manresa state beach

My wife and I went here to check it out and took our two Rat Terriers , we had a great time and it was a beautiful day ... We are going to go here camping at the campground so we can enjoy this beach even longer ... The campground has a few sites with electric and water hookups ... And others with just water ...

I was there on a weekday. Hardly anyone else in a wide expanse of beach. A glimpse of a whale spraying off in the distance. A little windy, but beautiful sunshine. Conducive to meditation or artistic creativity, although all I did was drink in the fresh air and view.

Beautiful Sands and native plants surrounded by strawberry fields. Clean bathrooms and parking. Long expansive vistas of the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary with birding and hiking and for those that choose, a dip in the Bay.

Very quiet and natural place. Away from the freeway. Surf Mecca. You could walk forever in either direction.

This is a great place to camp with your family. The ocean is a short walk and it is absolutely peaceful. The only problem is that you have to walk a bit to get to your campsite. Be prepared to walk. Maybe carry a wagon.

For picnics there is a parking area where you can get a very nice view of the ocean below. Before or after enjoying a picnic, Manresa State Beach is a nice one for a walk.

We opted to try a VRBO that fit our parameters for price and amenities. The property we selected was located in Aptos and above Manresa State Beach. What we didn't expect to see was the abundance of sea life: whales, pelicans, seals and pairs of dolphins that swam 30 feet off the beach. We watched beach goers run to keep up with the dolphins, who of course swam effortlessly by. Hoards of pelicans would crash wildly into the water, as schools of fish were herded by seals or dolphins. The beach itself is quite flat, with rolling waves on the smaller side. Beach access and parking are good. There is a main parking area at the roundabout by Cafe Rio and a second, little known parking area, about a mile down. Take the second, flatter turn off of the roundabout, past the blue house made to look like a boat. The beach is on the north side of the bay, near Capitola. The beach looks to the SSW, so don't be surprised when the sun sets far to the right. Seems like north, but only because of beach orientation. Cafe Rio is pretty good and Pixie Deli is there for quick or takeout. Loved it!

If you are a walker, this is a wonderful beach to go & go. Either way you walk for miles without worry of getting stuck by tides. The sand is wide against cliffs with a nice collection of shells, & sand dollars.

this is a beach to walk and enjoy and relax......no commercial stuff near the beach ...peaceful, a bit wild water with multiple wave breaks ......Just plain nice lovely natural uncrowded beach......ahhhhh

I'm a "local" and a "cyclist", so what I appreciate most about this beach are the clean restrooms and the very relaxing place to view the dolphins swimming in the tidal rip. From the railing along the parking lot you have a great view and I frequently bring my cycling friends from San Jose there to catch the views. BTW, this is a regular place for those dolphins and you can frequently see them "surfing"!

I lived 15 minutes from this beach for over 4 years and visited it 2-3 times a week. During the summer season there is a charge for parking in the winter there is not. From the main beach entrance you can walk 5 + miles down the beach in either direction and get your own private spot. It is a dog friendly beach (on leash) and the ocean is safe and there are very few (if any) rocks.

Visited the beach for sunset and during the night under the moon. It was breath taking. Not very crowded and just a few minutes south of Santa Cruz. Campgrounds nearby and drive to the beach is also scenic to an extent.

We stayed in Aptos near the local beach but we drove to this beach every morning. It was less crowded and we really loved it. We found many sand dollars here. We had a great time viewing all of the sea creatures that had washed up on the shore and returning the live sand dollars to the ocean. I highly recommend an early morning trip but make sure you dress warm! There is free parking outside the first park entrance and we always found a spot as we went very early in the AM.

This amazingly beautiful length of beach in Aptos, Ca is stunning...you can be walking it in the swirling mists or the bright sunshine and it is always captivating. The end down by the Seascape and Rio del Mar is busy with sun bathers, kite fliers and racing dogs and kids and the farther end heading towards Moss Landing is empty (except for silent surfers) with only foot prints in the sand. Either is a smiling pleasure. Go at low tide to ensure a firm sand bed and just walk and walk and walk...

Manresa State Beach is a good value to get close to the Monterey Bay for a barbeque or camping. It is seldom crowded. Be prepared for cold and fog but occasionally you can experience a nice sunny day.