The Santa Cruz pier/wharf was pretty rundown and boring. We were recommended a restaurant on the wharf that was supposed to be good but it was a tourist trap. Bad food, bad service, and expensive prices. The only plus was the location but even that was not very good. The pier can definitely be a fun place if they tried to fix it up...but as of now the pier is not somewhere we will be going back to if we return to Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz Wharf is a nice afternoon trip . It can get crowded when the weather is nice. It cost for parking, but handicap parking is free for the first 90 minutes. The food is kinda expensive . So pack a lunch and take it with you along with your drinks. The view of the the ocean are wonderful. If your up to a little walk go over to the Boardwalk and enjoy a different feel on that beach. Traffic can be bad at times so bring along your patients too .All in all it is a nice place to visit.
We spent a couple of days at lunch time here strolling around and taking in the pretty scenery. All of the restaurants have oceanviews and decent seafood. If you are in the Santa Cruz area, be sure to take some time to stroll the wharf area here. :)
Went Bar Hopping with friends! All of the bartenders from Ideal and the bars on the wharf were totally friendly!
There are quite a few parking spaces out on the wharf where you can browse the shops, enjoy some great restaurants, buy fresh seafood and hear the seals below the wharf with a special viewing deck. There are always a number of people fishing from the wharf and you can rent boats or go for a short cruise.
Awesome views of the boardwalk, sunset, surfers and sea lions. Nice to stroll the pier and admire the various activities like the fisherman trying their luck or the street musicians trying to out vocal the sea lions. Plenty of restaurants with fresh seafood and plenty of window seats and gift shops with clearance racks to boot. Lots of photo ops here especially with a good telephoto lens. I think parking was $1.00 per hour if you drove out onto the pier.
The Wharf is fun to visit and walk along as it gives nice views of the ocean and The Boardwalk. There are sea lions that live underneath and there are places where you can look through the wharf to see them. There are lots of seafood restaurants as well as a few souvenirs shops. There is some parking on the wharf.
The best thing about this wharf is the raucous collection of sea lions that make the under girding of the wharf their snooze zone in the afternoon. Everyone young and old enjoys watching their antics. The food? Aside from Olitas, a seafood oriented Mexican restaurant, most everything else is fried. Not my thing. But the fish IS fresh!
Great place to stroll and watch the sunset, or get a window view seat at one of the many restaurants or bars along the wharf. Always good to get some ice cream, and watch the fishermen try out their luck along the way.
Plenty to choose from here. Come take a walk, explore some small shops and grab a bite to eat. There are lots sea lions at the end of the pier. Lovely view too!