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Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz!

Photo gallery for Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz!

A modern kitchen with a large island, dining area with wooden chairs, and large windows offering views of the outdoors.
A spacious living area with a large sofa, dining table, and kitchen in the background.
A modern bedroom with a large bed, a framed picture on the wall, and a vase with flowers.
A residential area with houses, a sandy beach, and a road with cars.
An aerial view of a coastal residential area with houses, a beach, and a water park.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • Family fun awaits
    Top-rated for families.
  • Games at the ready
    One of the few properties with video games available for guests.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Popular amenities

  • On beach
  • Balcony
  • Kitchenette
  • Barbecue grill
  • Refrigerator
  • Washing machine

Explore the area

View in a map
Santa Cruz, CA
  • Place, Twin Lakes State Beach
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Seabright Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Airport, San Jose, CA (SJC-Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Intl.)
    ‪60 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

Downstairs Master

1 King Bed

Megan's room

1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bunk Bed

O'Neal Room

1 Queen Bed

Upstairs Master

1 King Bed

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathroom 2

Bathroom 3

Bathroom 4

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Balcony
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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About the area

Santa Cruz

Located in Eastside Santa Cruz, a neighbourhood in Santa Cruz, this holiday home is near theme parks and on the beach. Mystery Spot and Roaring Camp Railroads are notable landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Capitola Beach and Monterey Bay. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with jet skiing and kayaking nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with mountain climbing and hiking/biking trails.
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Map
Santa Cruz, CA

What's nearby

  • Twin Lakes State Beach - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Seabright Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Santa Cruz Harbor - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Ocean Street - 11 min walk - 1.0 km

Getting around

  • Watsonville, CA (WVI-Watsonville Municipal) - 26 min drive

Restaurants

  • Marini’s at the Wharf
  • ‪Crow's Nest Restaurant - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪El Chipotle Taqueria - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Brews At The Beach - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪California Wraps - ‬13 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Castle Beach Retreat - Relax at the Best Beach in Santa Cruz! located?

Nestled on the beach, this Eastside Santa Cruz holiday home is within a 15-minute walk of Seabright Beach and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Twin Lakes State Beach and Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History are also within 5 minutes.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 77 out of 86 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 86 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 86 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 86 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 86 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful home in a super location. A perfect place for our large family to come together. The host was very easy to communicate and work with too.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Oct 2026
Thank you Kelly, you and your family were wonderful
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing views. Beautiful home. Amazing host!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Amazing location. Host very communicative. Great place!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Oct 2025
Thank you Kayse, you and your family were wonderful guests.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Family Vacation Home

The upstairs kitchen and family area were perfect for the family to spend quality time together.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

A beautiful home overlooking Castle Beach in Santa Cruz
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So relaxing for big family gathering :)

Owners were wonderful to work with, space was lovely for a large group, memories were made (especially with a beach camp fire!).
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

xmas at the beach

Great location and gorgeous property for a large family gathering.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thank you MJ. You guys were great guests. Thank you for staying with us. Lou
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely house in a gorgeous location!

We loved our stay! The house was perfect for our family and the view and access to the beach was ideal. We enjoyed walking to nearby restaurants and coffee shops, and taking long walks along the beach. We would love to stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Incredible property just steps from the beach and about a 10 min walk to Boardwalk. Very clean and accommodating. Plenty of room for kids and great layout with the main master upstairs. Kitchen was stunning! Highly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

We had a lovely stay at the beach house. All was perfect! Thank you
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Prefect Family Getaway

Our family was blessed to stay for 3 days in this spectacular home and with an ideal location. Lou was helpful with the check-in process and providing tips for local attractions. Wish we could have stayed longer...
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Location, Location, Location.

Clean, well appointed and great access to the beach. Also, close to the boardwalk, harbor, restaurants, etc. Very happy w this choice.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Getaway

We had a wonderful weekend at the Castle Beach Retreat. The home was even better than expected, the location was perfect and our hosts went above and beyond with clear communication, expectations and ensuring everything was perfect. Thank you!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great house and location!

Great house for extended family vacation. Perfect location super close to the beach. The kitchen and main living area were awesome for hanging out and watching the beach. Communication with hosts was great - Lou was super responsive! Would definitely book again!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Birthday Celebration

Nice Property, Great view!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We loved it.

The home was perfect for our family, and location is fantastic! Property manager was responsive and helpful. Highly recommend!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

80 B-day

It was open spacious and comfortable. A great place to have a gathering. The view was amazing. I wish I could’ve spent more time there. Can’t wait to come back!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 11 Oct 2024
Thank you Michelle. Please come back soon. You guys were great guests
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Beautiful house!!

Beautiful house directly across from the beach. Sleeps large groups of people. Kid friendly.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2017
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thank you for your kind words. We are glad you enjoyed your stay.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Beach house

This house is as advertised. Very modern technology, comfortable house with plenty of room and excellent kitchen. Great location. We would certainly return.
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Mar 2020
Thanks Peter. We are glad you enjoyed our place. Thanks for a nice review.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location, updated and very comfortable

It was a perfect stay and really beautifully maintained. It was nice to have the A/V, TV all updated and working well. It would be nice to have a selection of board games available for families to play. Thanks for everything.
Stayed 10 nights in Mar 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great for family time

We love to cook and loved this kitchen. The Great room area was prefect for all of us to be together and the downstairs TV area, two huge decks and additional dining and kitchenette downstairs gave us plenty of room to have individual space too. View to die for.....beach 20 second walk.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Aug 2020
Thank you Patti. We really appreciated you and your families stay with us!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ocean views, fantastic house.

Amazing home with new finishes, and the room too accommodate larger groups. Incredibly close access to the beach and decent parking on the street. House was beautiful inside, yet comfortable for our family/kids. The view of the ocean was amazing. Pictures online are great, but don’t due justice for the in person experience and view of the beach!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 7 Jan 2024
Thanks Tim for staying with us and leaving the house in such great condition.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

review

superb in every respect
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
10/10 for our stay at this VRBO! Everything exceeded our expectations for our family New Year's trip. The view is fantastic, we walked to the Boardwalk with our kids, plenty of walkable restaurants, and enjoyed sunset views. House VERY clean, comfy beds and the family great room upstairs is perfect for a family retreat. Fun to cook in the kitchen with such good views and plenty of room for the family to spread out. The owner, Lou, was so nice and got back to us immediately with any questions that popped up. We wanted to rent next year for New Year's again, but sadly it is already booked. However, we will pick another date. Thank you Lou for your generous hospitality!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Jan 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review Allison. You and your family were fantastic guests. Please come back again
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun Getaway

Perfect place for mid to large gathering. Very comfortable with modern amenities,. Awesome view of the beach. Owner was available and informative. Thank you! See you next time.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
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