Here are 4️⃣ restaurants you’ve gotta try for those special occasions in Santa Cruz County! There are so many more to feature but these 4 are hitting high on our list right now!

1. @avanti_santacruz / @avanti.santacruz: Avanti is a Westside favorite for special occasions because it brings together a celebratory atmosphere, thoughtful sourcing, and food that feels both generous and intentional. The kitchen is deeply committed to local food culture, with all fresh pastas made in-house and menus built around organic vegetables, sustainable seafood, pasture-raised meats and poultry, and organic dairy and eggs. The full bar adds to the sense of occasion!

2. @vim_santacruz: Vim brings an extra dose of sparkle to special occasions, thanks to its creative seasonal menu and one of the most memorable dessert programs in the county. The kitchen showcases the vibrancy of local ingredients through dishes that feel polished, expressive, and full of personality. Guests celebrating a birthday or anniversary often receive a personalized printed menu, a thoughtful touch that instantly sets the night apart.

3. @lapostarestaurantsc: La Posta is a Seabright treasure, offering a neighborhood feel with the kind of elevated, from-scratch Italian cooking that makes a special occasion feel heartfelt and memorable. Guests celebrating anniversaries or meaningful milestones often remark on how personal the experience feels, with attentive, warm service that enhances the evening without ever rushing it.

4. @shadowbrook_restaurant:
Shadowbrook is one of Santa Cruz County’s most iconic special-occasion destinations, and dining here feels like stepping into a celebration from the moment you arrive. Set into a hillside in Capitola, the experience begins with a ride down the hillside gondola or a walk through winding garden paths, instantly setting the tone for a memorable night. Inside, the dining rooms feel intimate and timeless, with twinkling lights, cozy corners, and views of the river and surrounding hillside that make dinner feel like an event.

Check our bio link for an even longer list of restaurants for special occasions in Santa Cruz County!

#santacruz #visitsantacruz

Tonight felt like magic. Santa Cruz County in January feels like a dream.

#visitsantacruz #davenpot #santacruz #greyhoundrockbeach #california

It’s kind of a big deal… We 🫶🏼 our scenic stretch of Highway 1! Have you seen these views?

And big 👏 to the reopening of Highway 1 to our south! This week, Highway 1 from Carmel to Cambria in Big Sur reopened after a landslide damaged the iconic and vital roadway. Sounds like it’s time for a California road trip! 🌊🚙

Video 📹 | @beningramvisuals / @hellobeningram

#visitsantacruz #highway1 #santacruz #davenport #scenicdrive

✋🏽 Anyone else? Santa Cruz is calling… 🌊

Videos 🎥 in collaboration with @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #water #ocean #visitcalifornia

Who’s due for some hiking through the coastal redwoods? 🌲🫶🏼

Redwoods… “From them comes silence and awe. It’s not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.” – John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley In Search of America, 1962

Need some redwood trails? Try these spots:

📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton
📍 Fall Creek Unit, 1101 Felton Empire Rd, Felton
📍 The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
📍 Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek
📍 Byrne-Milliron, 809 Browns Valley Rd, Corralitos

Videos 🎥 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #felton #redwoods #hiking #santacruz

Over 30 years in the making, Santa Cruz welcomes its first luxury beachfront property, @labahiahotelandspa! Take a peek at the beauty, the balance, the design, and the luxury this brand new hotel and spa brings to Santa Cruz.

Want to learn more? Read below on this highly anticipated Santa Cruz property.

HISTORICAL NOTE:
Following multiple decades of planning and development, La Bahia Hotel & Spa marks an historic first for the City of Santa Cruz while paying tribute to the provenance of the grounds themselves, where a small hotel once stood over a century ago. A series of architecturally distinctive touchpoints can be found throughout the grounds, and a lovingly preserved, original bell tower from 1926 topped with a vintage mermaid weathervane anchors one corner of the property.

DESIGN + CONCEPT:
Embracing the concept of joyspan, La Bahia features 155 rooms including 21 ocean view suites that overlook the Monterey Bay. Designed with a Spanish-Mediterranean flavor elevated by an Art Deco interior theme, the property encompasses one city block. Four distinct culinary concepts can be enjoyed onsite, and a Moorish spa deriving inspiration from the rich sea life that calls the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary home rounds out the guest experience.

Videos in collaboration with @dgsc

#labahiahotelandspa #visitcalifornia #visitsantacruz #santacruz #labahia

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! Thank you to those who participated! Winners to me notified soon!

ORIGINAL POST:
The drop you have been waiting for: the 2026 Santa Cruz County Calendar Giveaway! Enjoy 12 months of beautiful Santa Cruz County scenes. These annual calendars are a hot item and they are not sold in stores, so here’s your chance to win one! Entering is simple, leave a comment below and we will randomly select FIFTY winners by Monday, January 12! You can leave as many comments as you want but it’s one entry per account.

If you are one of the randomly selected winners, we’ll comment on this post to let you know you were selected and ask you to message us your name and mailing address. If we don`t hear back from you within a couple days, we will send you a direct message letting you know you were selected. All we’ll need from you is your name and a mailing address (must be in the United States). That’s it! If an account asks for more than that, it’s not us! Please note: we can no longer send calendars outside of the country, so winners must have a mailing address in the U.S.

Ready to be inspired by the beauty of Santa Cruz County all year long? Enter now for your chance to win a 2026 calendar!

Special shoutout to our amazing photographers: @dgsc, @thecuratedfeast, @beningramvisuals, @carynhewlett and @jennday77 whose work is featured in this year’s calendar! 🙌🏽

#visitsantacruz #santacruzcalifornia #santacruz #santacruzcounty

Color of the year… 🐚✨🌊🍬🌲🌅

Videos 🎥 | @dgsc + @beningramvisuals + staff

#coloroftheyear #santacruz #nature #visitsantacruz #santacruzcounty

It’s simple. It’s beautiful. And it changes moment by moment. Winter brings unexpected beauty around every corner. What do you love about winter in Santa Cruz County?

Video 📹 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #winter #rainbow #surfing

Hobbies include: chasing sunsets by the ocean. Tag someone who can relate.

Videos 🎥 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #sunsets #oceansunset #sunset

What’s your pick? Santa Cruz County is ready for you in 2026!

Locations show:

Intro: Grehound Rock Beach
1. West Cliff Drive near Fair Avenue at sunrise
2. Fall Creek Unit of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
3. Windy Oaks Winery
4. New Brighton State Beach at sunset

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty

Just a quick peek at our January vibe. Hope 2026 is starting off strong.

Photos 📷 | @beningramvisuals + @thecuratedfeast

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #january #winter #santacruzcounty

Hope 2026 brings better things your way. 🌊 Happy New Year from Santa Cruz County. See you soon. 💌

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #happynewyear #ocean #2026

Another beautiful year on the coast of Santa Cruz County. 🫶🏼 2025 has brought so much beauty, an endless supply of fresh mountain & ocean air, incredible vistas, and boundless inspiration for our community and its visitors. Cheers to an unforgettable 2025, and here’s to an even more memorable 2026! 🥂

Happy New Year from Santa Cruz County! 🌊🐚🌴🌲🍄‍🟫🌾

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #santacruzcounty #happynewyear #santacruzcalifornia

Mark your calendar! The last King Tides of the season are January 1 – 3!

The extreme low tides expose tide pools rarely seen and allow for miles of beach walking and extended exploration. PLEASE remember to watch your step, leave the creatures alone, check the weather, and be ocean safe! Check the @visitsantacruz story and bio link for more on King Tides, where to go, and how to enjoy them responsibly! 🌊🐚🐙

We’ll list the low tides below – but remember, extreme lows and highs can happen on the surrounding couple of days as well.

Low Tide Dates & Times:

January 1: Low tide @ 3:08pm; -1.5
January 2: Low tide @ 3:55pm; -1.7
January 3: Low tide @ 4:41pm; -1.7

#santacruz #kingtides #tidepools #californiakingtides #visitsantacruz

No filter. No music. Simply Santa Cruz on this gorgeous winter morning.

Enjoy the magic. ✨

#santacruz #visitsantacruz #westcliff #winter #goodmorning

It’s got its own special magic. 🌊 Here’s to savoring the last bit of 2025 and looking forward to more slowdowns by the sea in 2026. 🙏

Video 📹 | @dgsc

#santacruz #visitsantacruz #oceantherapy #ocean #surfing

Happy winter solstice. Longer days coming soon! ☀️

Video 📹 | @dgsc

#wintersolstice #visitsantacruz #santacruz #westcliff #winter

More exploring. 🌾
More sunsets by the sea. 🌅
More slowing down. 🌲
More noticing. 🌙
More Santa Cruz. 🌊

What do you want more of in 2026?

Videos 🎥 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #santacruz #2026 #newyear

You really can’t beat it. 🫶🏼

Videos 📹 | @dgsc

#visitsantacruz #december #santacruz #santacruzcounty #winter

Forest = for rest. Who’s ready for a redwood recharge? 🔌

Need a place to rest in the redwoods? Try these spots:

📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton
📍 Fall Creek Unit, 1101 Felton Empire Rd, Felton
📍 The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
📍 Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek
📍 Byrne-Milliron, 809 Browns Valley Rd, Corralitos

Intro 📹 Clip | @dgsc

#forest #santacruz #visitsantacruz #redwoods #santacruzcalifornia

Snow on the mind… Here’s a little throwback to 2023’s snowy surprise in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shoutout to @beningramvisuals for hunting down all the best shots! 📸

Do you think we’ll get a little dusting ❄️ this winter? We sure hope our friends inland get some soon! 🏂⛷️