Capitola cruisin’

Capitola is one of the most popular seaside villages in the state. And for good reason. Its picturesque beach and oceanfront esplanade add up to fun summer days strolling the shops or just hunkering down on the sand.

What to Know

Capitola wasn’t always so quaint. In its early days this seaside gem was a humble summer retreat along the shore of Monterey Bay. It was known as  Camp Capitola, and by 1874 had welcomed guests, making it the first beach resort in California. Most vacationers stayed in tents by sugar beet fields until the opening of Hotel Capitola, an elegant wood-frame Victorian reiminiscent of grand dames like Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. A fire destroyed the hotel in 1929, but Capitola’s appeal is preserved in its charming pastel colored village.

Why Here

In the summer of 1961 hundreds of birds flocked to Capitola, attacking locals and visitors. Most of the birds were sooty shearwaters, a peaceful species that rarely comes to shore. Alfred Hitchcock ,  a Scotts Valley resident and regular visitor in Santa Cruz, read about the attack and used it as inspiration for his classic film,  The Birds  For some 25 years no one knew why the sooty shearwaters attacked the beachgoers. Then researchers found domoic acid, a toxin produced by red algae, was behind the bizarre behavior.

Where to Start

Walking Capitola and its Esplanade is a quintessential summertime experience. Park your car on the street or in the public parking lot near the police station. Then head to the end of the Esplanade and start your stroll past foodie landmarks like Zelda’s on the Beach, Paradise Beach Grill and Margaritaville. While popular for their beachfront locations, these guys are jammed on weekends. Expect a long wait so other options are grabbing pizza to go or packing a picnic and feasting on the sand.  A peaceful retreat from the mayhem is Mister Toots, the legendary coffee house capturing the heart of locals with its view from the second floor.  For sheer romance, nothing beats Shadowbrook Restaurant, where a cable car transports you to a hillside setting.

During the summer, Capitola Beach offers free evening movie series and free Wednesday twilight concert series. If you are a history buff, the tiny one-room Capitola Historical Museum  is the place to learn more about the town’s history

Where to Stay

The best part about cruising the beachfront is looking out to the colorful Capitola Venetian Hotel, an iconic image associated with Capitola. Built in 1924 and sitting just east of the pier, this complex is on the Register of National Historic Places as the first condominium beach community in the United States. It is now popular as a vacation rental. While most units come with kitchens and living areas, the best picks are the one with views of the water. In the heart of the village is the luxury  Capitola Hotel, a boutique inn footsteps from the beach.