Santa Cruz Wharf
Santa Cruz Wharf
4
Write a review
About
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.

Top ways to experience Santa Cruz Wharf and nearby attractions

See what travelers are saying
  • NYCIrish1944
    Granby, Connecticut729 contributions
    Entertainment @ the Municipal Wharf
    We had just finished our trip north on PCH ! (Pacific Coast Highway) from San Diego We had selected Santa Cruz as a stop to see several points of interest. The Municipal Wharf was one of those points of interest. We had a fish dinner at one of the beautiful restaurants (great views from the table) on the Wharf. During our dinner, we had heard loud bangs that sounded to be near us . We finally asked our server what was the cause of the banging noises. She told us that it was the Sea Lions that like to rest in the beams of the Wharf. She told us a good place to see them and we were off. It was amazing entertainment. As you can see from the photos, the Sea Lions like to nap on the beams of the Wharf. There is open competition for a position on one of the beams. The size of the Sea Lions seemed to be the major factor. There was a waiting line in the water. We enjoyed the Sea Lion show. A totally unexpected source of entertainment and I have the photos to prove it !!
    Visited April 2019
    Written March 20, 2020
  • Ward D
    Satellite Beach, Florida2,684 contributions
    Great place. An aquarium for free (or the cost of parking).
    We arrived before they started to charge for parking on the wharf. This is one of the wharfs that allow you to drive on the wharf and have shops and parking spaces along its length. The pier has several shops and restaurants closer to the middle and end of it. At the very end there are several large (about 10 ft square ) holes that allow people to look down at the seals that rest on the beams below the pier. There are a lot of them. While we were there we also saw a school of dolphins in the distance. Definitely recommend coming to support the shops or see the sea life
    Visited February 2020
    Written February 26, 2020
  • 832vgs
    New Delhi, India1,423 contributions
    Tourist's Treat
    Santa Cruz Wharf in California is well known for fishing, boat tours, dining, gift shops and a beautiful long pier. We visited on a sunny day with family including kids. We walked on the pier, visited the gift shops to buy some souvenirs and had lunch at the Firefish Grill comprising sea food, chicken and salad with Beer. We all then walked to the end of the Pier where we could hear and see the Sea Lions as well as the sail boats. The wharf is located close to the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk; where one can spend a day enjoying the thrill rides. The over 100 years old Wharf is a must visit for tourist to the city.
    Visited June 2021
    Written June 26, 2021
  • Martin Carroll
    Winchester, Virginia669 contributions
    Noise in the rafters !!
    My wife and I were coming north on PCH 1 from San Diego. Our friends who had previously made this trip highly recommended that we stop in Santa Cruz to have dinner on the Santa Cruz Wharf. So off we went to have dinner on the Wharf. I was surprised by the size of the wharf. It was very large. They have car shows on the wharf. There are 4-5 restaurants on the Wharf. They are all very good or they would not be there. It is just a matter of finding a menu that you prefer. Of course, we went with seafood ! As we were having our dinner, we heard various noises like banging. As we were talking to our waitress, we asked what the noise was. She said that it was the sea lions. We were totally surprised. She told us a spot where you could look down into the support rafters of the Wharf and actually see the sea lions. Very Cool !! They created lots of noise. Our friend had not mentioned the Sea Lions. I added some photos for the sea lions. There was one large size sea Lion that none of the others bothered. He must have ben the King !! Enjoy each day !
    Visited November 2020
    Written October 9, 2021
  • John M
    Santa Cruz, California4,376 contributions
    Always something to see on the wharf.
    There is always something to see on the wharf. You pay to park, but the first half hour (?) is free. We stayed a fairly long time and only paid one dollar. There is something special about being out on the water, and you can have something to eat, and watch the surfers and sea lions, too.
    Visited January 2021
    Written January 18, 2021
  • Arun K
    Nagpur District, India2,933 contributions
    Tourist Treat !
    Santa Cruz , a coast of Central California with a long wharf well equipped with eateries & shops. Lot of sea lions roaring below the board all the time. Awesome sand beach with facilities for volleyball, sun basking , water gliding etc. The beautiful beach boardwalk includes 1911 Giant Dipper Roller Coaster & Looff Carousel . Old Casino avenue includes video games for children. They fun & scary rides are centre of attraction. The long rope way is really a fun. Nice place for week end hangout with stores, restaurants, cafés & galleries. Must place for San Francisco visitors .
    Visited July 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 24, 2022
  • Mark S
    30 contributions
    Visit the Warf!
    Visited the Warf last week while in Santa Cruz. Most shops and restaurants were open. Sea lions were cool to see. Food reasonably priced, and service staff exceptional. The views can't be beat!
    Visited September 2020
    Written September 28, 2020
  • RSM123123
    Plano, Texas807 contributions
    Must Visit When in Santa Cruz!
    Must Visit! Walk and hear the famous sea lions bark, gift shops, see the crowd, food with many dining places, fantastic place to visit. Made of 2000 70 ft. Douglas fir pilings driven 21 feet into the ocean, almost 3,000 feet long. Then hit the boardwalk.
    Visited May 2022
    Written May 12, 2022
  • Christine P
    Highland Park, Illinois8 contributions
    Touristy but fun
    Its a great place to walk to the end of, take in the sights, and hear the sea lions. We didn't go to any of the restaurants but they looked pretty good. Lots of shops selling clothes and knick knacks.
    Visited March 2022
    Written March 26, 2022
  • Sachin K
    New York City, New York5,856 contributions
    Awesome
    Santa Cruz Wharf is a nice place to stroll around especially during evening. It has some nice shops and restaurants. Certainly worth visiting.
    Visited February 2019
    Traveled with family
    Written December 5, 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
1,337 reviews
Excellent
566
Very good
527
Average
199
Poor
30
Terrible
15

moot
Tenbury Wells, UK1,363 contributions
Dec 2019 • Friends
Fun to walk out along the pier/wharf and view the lit up boardwalk from a distance. There were a few shops and restaurants with bars.
Written December 29, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mandi B
Big Canoe, GA61 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
What incredible people watching!!! From the outfits, shoe selections, hairstyles, couples salsa dancing, and more- fascinating!

Lots of restaurants and souvenir shops. A great place to watch the sea lions.
Written August 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TNF_12
Hockessin, DE232 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
A memorable place to visit and experience the California coast and its culture. People are laid back and friendly, good restaurants, and memorable viewing of sea lions and other wildlife.
One caution: I initially parked away from the wharf area along River street. I noticed some vagrants (hobos) trying to break into a parked car. Parking in bigger lots near the wharf would seem safer as there are gate attendants.
Written August 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hamiltontravler
Phoenix, AZ74 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
You can't go wrong with the amazing views of the ocean and surrounding coast. There are fun little trinket shops along the wharf and several restaurants. I would have liked to see more interesting boutiques because all of the stores basically carry the same "Santa Cruz" apparel and touristy items. None of the restaurants really popped out as exceptional, and the one we ate at was pretty 'average'. But, all in all, the walk down to the end was worth it because there is nothing like being on the water.
Written July 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura P
Fort Thomas, KY38 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
beautiful spot, several places to eat, cute little shops and the kids loved it as well! Very cool/even cold at night, so bring a jacket or sweater!
Written February 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rachel023028
Maghera, UK20 contributions
Aug 2015
This place has a high crime rate and should not be visited by European tourist unless your gonna be in the country for a few months to file reports
Written August 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bolero49
Reardan, WA470 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
The boardwalk is a lot of fun. Great place to spend the day. The wharf on the other hand is another matter. A few nice views, so worth the walk out on the wharf now and then, but there's really not much to do unless you're eating at one of the seafood restaurants.

A word to the wise however ... While walking ON the wharf in the evening is safe, I wouldn't take a stroll in the evening after dusk on the beach around the wharf, or passing through under the wharf. There's a lot of unpleasant activity and seedy people that use this area at night for questionable activities.
Written July 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

caribbeanluv15
Soquel, CA30 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
If you go, make sure to visit the sea lions. About halfway down the pier, there's a staircase down to where the sea lions like to hang out.
Written May 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wilson FD
Cheserex, Switzerland14 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
Get aboard the private Sea Stag XI or its larger cousin with the EXTREMELY competent staff at Santa Cruz Whale Watching (special kudos to our captain on 4 September 2014 and our super friendly and knowledgeable naturalist Megan Petersen) and admire the fauna this marvellous bay has to offer. Not to be missed, for certain!!!
Written March 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

chechina
Aptos, CA89 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
The Santa Cruz Wharf is delightful - excellent eateries, historic places such as Stagnaro's restaurant and others, as well as fishing, ocean tours, gift shops, old fashioned coast amusement park ambiance (VERY hard to find nowadays in an authentic location) - and well maintained. Local visitors receive parking pricing point benefits, and wonderful specials on meals off season. People come from all over the world to marvel at the vistas, and, as mentioned, I can't believe I LIVE here and can enjoy the sea/redwoods/mountains that are right here before me!! Tourist friendly, a wide variety of activities from bowling to miniature golf and free summer concerts on the Boardwalk, plus the old tyme yet modernistic amusement park complete with historic 1930's actual wooden roller coaster right across the sea from the wharf itself. Beautiful Victorians visible from the pier - romantic views, and an amazing choice of food and relaxation! Like Long Beach was in its heyday!!!
Written August 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 11-20 of 1,203
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Santa Cruz Wharf - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Santa Cruz Wharf Information

Excellent Reviews566
Very Good Reviews527
Santa Cruz Wharf Photos760