The Perfect Tourist Day Without the BS

8:30 AM

Verve Coffee Roasters

Santa Cruz's homegrown specialty coffee brand that actually lives up to the hype.

Start on Pacific Ave with coffee that's genuinely excellent. Verve is a Santa Cruz original and it's better than whatever chain you have back home. That's not trash talk, it's just true.

Or try: cat-and-cloud

10:00 AM

Natural Bridges State Beach

Iconic rock arch, tide pools, and the best sunset spot on the Westside.

Skip the Boardwalk. Come here instead. Tide pools, a natural rock arch, monarchs in winter, and a beach that actually feels like California. This is the Santa Cruz postcard nobody sends.

12:00 PM

laili-restaurant

Afghan-Mediterranean food that would be a destination restaurant in any city. The lamb burger and the falafel plate are both incredible. This is not the meal you expected in a surf town.

Or try: bantam

2:00 PM

henry-cowell

You came to Santa Cruz and you're going to walk among redwoods that were here before Columbus. The grove loop is easy, flat, and profoundly beautiful. Takes 30 minutes, changes your whole day.

4:30 PM

santa-cruz-wharf

Okay yes, the wharf is touristy. But the sea lions underneath are absurd and wonderful, and the views back toward the Boardwalk and the coast are the best you'll get. Walk to the end and back.

Or try: west-cliff-drive