THE 5 BEST Santa Cruz Extreme & Thrilling Activities
Exciting Things to Do in Santa Cruz for Thrill Seekers
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Fishing Charters & Tours
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What travelers are saying
- VictoriaAllenLas Vegas, NV93 contributionsThis was our family's first time visiting Santa Cruz so we weren't quite sure what to expect other than what we had read online.
Being from Vegas, the weather was absolutely perfect! Upper 60's to low 70's with a nice ocean breeze...definitely a nice break from the Vegas heat!
So first off, parking. There were lots located in front of the park...all looked to be about 20.00 for the whole day so make sure to add that to the budget unless you're within walking distance.
We had purchased the all day ride bands for about 55.00 a person I believe and we were able to ride a lot of rides during the day, some even 2 or 3 times. Since the park is cashless, we also purchased a "fun" card with 200.00 to spend later ...turned out to be a fiasco but more on that later...
Rides: they ranged from kid friendly to high adrenalin which was nice since we had a 9 and 12 year old with us. Lines were doable, longest wait for us was about 15 minutes. Not too bad when compared to places like Disney or Legoland.
Food: your average boardwalk fare... deep fried everything, ice cream, hot dogs, burgers, etc.... They had a "special" on their plastic souvenir cup for 11.99, with 99 cent refills all day.... normally I would pass but since I had trouble with that "fun" card, I purchased one... its a tourist spot so highway robbery is to be expected.
As for the downfalls, there were a few unfortunately... We went on a Friday when its normally expected to stay open until about 9pm but we had gone a night designated for grad night so they closed at 6 instead so that was disappointing.
As for that "fun" card that was purchased... we weren't able to use it all
on food so we were under the impression that we could use the rest to buy souvenirs at the gift shop. Sadly, this was not the case so just be advised that when purchasing the card, you can only use on food and arcade. I ended up going back and buying one of those ridiculously expensive souvenir cups just to burn through some of the remaining funds.
Overall, minus the few hiccups, it was a good experience and a great way to spend the day with kids. Would recommend to anyone visiting the area!Written July 8, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Alina Z6 contributionsWe were on the first (and maybe only ?) all female crew trip. Excellent on all accounts: friendly, knowledgeable, smooth sailing despite some waves and saw all the animals we were hoping for ! We saw whales (mom and baby), a few juvenile Great Whites, otters and a few curious sea lions.Written August 6, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- jonZ9125CNSunnyvale, CA1 contributionWe were 5 guys in our 40s with no surfing experience and the instructors had us all up and surfing waves within minutes. Friendly, nice clean and comfortable wetsuits, etc. Would definitely visit again.Written August 7, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Paul OPayson, AZ11 contributionsCurrent eBikes provided a great 3 hour ride along the beach and Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. All was ready for us at check-in, instructions were thorough, brief and complete about bike operation and easy to following riding instructions got us off to a fun adventure. The staff is very knowledgeable about the bikes and local attractions. I would strongly recommend them for ebike rentals and look forward to renting from them in the future. FYI, the cruiser bikes are new and the latest mid drive Bosch technology.Written February 6, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SkipShankadelic1 contributionWe learned basic survival skills to prepare us for the apocalypse that may or may not happen in our lifetime. Not only was it a fun day out in nature, we learned real skills that will allow us to stay alive for a few days if lost in nature.Written August 1, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- jenmh4Roseville, CA10 contributionsI took my 14 year old daughter for her first lesson. And I had not surfed in over 10 years. Che was our instructor and was awesome! We both caught many waves, learned a lot and had an amazing session. Club Ed has been around for a very long time and has earned a great reputation. I would highly recommend them!Written July 21, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jeff P2 contributionsWhat can I say, Joe’s a swell dude. He had the party loaded up and headed out before the sun even peeked over the horizon. It was late November, and we weren’t sure what the weather or bite would look like, but Joe put us over the fish. Next thing you know, rockfish and lingcod started hooking up, and we brought in some decent fatties. Over the course of the day, the weather warmed up nicely, and we learned some great tips and techniques for catching lingcod. Nothing I’ll share here of course! But if you want some great lessons from the master himself, and come home with some good eatin’, I suggest you schedule a trip on the Taylor Gene yourself. You and your family or friends will have a wonderful time hunting for “the big one”!Written April 1, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tj2ski1 contributionAwesome - Amazing. If they are out there, Dave from VENTURE QUEST will find them. We paddled out of Moss Landing, CA. looking for Humpback Whales. From the mouth of the harbor the sea was a blank canvas, slightly agitated under high clouds. The Whale Watching boats were past the horizon. Those on their way out sped past us. It did not look good. Dave, our guide, continued positive and kept us informed and paddling. It was as though he had a 6th sense as to where they might be. Eventual we came across 4-5 circling and feeding around us, a mother, a calf, a teen and 1- 2 adults. They are wild. They are enormous. With Dave we felt perfectly safe. As an individual this is a ‘once in a lifetime experience’.Written August 26, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Casi VChardon, OH210 contributionsThis was my fourth or fifth time on a tourist segway tour, and I am 100% glad I took it. Tami and her mother are the two lovely ladies who run the tour, and one can tell they really love it. This is the first segway tour I've been on that assigned a two-way headset, and althougha little awkward, I enjoyed it. Such easy and informend conversation. My girl Tami knows her marine biology and overflows with knowledge respect and the hunger to share it. Super fun day, perfect weather in capri jeans, t-shirt and hoodie. Thought about taking my hoodie off for a minute, but once we turned the corner and the Bay opened up, brisk winds keep one alert!Written March 8, 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Forum posts were selected by looking for forum titles asking specific questions and taking the top showtopic page by total pageviews as the optimal topic.
So I havent seen this post recently. Debating the merits of staying in Santa Cruz vs Capitola.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
We are are a sports team of 15- 16 yr old boys traveling from Orange County ,ca to the area in end of July. Games can range from being in Sc, Aptos, cabrillo and San Lorenzo. We will be in the area for four days with some down time in the evenings.
Hotels are expensive in both areas. Looking into the Fairfield inn in Capitola (rates ave ~$300 but with breakfast & bocci ball court) with some of chain restaurants like chipotle & mall nearby.
The other option to to get a hotel in SC possibly Hotel Paradox in the higher end (~$330 but no breakfast) or Holiday Inn or Hyatt place same price as FI.
Pls lmk your thoughts of what would be a better city SC or C?
Would like a hotel where parents & kids have a nice common area to congregate during down time.
Also would like to have the boys have access to fun things to do during down time & have access to good food options since 16 yrs old boys playing sports are always hungry.
Will the team with 30+ people be frustrated trying to get into a non chain restaurant in Sc?
Hotel P is off the beaten path & expensive but has nicer facilities like pool area with nice lounge area. Is the hotel worth the extra $?
Any appreciate suggestions on the hotel I mentioned or any others that I have may have overlooked.
Thank you for your advice.
Answer: There is not much for boys that age in Capitola. Its core is a small village with boutique shopping. The hotel itself is on busy 41st Avenue, not very near the village. The mall you speak of is considering going out of business and turning into something else. It has a couple of semi-fast food restaurants. It is not something the boys could walk to from the Fairfield Inn, or has anything of interest to them, IMO.
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
The Holiday Inn Express in Santa Cruz is not near anything for the boys except Denny's :~). It is on Ocean Street as you come into the town. The Paradox is a new remake of a Holiday Inn and it screams 'businessmen'. It is also on Ocean Avenue, but further down and just across San Lorenzo Park (about two or three blocks) from the main street of town, Pacific Avenue, with lots of restaurants of various kinds, two movie theaters, ice cream parlors, a cookie company, pizza, etc.
Have you looked into the Dream Inn? This is of the same quality as, or better than, the others but near the Wharf and a block from the Boardwalk, an old fashioned historic amusement park with no admission charge.
The hotel has a pool and faces a beach. Surfing lessons happen there. There are volleyball nets set up on part of the beach near the Boardwalk. During the summer there are free movies and concerts and aerial acts at various times on the main beach there. Of your choices, I really think this is the best. It is not inexpensive, but I think it might be in the same ballpark as the Paradox. The boys *could* walk to Pacific Avenue from here, but it is about 8 or 9 blocks to the main area .
The Hyatt is new and I know nothing about it except its location. It is on the west side and not really convenient to activities for the boys.
I am going to give you a link to a traveler article on Santa Cruz. Trip Advisor has stopped supporting these, so there is a disclaimer that the information may be outdated. The information in this article is not outdated. I will be re-writing it to put in my own files.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g33048-c133677/Santa-Cruz:California:Santa.Cruz.Sights.And.Activities.html
Good luck and let me know if I can be of help....
Edit. The Paradox is not in a "shady area of town". Yes, homeless people do hang out in San Lorenzo Park, but there is no reason for the boys to go there. If you should pick that hotel they can walk on city streets, quite safely, to get to Pacific Avenue...
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