Cowell Beach - Beach in Santa Cruz - 21 Municipal Wharf, USA

Nice beach for family, especially in hot summer. Windy and a little bit chilly when walking and watching sea lion on the bridge. You have to walk to the end of the bridge to watch the sea lions. It is hard to find a place for parking in the afternoon. You may try street parking or on the bridge with $3 for 3 hours, $4 within 4 hours. A little bit crowded at weekend, but you can find a place to play with less people along the long beach. Recommend the beach on the right side of the bridge, there is a quick shower facility next to the beach entrance.

The quintessential Santa Cruz beach. Activities here range from sunbathing, walking along the waves on the long flat beach, collecting seashells, watching surfers, or braving the cold water to swim. The length of the beach varies significantly with tide, but the side near the wharf is always there (unless it's the rainy season when there's a large river that runs through it). There can sometimes be a lot of stinky seaweed on the beach too, but that's part of the experience. Parking is also hard because there are so many tourist attractions around, but there's a shuttle that brings people from the downtown parking garage to the beach during the summer, so that's helpful.

It is small beach in front of the hotel. The cowell beach is just side by side of main beach which is a lot larger and crowded. The good point about cowell is clean restrooms right behind it.

Amazing place to begin your surfing practice! The waves are just big enough to surf so for beginners like me it's great!

Nice beach. You can spend time with children. Play volleyball and swim. There is a surf school nearby if you get bored .

Definitely would go again with little one.

Okay beach with a lot of people. It is a little farther from the Boardwalk which make it less noisy. However, it is crowded. There is no table to eat but there is restrooms. Lots of homeless people near the stairs. About 15 minutes walking distance to many parking that are affordable (5$ day). The beach has algae and lots of surfers.

Great place to start your Ironman adventure and cross the finish line after a long day