(California’s Most Colorful Seaside Town)
Hidden, 15 minutes South of the famous Santa Cruz boardwalk, lies California’s most colorful seaside town, Capitola. As you make your way from Santa Cruz into Capitola it feels as though you’ve crossed into another country entirely. This warm and happy seaside town is full of charm and color at every turn. Capitola was actually named after the heroin of a popular novel “The Hidden Hand“ published in 1859. We had spent the day in Santa Cruz and I had planned a small shoot in front of the picturesque Capitola Venetian Hotel and we ended up making it an afternoon in the happiest seaside town!
Table of Contents - Itinerary for an Afternoon in Capitola: 1. Brewery
Brewery: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
We started off our afternoon by stopping at the Sante Adairius Rustic Ales brewery. They had by far the best beer I’ve ever ordered… and I don’t usually like beer! I ordered the 'Queen of the Season', the attendant described it as a wine - like beer which caught my attention. I would absolutely recommend it for the ladies, it was like if wine and cider had a beer baby. Hunter ordered the Imperial Porter called 'It’s Good to Know', which was also yummy. It was more of a desert drink, a very thick and creamy stout. The Brewery itself was quaint and charming. They have plenty of seating indoors and outdoors and bonus - the had parking!
Grab Something Sweet from Polar Bear Ice Cream:
Once we found parking it is scarce in downtown Capitola - we parked here : 426 Capitola Ave, Capitola, CA 95010 United States - it was $8 for three hours and free after sunset. While walking from the parking lot down to Capitola Beach we noticed tons of people with huge ice cream cones and our sweet tooth’s kicked in. We stopped at the very busy Polar Bear Ice Cream parlor and boy was the wait worth it! Hunter ordered the snickerdoodle cookie dough and I ordered their most popular flavor, Dirty Paws - a Caramel ice cream with a fudge swirl and Oreos…. my friends it was the best ice cream I’ve had to date! Make sure you stop by and a grab a scoop on your Capitola adventure!
Photo Opportunity and Explore Capitola Beach:
Walk along the colorful homes at the capitols inn, where it feels as though you’re waking in between alleys in a european country. The bright, textured, colorful walls at the Venetian Hotel makes it the perfect photo op in Capitola!
Dinner at Zeldas:
There were several restaurants along the coastline that were all packed and we decided to go to Zelda's because they had a large a,isn’t of outdoor dining with a beautiful view of the ocean and the Venetian Hotel across the water. We started with calamari, it was a huge portion but very tasty! Hunter ordered the fish and chips and I ordered their salmon dish, both were yummy - but the selling point was definitely the view! Also they’re drinks were delicious too! We recommend the Spicy Margarita for you tequila lovers and the Top Shelf Mai Thai if you love rum like me!
Catch the Sunset:
Wrap up your afternoon by watching the sunset over Capitola Beach or walk out on the Capital Pier. The beach also had a volleyball net over the beach so if you come with a group of friends, family or have kiddos it would be a great place to play and relax as the sun sets.
Visiting Capitola was the perfect end to our weekend in Santa Cruz trip and we hope you get to uncover all the unexpected charm hidden in this happy, colorful, seaside town! Have you’ve been to this adorable little beach town? What stops should we add to our list next time?
Don’t forget to share your posts from your Capitola trip with the #letskepupwiththejoneses so we can see and share your pictures!
Travel Soon!
Mr and Mrs Jones