Beaches
By Alex V. · Owner, Beach RV Pleasure Point · Updated July 2026
The short answer
Capitola Beach parking is the hard part. The city lot behind City Hall at 420 Capitola Avenue is the cheapest and most reliable, with 220-plus spaces at $1 an hour for up to 12 hours. Village and Cliff Drive meters run $2 an hour with 2- to 4-hour limits, and a free shuttle runs the beach lots to the village on summer weekends. Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
Parking is the hard part at Capitola Beach, and the cheapest, most reliable spot is the city lot behind City Hall at 420 Capitola Avenue — over 220 spaces at a dollar an hour, up to twelve hours. On a summer weekend, get there early or take the free shuttle. Capitola Beach is a five-minute drive from Beach RV Pleasure Point.
Capitola is the small, colorful beach town just down the coast from the East Side. It is a walkable village where Soquel Creek meets the sea, a protected swimming cove, and a rebuilt wharf you can walk out over the water. It is one of the oldest seaside resort towns on the Pacific Coast, and on a warm day it is one of the busiest.
Below: where to park, what the village and the beach are actually like, the state of the wharf, and when to go.
Where to park in Capitola
Capitola Village sits in a small pocket between the bluffs, and it was not built for cars. On-street parking in the village is metered at $2 an hour with a two- to three-hour limit, and it fills fast on any warm weekend. Most people who come often skip the street.
The city lot behind City Hall at 420 Capitola Avenue is the one to aim for. It holds more than 220 spaces at a dollar an hour and lets you stay up to twelve hours, so it costs less and lasts longer than anything on the street, and it is a short walk down to the sand. Cliff Drive has metered parking too, at $2 an hour with four-hour and twelve-hour options if you would rather be up on the bluff.
Enforcement runs seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays included, so feed the meter or move the car. If you try the residential streets around the village, read the signs first — seasonal resident-only permit rules run from late May through late September, and the citations are real.
Two things worth knowing for summer. In a typical summer, a free shuttle runs the beach lots to the village on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, roughly 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September, so you can park once and ride in. And Capitola sells a "Coffee and Surf" permit that lets you park in the village between 8 and 10 a.m. every day, which you do not have to be a resident to buy. Check the city's parking page before you count on either.
| Where | Rate | Max stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| City lot behind City Hall (420 Capitola Ave) | $1/hour | 12 hours | 220+ spaces, cheapest, short walk to the sand |
| Village streets | $2/hour | 2–3 hours | Closest but fills first, must move every few hours |
| Cliff Drive | $2/hour | 4 or 12 hours | Metered parking up on the bluff, longer stays |
| Residential streets | Permit | Varies | Resident-only permits enforced late May–late Sept |
City lot behind City Hall (420 Capitola Ave)
- Rate
- $1/hour
- Max stay
- 12 hours
- Notes
- 220+ spaces, cheapest, short walk to the sand
Village streets
- Rate
- $2/hour
- Max stay
- 2–3 hours
- Notes
- Closest but fills first, must move every few hours
Cliff Drive
- Rate
- $2/hour
- Max stay
- 4 or 12 hours
- Notes
- Metered parking up on the bluff, longer stays
Residential streets
- Rate
- Permit
- Max stay
- Varies
- Notes
- Resident-only permits enforced late May–late Sept
Capitola Village
Capitola Village is a few walkable blocks where Soquel Creek meets the sea, founded in 1874 as one of the oldest seaside resort towns on the Pacific Coast. It is small enough to see on foot in an afternoon, which is the appeal.
The photo everyone takes is of the Venetian Court, the row of Mediterranean-style bungalows painted in blocks of color right at the creek mouth. They went up in 1924 as one of California's first condominium developments and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stockton Avenue bridge gives you the classic view down the creek to the beach.
Around the sand you will find patios over the water, coffee, ice cream, and a handful of shops. We do not name favorites, but you will not have to look hard. If you bring a dog, you are welcome on the Esplanade walkway and most patios — just not on the beach.
Swimming at Capitola Beach
Capitola Beach sits in a protected cove, so the water is calmer than the open-coast beaches and easier for kids and casual swimmers. In summer, Soquel Creek backs up behind the sand into a shallow lagoon, which is where families with small children settle in — warm, still water on one side and the ocean on the other.
It is a swimming and sunbathing beach, and the sand is soft and the beach is small, so on a hot weekend it packs in. Get there in the morning if you want room.
Plan around two things. Dogs are not allowed on Capitola Beach and the rule is enforced, so leave yours back at the site or stick to the Esplanade. And lifeguards are only on duty at busy times and events, not all day, so keep an eye on your own group in the water.
The Capitola Wharf after the rebuild
The Capitola Wharf reopened in September 2024 after a $10.6 million rebuild that followed years of winter-storm damage. The new deck is wider, with benches, mounted binoculars for watching the bay, and signs about the area's wildlife and history. It is open to walk, and it remains a popular public fishing spot.
What is gone, for now, are the buildings. The restaurant and the boat-and-bait shop at the end were destroyed in the storms and demolished in early 2024, and they have not been rebuilt. The city is working through a master plan that would bring a restaurant and a fishing concession back to the wharf, but as of 2026 it is a place to walk out over the water and fish, not to eat. Check locally before you count on either.
When to go to Capitola, and what's on
Summer is Capitola at its busiest. Weekends from Memorial Day through mid-September are when parking is hardest and the free shuttle runs, and the village and beach are full most warm afternoons. Come on a weekday if you can, or come early.
On summer Wednesday evenings the village runs free Twilight Concerts at the Esplanade Park bandstand, roughly 6 to 8 p.m. from June through August. The Capitola Beach Festival lands in late September, on the 26th and 27th in 2026, after the crowds thin.
Spring and fall are the best stretch of the year here. The water is warmest in September and October, the light is clear, and you can usually park without a fight. Winter is calm and often wet, but a clear winter day on that beach with the village half-empty is worth the short drive.
One note for anyone with an older guidebook: the Begonia Festival, the flower-float parade that used to run on Soquel Creek every Labor Day, ended in 2017. It is not coming back, so do not plan a trip around it.
Camping and RV parks near Capitola Beach
The campground in Capitola is New Brighton State Beach, on the bluff above the bay, and it is covered in our Santa Cruz beach camping guide. Camping is not allowed on Capitola Beach itself. Capitola is a five-minute drive from Beach RV Pleasure Point, which is the easiest way around the parking problem — leave the rig on your full-hookup site and take the car down, or ride a bike over. It is about a ten-minute bike ride, though not on a continuous beach path, so you will share some road along the way.
We are the closest RV park to the beach in all of Santa Cruz, and the only RV park in Pleasure Point, a nine-minute walk from the sand on the East Side. Capitola is one of a whole string of beaches and towns within a few minutes of the park.
For what else is close by, see the Pleasure Point neighborhood, the best beaches in Santa Cruz, and things to do in Santa Cruz. For directions to the park, see getting here.
Common questions
Where do you park at Capitola Beach?
The best spot is the city lot behind City Hall at 420 Capitola Avenue — more than 220 spaces at $1 an hour, up to 12 hours. Village streets and Cliff Drive are metered at $2 an hour with 2- to 4-hour limits. On summer weekends and holidays a free shuttle runs the beach lots to the village.
Is parking free in Capitola?
Not usually. The cheapest paid option is the city lot behind City Hall at $1 an hour. In a typical summer a free shuttle runs from the beach lots to the village on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from Memorial Day through mid-September. Capitola also sells a "Coffee and Surf" permit for village parking from 8 to 10 a.m., and non-residents can buy one.
Are dogs allowed on Capitola Beach?
No. Dogs are not allowed on Capitola Beach and the rule is enforced. You can walk a leashed dog on the Esplanade above the sand and sit on most village patios, but not on the beach itself.
Is the Capitola Wharf open?
Yes. The Capitola Wharf reopened in September 2024 after a $10.6 million rebuild and is open to walk and to fish. The old restaurant and boat-and-bait shop at the end were demolished in early 2024 and have not been rebuilt, so as of 2026 there is nowhere to eat on the wharf while the city works through a longer-term plan.
Is Capitola Beach good for swimming and kids?
Yes. Capitola Beach sits in a protected cove, so the water is calmer than the open-coast beaches. In summer, Soquel Creek forms a shallow lagoon behind the sand where small children can paddle in still water. Lifeguards are only on duty at busy times, so watch your own group.
Is there an RV park or campground in Capitola?
New Brighton State Beach on the bluff in Capitola is the campground closest to Capitola Beach, with more than 100 developed sites for tents and RVs, a 36-foot park maximum, and 11 hookup sites that carry electricity only. It books through ReserveCalifornia. Camping is not allowed on Capitola Beach itself. The nearest full-hookup RV park is Beach RV Pleasure Point, sixteen sites about a five-minute drive up the coast in Pleasure Point.
About the author
Alex V. — Alex owns and runs Beach RV Pleasure Point, a sixteen-site RV park a nine-minute walk from the surf on the Santa Cruz East Side. These guides are the same advice we give guests at the office.