Lower Ocean Travel Guide
Tourist Guide
Visit Lower Ocean
Popular places to visit
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Have a fun-filled day with the family at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk during your visit to Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area or seek out the cycling trails.
Mystery Spot
Find out about the history of Santa Cruz when you take a trip to Mystery Spot. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area or seek out the surfing spots.
Natural Bridges State Park
You can take time to visit Natural Bridges State Park during your travels to Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area or seek out the cycling trails.
Santa Cruz Wharf
After visiting Santa Cruz Wharf, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Santa Cruz. Attend a sporting event in this walkable area or seek out the surfing spots.
Ocean Street
During your visit to Santa Cruz, you can search for that perfect souvenir at Ocean Street. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.
Pacific Avenue
During your visit to Santa Cruz, you can search for that perfect souvenir at Pacific Avenue. Wander the beautiful beaches in this family-friendly area.
Activities
Capitola Friday Night Food Tour
Capitola Private Personalized Self-Guided App Tour
UC Santa Cruz: Personalized Self-Guided App Tour
Our pick of the best Lower Ocean Hotel Deals
Surf City Inn and Suites
Very fast and easy check in and loved the inside pool and jacuzzi room was spacious and clean especially having a room with 3 queens!!!
Reviewed on 2 Mar 2026
Riverside Inn & Suites Santa Cruz
Clean rooms friendly staff
Reviewed on 23 Feb 2026
Hotel Solares
Loved this stay. Really nice location and rooms are good sized. Great for dogs! Would happily stay again.
Reviewed on 23 Feb 2026
Torch Lite Inn
The room looked as pictured but the rest of the property was pretty run down and the neighborhood didn’t feel safe at night. Heard a man screaming for a while near my room. The proximity to fun stuff was great though.
Reviewed on 27 Feb 2026
Motel Santa Cruz
Hair in the shower, blood on bed sheets,no room service we didn't get clean sheets or towels all weekend
Reviewed on 23 Feb 2026
The Aqua Pacific Hotel
We always have went there 2 times a year for many years and it was completely run down and felt very dirty. I wish I would've Fought to get my money back. There was no vending machine for water. We had to switch rooms cause there was literal poop on the floor. I’m super sad cause they always used ...
Reviewed on 20 Feb 2026
Other neighbourhoods around Lower Ocean
Beach Hill - Beach Flats
While there might not be top attractions in Beach Hill - Beach Flats, you can explore the larger area and discover places like Main Beach and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center.
Downtown Santa Cruz
Unique features of Downtown Santa Cruz include the beaches and restaurants. Make a stop by Pacific Avenue or Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History while you're exploring the area.
Seabright
While visiting Seabright, you might make a stop by sights like Santa Cruz Harbor and Seabright Beach.
Downtown
While visiting Downtown, you might make a stop by sights like Pacific Avenue and Williams-Reynolds House.
Upper Seabright
While Upper Seabright isn't home to many top sights, Santa Cruz Harbor and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk are some notable places to visit nearby.
Midtown
If you're looking for some top things to see and do in Midtown and surrounding area, you can visit Ocean Street and Pacific Avenue.
