Santa Cruz Wharf

Been coming here since I was a teenager. Lots of foods choices. Gift shops and fishing. Sea lions are a cool thing to watch. Relax on the pier for the day is a good getaway

Santa Cruz Wharf offers a delightful coastal experience. The clear, sunny weather enhanced the scenic ocean views, and watching the sea lions resting below added a unique charm. It’s an excellent place for a peaceful stroll, wildlife observation. A memorable visit overall.😍

The most intimate place to safely watch charismatic sea lions up close! The pier is a long series of seafood restaurants, with a couple of souvenir stores, & otherwise is just a huge pay parking lot. But it juts out surprisingly far out into the water, giving unique views of the sea, the cliffs, & the Boardwalk. I met several fisherman scooping up tons of anchovies out of the water below. Very limited metered parking immediately outside the pay gate. Several public restrooms along the wharf.

As wharf go, this one is very long and has a few good restaurants and a few stores. If you go to the Boardwalk it would be a nice add on.

Great place for fishing, dining, and souvenir shopping! Beautiful views of the ocean and Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Plenty of parking! Great way to spend the afternoon :)

Chilly, but beautiful afternoon in November. Huge full moon came up behind the boardwalk park. Mostly restaurants on the pier, but a few gift shops with various shirts, trinkets, stickers, etc., for sale. You have to pay for parking. Check out the seal lions on the far end of the wharf. A great afternoon.

It’s became better during last couple years because of sporty and family atmosphere and cleanliness.

I drove from San Francisco to watch a concert on the Santa Cruz wharf we all had a great time lots of good food.

Great view of the boardwalk on one side & great sunset view on the opposite side. Parking cost is fair. Normally there are lots of people fishing & crabbing. There are several places to eat and a wine bar, ( and a new beer garden) but they're all pricey so we grab our supplies before driving out on the pier.

I've always loved walking on the Santa Cruz Wharf. [Taken from the web] "The Santa Cruz Wharf is special for being the longest wooden pier on the West Coast, a popular spot for dining, fishing, and viewing sea lions..." My earliest memory of going to the pier was with my family. My dad & mom piled us into our car and drove to Santa Cruz. After parking, we proceeded to walk on the pier, carrying our fishing poles and a crab net. It was a cold and miserable night but the anticipation of catching a fish or a crab in the crab net was exciting for my brother and I. We ended up catching a tiny boney fish and a whole bunch of seaweed and starfish. We threw those back into the ocean. Again, the pier is a nice stroll out to enjoy the ocean, sight-seeing the surfers, sea lions, fishing boats, and just enjoying the coastal landscape. "Annually, an estimated 1.5 million visitors come to the Santa Cruz Wharf to fish, shop, dine and sightsee."

We took a quick walk along the longest wooden wharf in the US. It contained an assortment of souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, in addition to the storage of boats and maintenance equipment. Besides car parking, there were also a couple of public docks to park your boat, kayak, etc. while visiting the wharf. However we saw that sea lions also liked those docks and preempted humans from being able to use them as they enjoyed lounging and sunning themselves! There were also quite a number of people out fishing that afternoon. Most common catches were perch and sanddabs. The views of the boardwalk and all the amusement park rides, ocean and towards Cliff Drive were nice and clear. If you time it right then you can also catch the train from Roaring Camp as it passes by. Parking was around $1/20 minutes but you could also buy a parking pass if you plan on visiting regularly.

This is tourist central but if you can come when it is not busy, you can enjoy a great walk and wonderful sights and some treats at the stores here.

If you are a tourist, this is worth a visit, if you're local, not so much. On the plus side: * Fair number of parking spots (but why are you driving?) * Good views of West Cliff and the Boardwalk. * Almost always can see and or hear sea lions * If it's a warm day, it's cooler on the wharf due to the breeze * A decent variety of tourist shops at touristy prices * There's a somewhat secret bocce court * Since summer 2024, there's a pop up Humble Sea beer garden On the less positive side: * While there are lots of food choices, nothing is particularly good. * No place serves Marianne's or Polar Bear ice cream (locally made) * It can be very busy on a summer weekend * The bathrooms are sketch

I love the Santa Cruz Wharf and enjoy spending a lot of time there while in Santa Cruz. Sure, the Boardwalk is fun, but the wharf is where it's at. There is an abundance of restaurants that will fulfill your seafood needs and quite a few shops with good quality souvenirs and clothing to prove that you really were in Santa Cruz. The weekend of f my visit happened to be during the Outrigger Races and Polynesian Festival. The outrigger canoe races were exciting but the hula dance performances were beautiful to watch. By the way, the Santa Cruz Wharf was built in 1914 and is the longest wooden wharf on the coast of the United States.

Several tourist attractions in Santa Cruz Wharf. Various seafood restaurants, souvenirs shops, musical performances, great view, Beach walk, etc. I didn't have any problem finding the parking spot. Me and my wife had a great experience enjoying the oceanic view, musical vibes, visiting souvenirs shop and beach walk. One of the main attractions - Santa Cruz Wharf, no one should miss it. Worth every moments of being there.

I always come here to park my car. This wharf has many restaurants and shops. Most of the restaurants are seafood and stores have a bunch of souvenirs relating to Santa Cruz. When I got to the wharf, the tip of it is sealed and no one is allowed there. But that still doesn't stop people from going to different areas of it. People usually come here to see nice views, eat at restaurants, and shop. Some restaurants share similar food varying different prices. So choose wisely. I am thinking of coming back here again next month or so. Who knows?

Such a fun place, lots of options for eating and seeing beautiful scenery. My only negative is there are no dogs allowed, even though everything is outside. Frustrating, but not the worst negative.

Had a great day at the wharf fishing and was lucky enough to see a sea otter swimming by. Perfect day with temperature at 75F during the day. It got chilly very fast by 6pm so bring warm clothes for the evening. I loved being able to park our car right on the pier and enjoy the ocean breeze. Usually I'm on the beach in the sand but this time we did a little fishing trip with friends instead. It was quite fun!

Love the wharf. Lots of neat shops and quite a few restaurants there. Also the Sea Lions at the end of the wharf are great to watch and hear. A great thing for the tourists to check out. Especially when sea lions are there!

Santa Cruz is famous for its Beach Boardwalk, but for a less hectic, low-key experience the Wharf is definitely worth a visit, especially during lunch time. You basically drive in and the entire perimeter is full of parking. Definitely hard not to get a parking space. You do need to pay on the way out, but its pretty reasonable. It doesn't matter where you park since you'll likely want to walk along the whole wharf and check out the various restaurants, shops, water, and people fishing. Many of the restaurants are seafood-centric, but you'll find Mexican, Hawaiian, and some bars too. Unfortunately during our visit, we missed the Sea Lions! Our 3yo had a blast running all along the wharf while enjoying the seagulls and fresh air. I don't know how many steps we got it but he definitely got a workout and he dozed off in his high chair right after a meal at Makai, LOL!

I hope they can rebuild and make it memorable as it has for years for my family and I.

This place is amazing! They have the best restaurant on the wharf which is blue dolphin! However they're temporarily closed and they have such an amazing candy shop on here! Parking is great and the employee at the booth was so amazing! He was a great older gentleman and he made my night! If you ever read thank you so much and you're the best! The only downside is there is paid parking now and it used to be free! However that changed a while ago! So many cute shops to check out as well!

The Santa Cruz Wharf offers a great view of the ocean, beach and nearby boardwalk. Lined with shops and restaurants, there's some parking but can get very crowded! So come early or be patient with the traffic coming in and out. Recommend visitors park further and walk there instead. There are public washrooms on the wharf, so you can plan to spend some time here and enjoy the scenery and food.

We walked the wharf at night during the winter. It was freezing and windy. We had a very large group and a bunch of kids and we just went for it. At the end of the wharf there are holes that look down onto seals. There are people that ware there with flash lights so you can see them. I honestly couldn't tell if these people were paid or not. One of them were very friendly and extremely informative. The kids loved the seals. I don't know if they are there in the day but at night they perch up on the railings under the wharf and chill out for the night. The restaurants that are located here are very expensive. We couldn't bring ourselves to stop even though we were hungry. Plus we were a massive group. We found that there is plenty of parking. We didn't partake in the parking but you could see the spots as we walked. It was fun. I had never been here in all the years of being in California and coming to Santa Cruz. We will have to come back in the day next time. With a smaller group I would also like to try a restaurant too.

Don't forget to visit the Wharf when visiting the Boardwalk: is the one-two punch of the Santa Cruz coastline. It's nice for the walk alone, being the longest pier on the west coast st 2745 feet. Even if you don't shop at the stores, easy at the restaurants, fish, or reserve a boat tour, you will likely see sea lions barking and snapping and fussing over their shared perch like siblings fighting for the window seat. The only day I did not see sea lions (mid-June), I saw seagulls in a closed off area on their nests with newly-hatched, surprisingly spotted, future scavengers. History: though opening initially in 1914 as a means to get potatoes to the mining population, it became the fishing base for the north Monterey Bay. By the 1950s, there were more cars than sardines, so it turned to tourism. By the 1980s, what is now known as Santa Cruz Bay Co. gift shop was home to Max's Videos, owned by the head vampire of Santa Carla. Oh, wait, that was a movie.

If you're planning a trip to the Santa Cruz Wharf, I highly recommend going on a Monday. We went this past Monday, and parking was a breeze. We found a spot right away, which is not always the case at such a popular spot. It definitely made for a more relaxed and stress-free visit. The wharf itself is always fun - lots to see and do!

Great place to spend the day, wonderful restaurants and bars. Make sure to check out the viewing area where the sea lions rest on the pier beams!

Came here after she got pounded by storm with strong winds and rain.. Beaches full of large wood to remind us that the power nature is beyond our control.. We stayed outdoors to see her beauty! Parked outside of the wharf. Walked on wharf. Cars drove on it too. There are places to eat! And if you are fan clam chowder this is probably the place to have one especially during the winter months when a nice cup of soup is extra comforting. Discover this wharf from begining to end! Near the end of wharf are Sea Lions enjoy a rest. They appear to have rolled over the wharfs shelter to sleep and talk. More like talk! The puppies of the ocean are loud when they are together. Watch them socialize. Watch them swim. Such fun creatures! The view from the Wharf is a light house, the board walk filled rides, surfers, paddleboarders, and amazing wildlife! Pay the premium and sit at one of her restaurants or bring a picnic! Enjoy Santa Cruz!

During our vacation at the Sea & Sands inn, we could observe the Santa Cruz Wharf off in the distance, but still a short walk away for us. We decided to get up early to take advantage of our free Continental breakfast, followed by a brisk jaunt to the wharf. We arrived when few people were about, and most shops and restaurants were still closed. This was a great time for us to freely walk around without crowds of people blocking the beautiful ocean views. The wharf apparently holds the record of being the longest structure in the US! It's another Santa Cruz tourist attraction all by itself, along with the Board Walk just a short distance away and parallel to it. The wharf houses a number of quality restaurants, gift/souvenir shops, wine tasting, boat rentals, and some historical displays throughout. Responsible fishing is allowed at certain areas. There is also some viewing openings in the pier so you can check out the seal lions posed in a variety of sleeping positions on the wooden frames down below. Some are restless, some are vocal and some like to annoy their fellow companions. Always a source of entertainment to watch! Even the birds seem to enjoy life at sea! We enjoyed a nice long stroll seeing the sights inside and outside the pier. I could easily spot our hotel from the ocean view aspect. There is nothing better than vacationing in an area where beauty and nature is all around us! This wharf just brings that additional interest in drawing anyone who appreciates all that Santa Cruz has to offer.

Fun place to park, walk around and grab some fresh seafood. Great views all around! They have public restrooms available as well. You do have to pay for parking ($4/hr). It can get pretty crowded on the weekends, so hopefully you find a spot. There are quite a few spots. We had to circle around some areas a couple times. There are quite a few fishing off the pier and quite a few restaurants to chose from...most with outdoor seating available. Towards the end of the pier There are open spaces in the middle of the dock allowing you to see sea lions, swimming and napping on the wood pilings. Overall a fun experience. Would highly recommend.

The wharf was within walking distance of our hotel at Santa Cruz dream Inn. One of the oldest wharf on the west coast, and also one of the longest being built in 1914. There's a few gift shops, a Mexican restaurant, Hawaiian restaurant, wine bar, candy/ chocolate/ coffee shop, at least 6 seafood restaurants. Lotta fun facts you can learn, while walking down the wharf. You can definitely see and hear the sea-lions all over under the wharf. You can definitely drive your car there and park there as well, but because near the end of the pier it's only One Way in and One Way out a mix of tricky due to construction on the wharf. It's a nice place to go for a walk have lunch and enjoy the beautiful ocean views. There is no smoking any where on the wharf due to wildlife. Parking is $1 every 30mins for the first 4 hours

checkout all the shops here nice walk and go to staggnaros for the award winning clam chowder:D you can get a nice shot of the boardwalk

Lots of restaurants to try, a few shops to explore. If you want a nice place to eat with a view, this is the place to go.

I love the wharf! I like to take the bus down here whenever I'm looking to get some bird photography. If you're at all a birder, I think you'll like it-- gulls, egrets, grebes, cormorants, sanderlings, whimbrels, and marbled godwits! I've also been lucky enough to see sea otters and a harbor seal. The sea lions that hang around are a bonus. There's some nice shops and restaurants along the wharf, plus a really cool wall decal of a sea otter that I really like. Plus, it's just a nice place to go on a walk. If you're in Santa Cruz, you can't miss out on it.

Just like all your wharf, they tend to have all the same things. You allowed to drive on, take a ticket from the kiosk upon entering. Mast are required to be worn. There's plenty of parking along the whole pier. There's also a stand that you could rent kayaks. People were scattered along the pier fishing and lounging. Majoryof the shops are closed but there's a few that are still open. They tend to carry all the same things. Trinkets and anything with Santa Cruz written on it. Towards the end of the pier. There's lookout that's you could check out all the seals that are lounging along the rail of the pier. Swimming and enjoy life. Restaurant are still open, but all outdoor dining. They have seats and table all lined along the pier. With everything pandemic, it wasn't that busy. People did walk around but a lot of the restaurant didn't seemed to be that busy. Given it was a Tuesday.

A must visit when in the Bay area. The scenery while driving there was marvelous! Enjoyable... we had a blast just absorbing nature... majestic While arriving, we parked on the pier. A bit scary, wooden boards would rattle and shake... but we were okay, and it was a fun experience. There are so many great little shops for souvenirs, amazing restaurants... visit makai! . The views are great... great place for photos and walks and even jogs. The sea lions always are belching their voices.... such a surreal experience. Top marks across the board!

We came to Santa Cruz Wharf at least four to five times a year. It is definitely one of my Favorite happy place to be at. Santa Cruz has the best Weathers. Usually plenty of Sunshines especially in the Spring and Summertime. I love it that Santa Cruz has many great Restaurants as well. The Dolphin, Stagnaros Brother Seafood, Riva Fish House, Gilda's, Makai Island Kitchen, and Firefish Grill are some of my favorite spots to eat right on the water. We often comes to these Restaurants to enjoy a nice lunch on the wharf. Great Seafood Options! Here in Santa Cruz, many Visitors can enjoy a great walk on the beach, Swimming, boat tours, Surfing, Fishing, Biking, Birds-watching, Diving, Dinning, and many other great outdoor activities. There just many things to do in Santa Cruz! I totally love the water and this most Amazing Settings. The Views, the beautiful Sunshines, and the Seafood are some of the main reasons why we keeps coming back. I Absolutely love the Charming Cool Breezes, and the Awesome Atmospheres here. I love you, Santa Cruz!!!

I absolutely loved the warf! So many shops with little Knick knacks I loved it!!!! Plenty of places to eat there too. We stayed at a hotel but there is parking on the warf I'm not sure how much but it was packed with cars. Lots of people fishing and a great spot to just stand and watch the ocean. Don't forget go down at the very end they have little squares cut out and you can look down and see the sea lions! I could have sat there on the floor for hours watching them all!

The wharf is long and a good place to watch the sea view. There are a lot of seagulls and some sea lions under the bridge. Not too much to eat though. Extremely hard to find a place to park and have to wait for a very long time.

very nice beach. recommend not leaving your spot unless you want a swarm of seagulls eating all of your food ;).

This place is so cool, a historical piece of awesome that tourists and locals (like myself) can enjoy year round. A great view of the Boardwalk on one side and of West Cliff and Steamers Lane on the other. Looking further out on a nice day and you can see clear across the bay. It's especially fun to ride a bike on, go to the end and check out the sea lions barking. There are lots of restaurant and bar options along the wharf and surprisingly the prices aren't to bad. You pay much more for both food and beverages in downtown Santa Cruz. Lot's of places also have midweek specials that are an even better deal! Fishing off any man made structure does not require a fishing license so you can come out here for the day and fish all you want. Admittedly we never get there early in the morning but all we ever seem to catch is super tiny Flounders. In a sense we are catching bait. If fact often times the small fish will real up with half or more missing from some opportunistic predator taking a bite on it's way up. One last tip is they have a locals parking pass with 2 tiers, Santa Cruz City ($20) and County ($25). It's a pretty good deal and gives you the first 2 hours of parking included for a year. 2 hours is $3...

A good place to see when visiting Santa Cruz and the boardwalk. It's a lot bigger than the Monterey wharf with similar stores and restaurants. You can get great views of the area and walk around. They have parking on the wharf for $1 an hour for the first 4 hours. It's a little annoying dining on the wharf and having cars driving by vibrating everything.

Just like I remembered. Parking was very very cheap . I only had to pay $1. You can park on the left or right side . You can park almost towards the end of the wharf too. There are lots of souvenir shops and restaurants for all budgets. You can just bring your own food too and sit on a bench that they have around the end of the pier. If you come at the right times , sunsets are beautiful. There wasn't too many people on Sat. afternoon. You can see and hear the sea lions . You can see people fishing . You can great views of the surfers. It is great , safe place to visit . Just no biking , skating , skateboarding , dogs or alcohol .

Great iconic place in Santa Cruz on the beach. The wharf used to be mainly for fishing, and still has tackle shops, but it also has clothing stores and restaurants too. It is nice to be able to overlook the ocean as you eat and shop. You can view vast expanses of the ocean and waves. People can be seen fishing off the dock. The sea lions are plentiful in groups on the piers, and they can be heard barking from a distance. It is fun to watch them. when it is foggy it seems peaceful.

Great place to see birds (sea gulls of course, plus pelicans, cormorants, and the stray goose), sea lions, harbor seals, otters in the kelp, surfers, kayakers, sailboats. Pick up some salt water taffy from Marini's and cool duds from Noland's. Enjoy the sea air!

A beautiful spot even on a crummy day. I visited this wharf while vacationing in Santa Cruz recently. The weather was unfortunately not at its best with a nearby fire hindering the sun and blue skies. This fact, paired with Covid restrictions, meant a wharf that was mostly empty. But when in Rome, right? The pier is long and wide, adjacent to the popular beach boardwalk. There are a wide variety of restaurants and other little shops. I'm sure it's quite the attraction on a normal day. Either way, the views from all angles were breathtaking. The surrounding beach was clean and picturesque. I had stayed at a hotel nearby and walked here from my room, so cannot comment on the parking situation. I'd assume that there was maybe a nearby city lot. Can't recall if there was parking on the wharf but it was drivable so I'd assume so. I hope to stop by here again on a clear day and experience this wharf in all its glory.

Went here with a friend - had an amazing time. It's so fun to just watch the sea lions laze on the pier. They're super cute... and quite hilarious when they start barking at each other. We had a great time watching this one sea lion (totally anthropomorphizing here, but probably the sea lion equivalent of a college frat bro) barking at all the other sea lions and pushing them off their spots... until a super large sea lion (probably the alpha) lunged at him and scared him off. Funny to see such behavior in the animal kingdom, reminds me of office politics. Haha! Regardless, the Santa Cruz Wharf is a great time. There's a handful of restaurants and touristy shops if that's your jam, but I'm all in for the sea lion drama.

Cute with a good view of the bay and the boardwalk. The Wharf has restaurants and touristy shops. The boardwalk was closed when we went, but there are more restaurants and shops there too. Free parking is pretty far away with beach access - maybe a 20 minutes walk from the Wharf and Boardwalk (there are 10 spots). You can also find street parking in the neighborhood.

The pier is such a family friendly spot. The shops are open, restaurants are up and running such a nice and beautiful area. Such a beautiful area.

I've always wondered why there wasn't a lot of outdoor seating at the wharf restaurants. Well, thanks to covid, it looks like most of the restaurants niw have outdoor seating. It's wonderful! I don't know how much revenue having cars able to drive and park, but I'd love to see the outdoor seating remain post-covid....if that ever happens.

Nice place! Came to Santa Cruz after a long time! First time coming to the wharf! :) pretty at sunset !

If you're visiting Santa Cruz, then I recommend a stop at the Santa Cruz Wharf. The Santa Cruz Wharf offers great parking away from the congestion around the Beach Boardwalk. The wharf also contains some nice tourist and surf shops, decent food and, of course, spectacular views of Santa Cruz, the Beach Boardwalk, local marine life and the Monterey Bay and Pacific Ocean. Parking rates vary by season. During the "warm" season (designated as March 24th through September 21st for 2018), the price is higher. It is still reasonable at about $1 per 20 minutes ($3/hr) but with a maximum of $24 per day. Between September 22nd and April 5, 2019, the price is $1 per hour (for the first four hours) and then $2/hr thereafter with a maximum of $12 per day. If you're planning to spend most of your time at the beach or Beach Boardwalk, you should park as close to the beach as possible. If you simply want to see the wharf, I recommend shopping further up and closer to the restaurants (where there is plenty of parking). Many people like to see the marine life from the wharf. You'll always see sea lions. If you don't see them swimming around in the water, you'll see them resting on the rafters. However, you'll also occasionally see otters, whales (especially during the winter), dolphins and even sharks. After visiting the Beach Boardwalk and Wharf, I suggest driving along "Cliff Drive" (take a left after leaving the wharf) and seeing some of the views and sites along that road. Bring a camera!

Loved the Santa Cruz wharf. Lots of cute eclectic shops. Nice coffee shops and restaurants. Big selection. Reasonably priced parking. At the end of the wharf there are viewing platforms so you can watch the seals and sea lions. Which are so adorable.

Covid has taken a toll on the businesses in the Wharf. Restaurants are responsibly open and most people observed the masking protocols.

The Santa Cruz Warf...well, I've only been here a handful of times. I tend to come to do some late-night fishing with the bf and friends. It's really a little getaway. It's not like we are catching a load-full of fish or anything like that! Plus, warfs are the place to go to fish without a fishing license, so here we are. It does get chilly, so dress appropriately or carry extra jackets cause while you wait for those fishies to bite, you'll get cold from the cool breeze coming from the ocean. Even on summer nights! Oh! The sea lions get loud by the way! Some sneeze, some cough, while others talk or make funny noises... o_0. It may not be your friend that farted next to you either...just saying. ;-)

Free parking on holidays which I was unaware of until I got there. It was Christmas Day and all I wanted to do was to get out of the house; I played volleyball and I ran the distance from the wharf to the end of the boardwalk (to and from is 1.3 miles) 3x so I made sure despite eating a million calories the day before, I worked a bit off in some way or form so I can indulge some more (review for Ideal Bar and Grill soon to come). The wharf is small, nothing like San Francisco but it is fairly nice to walk around, people watch, and sea lions watch. A variety of casual to somewhat pricier restaurants available plus boutiques and a candy store (Marini's). Restrooms were clean. No complaints.

If you are in the area, Santa Cruz Wharf is worth a leisurely stroll. Yes it's touristy but you get wonderful views of the beach and boardwalk and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to browse. I recommend walking all the way to the end to get the best views. There are decently clean restrooms here. We found street parking in a nearby neighborhood. After visiting the wharf, I highly recommend continuing your stroll along West Cliff Drive. The path starts at the Santa Cruz Wharf and ends at Natural Bridges State Park. Head west along this 3 mile beautiful, paved walking and biking path that winds its way along the southern coastline of Santa Cruz, affording gorgeous views of the ocean and dramatic cliffs.