Based on
45 reviews
About Cowell Beach
Cowell Beach is a cove-protected sandy beach at the northern end of Santa Cruz's downtown waterfront, offering some of the most consistent and forgiving surf conditions on the Central Coast with its rolling, beginner-friendly waves. The beach is framed by the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf and the lush cliffs of the adjacent natural area, creating a scenic backdrop that draws a mix of surfers, swimmers, and families who appreciate calmer waters than the nearby breaks. The vibrant boardwalk energy spills directly onto the sand, giving Cowell an unusual blend of small-town beach charm and busy seaside amusement park atmosphere.
Visitor Reviews
This beach was as disgusting and filthy as a beach could possibly be. There was a huge dead bird on the shore, so much seaweed piled up and dried out all over the beach. And in the sand and on the seaweed, tiny little flies were driving us crazy. So we went back home without enjoying it at all. I was with my two kids, and I definitely do not recommend this place. I even asked people if this was normal, and they said, “Yes, those are seaweed flies.” They acted as if it was totally normal. In my opinion, this is the very last place you should go with children. It’s not clean and it’s full of flies. I do not recommend it.
Great beach to learn to surf and or swim at! Beautiful as well. Highly recommended for novice surfers due to small wave/swell size! Kid and family friendly 👍👍 Only bummer is there are no dogs allowed, on or off leash. The yuppies kinda killed that years ago.
A great cove to learn to surf. Waves are beginner for sure so it's not intimidating at all. My kids learned to surf here with a friend, best experience ever. Surfed with the otters and sea lions, so cool.
This was one of the worst beaches I have been to. The amount of flies was disgusting due to the seaweed. We packed up not even 5 minutes later and headed over to Seabright Beach instead. Almost zero flies and barely any seaweed. Its only 7 minutes from Cowell
Great beginner surf beach! My husband teaches our girls how to surf here. It’s protected and warmer. Right next to the boardwalk if you feel like refreshments. Restrooms at the front of the pier. I paint and relax on the beach here, then I scale my paintings up back in my studio in San Jose. It’s lovely here because you can watch the surfers, you can see the action on the pier and hear the sea lions barking. Lots of dreamy sailboats and people swimming as well as people watching. Parking is challenging on weekends, it’s a bit cheaper to park on the pier, versus the parking lots on the streets. Some of the lots charge $30, so arrive early.
Reviews from Google Maps · Cowell Beach
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