Things to do & places to visit in Aptos, California, United States

Combining the redwoods and the sea into one idyllic setting, Aptos is a quaint town that serves as home to the forested Nisene Marks State Park, perfect for mountain biking and hiking. Historic Aptos Village features antique shops, restaurants and boutiques. For the perfect spot to picnic, barbecue, or take a seaside stroll, head to Seacliff State beach and walk to the end of the pier to see the S.S. Palo Alto, an experimental concrete vessel known as “the cement ship”.

Aptos city in California, United States. Timezone: America/Los_Angeles, current date and time: Friday, May 03, 2024, 14:41.

Top things to do (21)

Top places to visit (25 attractions)

5.0 Santa Cruz Bike Tour (10 reviews)
- Amazing bike ride with fantastic views!
Bike Tours

This was really one of the highlights of our trip. I cannot say enough good things about Marty and all he does to go out of his way to give you one of the best experiences. He is a wealth of knowledge and is more than happy to share all the little tidbits with you along the way. We saw gorgeous parts of Santa Cruz that I had never seen before and got the most amazing pictures. Marty was so helpful and kind to make sure we all had custom fit bikes. He even had a perfect bike for my 11-year-old who was able to keep up with us during the whole ride and had the best time. Thank you again Marty for a wonderful experience it is something we will never forget! See more..
5.0 Twin Lakes Church (5 reviews)
- Great church
Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

This is a dynamic church where the services are contemporary and casual. With Covid-19 restrictions, reservations are required however they are live streaming their services. See more..
5.0 Shuttle Smith Adventures (4 reviews)
- Worth the price of admission!
Taxis & Shuttles
Dave was incredibly knowledgeable of the area and extremely friendly. I would definitely use his services again. See more..
5.0 Caroline's Non Profit Thrift Shop (3 reviews)
- Fun and amazing selection
Friday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Antique Shops
Wonderful shop. Lots of great things and a wonderful cause. Their new space is quite large with even more to see. See more..
5.0 Cabrillo College Theatre (2 reviews)
- Chicago - The play
Spent 2-3 hours Theaters

Attended plays here many times and this is such a wonderful community theater. Play tickets are reasonable, seating great & acoustics very good. Not to mention the wonderful talent, sets & costumes. Chicago was so entertaining! The 2 gals who played Velma & Roxie were fabulous. The music & humor & choreography was terrific. Don't miss this production playing until July 10th. Next up this summer- Fiddler on the Roof- which promises to be great also. See more..
5.0 Massage Harbor (1 review)
- So quaint & relaxing
Spent 1-2 hours Spas

We are a small massage spa located just 10 minutes south of Santa Cruz, CA in Aptos. We offer Deep Tissue Massage, Swedish Massage, Sports Massage, Reiki, Facial Treatments, Hot Stone Massage, Aromatherapy and Prenatal massage. Just off Rio Del Mar Exit in the Redwood Center. See more..
5.0 Santa Cruz Mountain Naturals (1 review)
- Experience the Medical Cannabis Culture in Santa Cruz!
Friday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spas
This has got to be one of the most amazing experiences that any California state resident can have when coming to Santa Cruz! Make sure you have your Doctors Recommendation for Medical Cannabis and your state ID, and go see for yourself...some of the best medicine in California! Meet amazing people, get great advice, and head to the beach for some blissful Santa Cruz weather! I had an amazing experience and learned so much about Medical Cannabis from their friendly and educated staff. I'll definitely be coming back when I'm in the Santa Cruz area! See more..
4.5 Forest of Nisene Marks State Park (176 reviews)
- hiking the bridge creek to maple falls trail
State Parks

The location of 1989's devastating earthquake. See more..
4.5 Seacliff State Beach, California (170 reviews)
- Loving this place
Beaches

Tranquil serene and amazing views delight you. Next to the best California has to offer. The mountains some agriculture and a whole lot of heritage.Whether you are a social camper solo adventurist there is usually a plethora of activities. Maybe you enjoy amusement rides on a BOARDWALK! Some great food next to all the shopping you could want?then there is always being a beach goer I highly recommend Seacliff state park as a place to gather the family and enjoy some quality time. See more..
4.5 Rio Del Mar State Beach (76 reviews)
- Quintessential Nor Cal Beach
Spent 2-3 hours Beaches

Long wide beach. Walk for miles between Capitola and Watsonville. Kid friendly. Dog friendly. Convenient parking. Local market and restaurants. Build a sandcastle or bask in the sun. Boogie boarding/surfing. Rio has it all without the hordes. See more..
4.5 Manresa State Beach (75 reviews)
- Beautiful Day at Manresa State Beach
Beaches

We went to Manresa State Beach on a gorgeous day. The ocean was very pretty. One walks down the stairs from the parking area to the beach. Its nice to walk there. There are places for picnics, beach play and more. See more..
4.5 Aptos History Museum (12 reviews)
- Good Local Museum: Aptos History Museum, Aptos, CA
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

I went to the free Aptos History Museum. Its next to the Aptos Chamber of Commerce. The museum, while small, has lots of interesting exhibits, pictures, and things to see. It is a good place to learn about Aptos History. See more..
4.5 Nicholson Vineyards (8 reviews)
- Gorgeous, relaxing, perfection
Friday: Wineries & Vineyards

Nicholson Vineyards is an award winning Santa Cruz Mountains family owned boutique winery in Aptos in the Corralitos foothills producing chardonnay, pinot noir and olive oil. Our boutique Santa Cruz Mountains winery is located at the end of Pleasant Valley in Aptos in the Corralitos foothills. The winery grounds are planted with four acres of estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, as well as 4 acres of Tuscan varietal olive trees. In addition to our wonderful extra virgin olive oil, we produce over 1000 cases of wine annually, which include limited releases of our estate wines, as well as additional production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah Grenache, Sangiovese and Zinfandel from Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. The winery is open for tasting Saturdays and Sundays Noon to 5 pm, except for special event days. We hope you have the opportunity to visit, and join us in savoring a glass of wine. Relax and enjoy the vineyard and valley views while you share a picnic lunch with friends under the Oaks. See more..
4.5 Seascape Golf Course (5 reviews)
- Great Course!
Golf Courses

The good news is the course is really hard to get on at the moment. This means things are finally getting back to normal. Weather is perfect this week, but tee times are scarce! See more..
4.5 Mediterranean Bar (2 reviews)
- Great atmosphere - friendly people!
Friday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 AM Bars & Clubs
If you are you truly looking for a place that feels like where the locals go this is it. Great service, music, and pool if you want! See more..
4.0 S.S. Palo Alto Concrete Ship (49 reviews)
- I Love the Cement Boat
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks

I've visited this boat for decades and remember when you could walk on it and fish off of it. Every year it sinks a little more so plan a trip to visit and take some amazing photos of this disappearing piece of history. The gift shop has the entire story for you to read. Pretty interesting. See more..
4.0 Pleasant Valley Vineyards (3 reviews)
- A Hidden Wine Gem
Friday: Wineries & Vineyards
This place is like visiting someones house....oh but it is... Craig and Cathy Handley and of course Susie their dog. We were greeted nicely to their tasting room...their beautifully groomed backyard! Such a beautiful setting for a taste on a sunny crisp fall day. PV wines makes small lot of wines...Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zin, Syrah and Cab. By the way did I mention family run? All of the wine labels were designed after their grand kids. All of their wines in the tasting flight were just superb...so we bought one of each. If they are open ...I would highly recommend a visit . I'm not sure on the tasting fee because they graciously accepted our Wine Passport. You will be pleasantly surprised as we were. See more..
4.0 Hidden Beach County Park (1 review)
- Great little neighborhood park
Spent 1-2 hours Parks
This is a very nice, small local neighborhood park. There is limited parking, an outhouse, good size grassy area, children's playground and picnic tables. It is a short downhill walk to the beach. See more..
4.0 Seacliff Village Neighborhood Park (1 review)
- Great neighborhood park near the entrance to Seacliff State Beach.
Sports Complexes
Built as part of a planned community, this lovely little park is for young children with supervision, and entry level skateboard activities. It seems to attract a good element and is a welcome addition to the area. See more..
4.0 Ser Winery Tasting Room (1 review)
- Local favorite winemaker now has her own tasting room!
Friday: 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Wineries & Vineyards
Ser wines are known to Aptos locals, and now our Local favorite winemaker has her own tasting room! With the virus situation, seating is outside, but thoughtfully done and very efficient. Reservations strongly suggested. See more..
4.0 Polo Grounds County Park (1 review)
- Good Sports Areas: Polo Grounds County Park, Aptos, Califrnia
Spent 1-2 hours Parks • Playgrounds
We went to Polo Grounds County Park in Aptos, California. This is a very nice park with many different sports fields. its a great place to play sports. See more..
3.0 Aptos Landscaping (2 reviews)
- Great source for landscaping
Forests
For more than 30 years, Aptos Landscaping has created beautiful lawns, flowerbeds and other beauty to homes, public areas and residential and business neighborhoods throughout Aptos and surrounding areas in Santa Cruz County. We offer professional landscaping design and maintenance services to clients not only in Aptos but from many areas along the coast of California. See more..
Magnolia Fine Gifts & Gallery (0 review)
Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM Speciality & Gift Shops • Art Galleries

Located in the quaint Aptos Village, Magnolia Fine Gifts & Gallery specializes in unique, quality artisan gifts and art pieces including beautiful jewelry, inlaid knives, crafted wood bowls, pottery, hand blown glass, wall art, baskets, candles, scarves, soaps, lotions, wind chimes, and much more. Many of our unique items are locally made. Come say Hello! See more..
Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets (0 review)
Farmers Markets
See more..
Linde Martin's Gallery (0 review)
Art Galleries
See more..

Things to do & places to visit in Aptos, California, United States

Top things to do (21)

Top places to visit (25 attractions)

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