Capitola Beach

Capitola Village opens straight onto this beach at the mouth of Soquel Creek, and the water around the wharf is generally flat. In summer a short string of buoys marks laps of about 300 yards, with lifeguards on duty, and a loop of the small cove west of the wharf is about a quarter mile. Don't swim toward New Brighton alone; there is no place to land at higher tides.

Directions

Photo: Eugene Zelenko · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 91/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 22°C, wind 9 km/h, UV 7. Updated 23 Sept, 20:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Generally flat water around the Capitola Wharf; summer buoys mark about 300-yard laps.
Getting in: Town beach in Capitola Village at the mouth of Soquel Creek, beside the Capitola Wharf.
Parking & transport: In summer a shuttle runs to the beach from a parking lot next to Highway 1.
Lifeguards: Lifeguards in summer only.
Water quality: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Services samples Capitola Beach sites and tests for three types of indicator bacteria.
Who swims here: Start of the Monterey Bay Swimming Association's 10K Pier-to-Pier swim from Capitola to the Santa Cruz Wharf.
Watch for: Increased white shark activity reported between New Brighton and Seacliff State Beaches
No landing between Capitola and New Brighton at higher tides
Facilities: Restrooms · Outdoor showers · Shops and restaurants steps from the sand