features exhibits on the art or history of Capitola. 

Do

  • Capitola City Beach. Located right in the Village, is a wonderful family beach - lots of clean sand and small but regular waves for anyone learning to surf. 
  • New Brighton Beach. A scenic state beach located about two miles from Capitola Village. There is a campsite above the beach. 
  • The Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz. Gathers to play at the gazebo beside the City Beach on Sundays from 10-11:30. Great fun and music in a glorious setting. 

Events

Capitola hosts a number of year-round events, including Twilight Concerts, Art at the Beach, the Capitola Begonia Festival, Movies at the Beach, the Capitola Art and Wine Festival, and many more.

  • Capitola Art & Wine Festival. An admission-free event held in Capitola Village. It features music and food, as well as art and wine; many local wineries, artists, and restaurants participate. This has been a Capitola tradition since 1983. In a recent festival, 185 artists and 17 wineries participated. 
  • Capitola Begonia Festival. This annual festival has taken place on Labor Day Weekend for over fifty years. Festivities include float making/float parade (the floats actually float—it’s a nautical parade!), sand sculpture building, live music, film screenings, and art-related activities. The Pacific Begonia was hybridized in Capitola by the Brown family. A woman named Peggy Matthews noticed all of the begonia flowers going to waste on the Brown Bulb Ranch, and in 1951, was given permission to pick as many flowers as she liked. The Capitola Water Follies featured paddleboards covered in begonias this same year, and that is how the festival began. 1952 was the first official float-making year. 
  • Wharf to Wharf. This six-mile race from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to the Capitola Wharf is known as "The best little roadrace in California." It began in 1973 and has gained popularity ever since. Cash prizes are doled out to the top three winners. The race is for all types of runners and is on a very scenic route. The race is limited to 15,000 runners. 

Buy

Capitola Village offers a variety of shopping and dining options. The shopping area consists of a number of retail art galleries, jewelry stores, and cute boutiques that will satisfy even the most discerning shopper.

Eat

  • Fog Bank. Located right on the beach and offers casual, stick-to-your-ribs style meals. Serves breakfast through dinner. Blues bands entertain in the evenings. 
  • 1 My Thai Beach, 207 Esplanade, ☏ +1 831 464-3800. 11:30AM-10PM. Thai restaurant serving delicious food on the beach. 
  • Tortilla Flats, 4616 Soquel Dr, Soquel, ☏ +1 831 476-1754. Very good Mexican food, including moles, and margaritas. Weekly tapas special (Monday and Tuesday) and special events menus. $6-15. 
  • 2 Shadowbrook Restaurant, 1750 Wharf Rd, ☏ +1 831-475-1511, toll-free: +1-800-975 1511. Gorgeous setting overlooking Soquel Creek and reached by a "cable car" tram. Fine dining, Old-World charm. 
  • Paradise Beach Grille, 215 Esplanade, ☏ +1 831 476-4900. Overlooking the water in Capitola Village, offers great atmosphere and island fusion cuisine. Full bar. 
  • 3 Zelda's on the Beach, 203 Esplanade, ☏ +1 831 475-4900. 7AM-2AM. Located on the beach with spectacular views of the Monterey Bay and Capitola wharf. Thursdays are Lobster Night. Fridays are Prime Rib Night. Live Music every Friday and Saturday nights. Patio dining, bar, restaurant, full espresso bar. Free WiFi. 

Drink

Sleep

Go next

  • Santa Cruz - Located six miles west of Capitola, Santa Cruz is best known as a countercultural hub, with a fun bohemian feel and youthful vibe, and weekend tourist attractions like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a historic mission, and the dubious Mystery Spot. The beaches north and south of Santa Cruz are considered some of the more pristine areas of natural beauty in central California, and while conditions generally make them impractical for swimming, several are considered an expert surfer's cold cold paradise.
Routes through Capitola
San Francisco ← Santa Cruz ←  N  S  → Aptos → Monterey


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