Beach house vacation rentals in Santa Cruz

Beautiful location. House is amazing. One afternoon a family of 3 owls were resting on the house roof. We saw a dolpine swim by, courtesy of the excellent binoculars provided by the house owners and lots of wildlife in the really colourful sand dunes. Very happy to recommend.

Monika's place was indeed a home away from home. The location was great, and the place was extremely clean. She also did as good a job as any host that I've dealt with in providing detailed instructions regarding the facility, as well as all kinds of info about local points of interest and available services. Indeed top notch. My family and I were visiting San Francisco, and Monika's place afforded us a very convenient and more reasonably priced option to downtown. No question that we would look to stay there again when we get back to the area.

Beautiful location, very clean and place was perfect for me and my family. Will be booking again

The heated pool and hot tub were the focus of this very successful vacation. There were 8 of us: a family of 4 from Oakland, (Mama, Papa, girl 7, girl 3), from Chicago - a couple 37 & 40, and from Martha's Vineyard, us, 75 & 79. The 3 bathrooms were great, and the kitchen was well equipped. We ordered out mostly, from Hawaiian and Mexican restaurants. We spent a day on the boardwalk, and another on the trail at Wilder Ranch, where cliffs overlook ledges with MANY sunning sea lions, The house is easy walking distance from a couple of beaches. During our winter stay, there were high tides, wind and surf warnings. The views were spectacular. Also instructive. The father took his daughters an early morning walk; they saw a woman swept from the beach across the pavement. She had bloody knees, but was otherwise fine, but she and her two equally insane friends came off the beach. I hope the girls will remember this vivid lesson when they grow up to be invulnerable teenagers. Doubt it.

Love this place! Will definitely come back!

This is a beautifully kept home that accommodated all the needs of our trip. Rooms are very spacious and plenty of restrooms for everyone. Very peaceful location and host was great at communicating. We had a very pleasant stay.

The decor was delightful! Very well outfitted with everything you need.beds super comfy. Really good size. We had more than enough room. I appreciate that Crystal saw no issue with my service dog joining us. I was a bit disappointed that you had to be on the balcony to see the beach. There was a complex in the front blocking most of the view from indoors. I also had issue with parking. The garage was only for small cars and the street parking was inconsistent and required several steps. My handicapped daughter found it a bit difficult. The area was not easily walked being on a very very steep hill. I wish there were more info in the description. All in all, it was a gorgeous place and really clean, highly recommend for non handicapped folks.

It was beautiful, private, and a hidden gem! We had lots of fun and enjoyed all the views throughout the house. The house is even better than the pictures. We had our 2 boys, had plenty to do between the beach, books, basketball, spa, ping pong, and games! We definitely recommend and would go back! Not to mention I love artichokes and this house is located in artichoke city!! So amazing!! 10/10 you won’t be disappointed!

We had a wonderful stay in Pacifica! The home was exactly as described—clean, quiet, and very comfortable. The location near the beach was perfect, with stunning cliffside views and the relaxing sound of the waves at night. It was such a peaceful getaway, and we truly wish we could have stayed longer. Highly recommend!

Airy, comfortable and immaculate place. Watched surfers, seals, whales and birds everyday.

Easy to find. Felt very private at the end of a quiet residential road. Whale Watching! - from the living room and master bedroom we could see whales. We didn't expect to be able to watch whales from the warmth of the house. We could also walk across the street and stand on the lookout and watch whales from there, as well. The closest beaches must have suffered a landslide because access was down a muddy embankment. The 2nd beach about .5miles away was lined by homeless people living in RVs - wasn't a fun walk to the farther beach. Highly recommend Moss Beach and San Pedro beach for easier access. San Pedro has a busy Taco Bell right off the parkinglot.

My team had a wonderful time at Stefan's place! The ocean views are magical and the house is very spacious. Incredible spot about an hour away from SF and Palo Alto. Stefan was very communicative and friendly. Check-in and check-out were simple. Very clear house rules. No complaints at all! We will definitely be back.

I can’t boast about this place enough. Holly went above and beyond to communicate with me. She gave lots of recommendations for food places. We tried Manuel’s, Venus, Pizza my Heart, and The Hideout. Hands down, hideout was my favorite! The home was BEAUTIFUL! Literally, a dream! Our kids (12 & 7) loved it too. We celebrated my son’s 7th bday there. We beached every single day! Their home was beautiful, clean, and magical. The hubby and I slept with the doors cracked open upstairs and literally fell asleep and woke up to the crashing waves. Walk across the street and you’re on the beach! It was heaven. I told my family I was depressed coming back home. HA! The backyard was darling! The lights were my favorite & I didn’t realize there was a little sandpit. Such a great gem. We were welcomed with a basket too. Filled with local bread, taffy (my fav), cookies, wine and coffee; Even with a hand written note. I can’t wait to book their home again. It was a dream. Thank you for having us!!

We loved staying in Susanne’s place. It felt so homey and welcoming. We especially loved the family photos and real live plants. 😊 It’s in a great location with easy access to the beauty of Santa Cruz’s nature.

Beautiful view and walkable location.

We loved our stay here! House was charming, and in a beautiful location. Amenities were fantastic and exactly as advertised.

Sara's home was lovely and comfortable. Her gardens on the side of the house and outside a bedroom in front, were tranquil, colorful, magical places. I daydreamed about how she must have planted in stages over the years, planning blooms for the different seasons and assisted by her obvious green thumb. The kitchen was well equipped, and the home had everything we needed. Sara was very welcoming, leaving us a beautiful flower arrangement, and a water bowl and squeaking and crinkling toy for our dogs.

Thank you Janiece for a wonderful stay. Your home far exceeded our expectations. The area and the backyard was beautifully done. We had lots of room throughout the home even though there were six of us. Thank you for a memorable weekend!

Trevor’s home was a pleasure and convenient walking distance to the boardwalk. Love the personality of the home and communication was amazing as well as accommodating. Will def be back again.

Louise’s place was absolutely wonderful, and she was an exceptional host. The home was spacious and had the cutest porch—perfect for sitting around and catching up with my group of girlfriends. The neighborhood was peaceful and walkable, with easy access to Sea Cliff Beach and nightly visits to Marianne’s Ice Cream, which became a favorite treat. It was also a short, convenient drive to both Capitola and Santa Cruz. Louise was incredibly flexible and accommodating throughout our stay. She even went out of her way to help us retrieve an item we accidentally left behind. I would 100% recommend staying here!

I’ve stayed at many places. I can honestly say this home was one of my favorites. Absolutely everything you want and need PLUS MORE. The hammock outside was just what we needed after a long day at the beach. Everything was basically spotless. If you’re looking for a relaxing beach house to stay at, I can’t recommend this one enough. 10/10. I would definitely come back.

We so enjoyed staying at Ian‘s place. The house was very comfortable and is located in a great neighborhood. It’s quiet and I so enjoyed taking my dogs for a daily walk. The home is close to some great restaurants and a wonderful park where we found a friendly Pickleball community. The area is also quite bike friendly and we took a ride with some great views of the ocean. The Co-host, Ryan, was very helpful and great about getting back to me. We hope to come back again.

I’d recommend an upgrade to the WiFi, but short of that … the property was perfect and I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again.

We absolutely loved our stay at this charming rental home! The location couldn’t have been better, right in the heart of the historic district and just a short walk to the beach, shops, restaurants, and local attractions. Being able to explore the town on foot made our trip so relaxing and enjoyable. The house itself was spotless, beautifully maintained, and full of character. It had all the modern comforts we needed, while still preserving the charm of its historic setting. We especially appreciated the hot tub, perfect for relaxing after a day of walking about. Ali was friendly, responsive, and made sure everything was just right for our stay. We would definitely consider staying here again.