Aptos is a pleasant day trip for those searching for beaches south of Santa Cruz and Capitola. The unincorporated area in Santa Cruz County offers great sites along the Pacific Ocean, with plenty of sandy beaches and cliffside views.
Summer temperatures are usually a few degrees cooler than in Santa Cruz, and traffic can be slow heading south due to road widening projects that never seem to end along Highway 1. But crowds can be sparser, and the natural beauty is high.
Aptos is made up of several villages, including Seacliff State Beach and Seascape, a beach resort with a golf course. In between, is the little beach town of Rio Del Mar.
One place to detour inland is Aptos Village, a walkable district with a few blocks of retail and food, located along Soquel Drive. It’s home to New Age businesses that seem right at home in Santa Cruz County, such as SoulCare Studios, a yoga studio that also provides psychedelic consultation and ketamine-assisted therapy.
Other places to visit in the village are Mentone, an Italian-French restaurant started by famed chef David Kinch, and the Aptos St. BBQ, which boasts live blues music every night.
Many restaurants in Aptos take advantage of the great views. Aptos St. BBQ has plentiful outdoor seating. In Rio Del Mar, an outdoor favorite is the Pixie Deli, which has beach views from its deck. It’s hard not to smile at the entrance sign which reads “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Shorts. No Problem!”
An easy nearby walk is along Seacliff State Beach, toward the cement ship called the S.S. Palo Alto situated off the coast. It has been sunk there since the 1920s; at one time, its hulk could be reached on a fishing pier, which was removed following storm damage in 2023. Today the cement ship is a local landmark and a popular roost for shorebirds and marine mammals. A visitors center is nearby.
Visitors can climb the park’s cliffs via steps and arrive at State Park Drive, where there’s a block-long stretch of stores and restaurants. Or the journey can be taken by car. It costs $10 per car to enter Seacliff State Beach.
A big decision for many visitors to the Seacliff strip is choosing where to stop for ice cream. Among top choices are Marianne’s Ice Cream, an outpost of the chain that began in Santa Cruz in 1947, or across the street at Sno-white Drive-In, which sells soft cones and milkshakes. Marianne’s, which has a wide variety of flavors, is located at 218 State Park Drive, and Sno-White, a 1950s style burger joint, is at 223 State Park Drive.
Drivers going down Highway 1 south from Seacliff for about five miles will arrive at Seascape, the high-end ocean view resort that many associate with this region. Trails lead from bluffs at the resort to the beach below.
Christine Di Salvo, 75, has a vacation home near Seascape.
“It’s a wonderful retreat for us, she said. “We enjoy the seclusion of Aptos and being away from the hustle and bustle of Capitola and Santa Cruz.”