Surf’s up in Santa Cruz

The city of Santa Cruz, originally named San Lorenzo, was discovered in 1769 by the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà. The city continued to expand and eventually became known as Santa Cruz, meaning “Holy Cross”, in honour of the local mission. By the 1820s Mexico had assumed control of the area and Americans began to arrive in great numbers over the next thirty years. California became a state in 1850, and Santa Cruz County was created as one of the twenty-seven original counties.

By the turn of the century, the agricultural, logging, lime processing, and commercial fishing industries all prospered in the area. Santa Cruz also became a prominent resort community, due to its scenic beauty and mild climate, and today it is well-known for water-sports such as surfing, paddling, sailing, diving and swimming. It is reputedly the site of the first surfing in California, when, in 1885, three Hawaiian princes - Prince David, Prince Edward and Prince Jonah Kalaniana’ole - surfed on locally milled redwood boards at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Santa Cruz has 11 world-class surf breaks, including the point breaks over rock bottoms near Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, which create some of the best surfing waves in the world.

Santa Cruz also has a Surfing Museum at Steamer Lane, which continues to be staffed by early surfing pioneers such as Harry Mayo and others who have surfed Santa Cruz waves since the 1930s. It hosts several surf contests drawing international participants each year, including the International Longboard Association contest and the O'Neill Cold Water Classic.

Santa Cruz is also famous for the Derby skate park, the first public skate park in the USA as well as the brand new Mike Fox Skate Park, containing both shallow and deep skating pools and ramps, located along the San Lorenzo rover levee.

For those looking for an alternative to surfing or skating, other outdoor sports such as cycling, camping, hiking, and rock climbing are also popular in the area. The Santa Cruz Wharf is known for fishing, viewing marine mammals and other recreation. The city provides many great opportunities for butterfly watching and ornithology. Santa Cruz also has the Historic Downtown Retail District, which features numerous theatres, galleries, shops and boutiques.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is California’s oldest amusement park and a designated State Historic Landmark. It features one of the oldest wooden rollercoasters still in use in the US as well as numerous modern attractions. It has been owned and operated by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915. Entrance to the Beach Boardwalk is free, but rides cost between $2-$4.

Winemaking is an important part of the economic and cultural life of Santa Cruz County, from the growing of the grapes to their venting. The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to some of the oldest and well-renowned wineries in California, producing fine Zinfandels, Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as Ports, Pinot Noirs and other varietals and blends. The wines of the Ridge Vineyards and David Bruce Winery were selected for tasting in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976.

To get to Santa Cruz, visitors can take advantage of cheap flights to the San Jose, San Francisco or Oakland international airports and from there arrange private transfer or take scheduled airport shuttles to their final destination. Booking a hotel in Santa Cruz can be done easily online and from there visitors can experience all Santa Cruz has to offer.