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3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants

Holiday home with a hot tub, near Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Photo gallery for 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants

Front of house
local neighborhood - harbor and beaches
Harbor Beach
Front path
Front of house

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 81000 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Washer
  • Fireplace

Explore the area

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

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Dining area

About this property

3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants

Santa Cruz County Vacation Rental Permit # 181-530
Welcome to the Santa Cruz RockHouse! This iconic river rock beach cottage sits a stone's throw from the Santa Cruz Harbor and many local attractions. From here you can walk to Twin Lakes or Seabright beaches, local kayak or SUP rentals and launches, local charter fishing boats and a small craft boat launch. It is a short walk to favorite local restaurants like The Crow's Nest, The Harbor Cafe, Seabright Brewery, Tramonti's, La Posta and Johnny's Harborside. A slightly longer walk or super short drive/bike ride will bring you directly to the Boardwalk, the Municipal Wharf, or the Live Oak Farmer's Market.

The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, a dining area/bar, a fully stocked kitchen, a patio with grill and outdoor seating and a 4 person hot tub. Includes high speed wi-fi, two flat screen TVs and Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. It is a fully stocked house which includes all towels, linens, paper products etc. We include beach amenities such as beach towels, chairs, umbrella, wagon, cooler, boogie boards, various wetsuits, surf boards and 4 adult beach cruisers.

Come stay with us and explore this beautiful county. Santa Cruz is famous for surfing and the boardwalk, but Santa Cruz is also blessed with more state parks than any other county in California, has 29 miles of beaches, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails through magnificent redwoods, one of the oldest wine growing regions in the state, incredible fresh seafood and abundant local organic produce and a farmer's market every day of the week. Ride a bike through wine country, paddle with the sea otters and sea lions, go whale watching or fishing for salmon or halibut. Ride the roller coasters, catch a wave, touch a 1000 year-old redwood tree, or just walk on the beach. Whatever your favorite activity is, you can likely find it in Santa Cruz.

Note that this property is located in a busy area of town and is subject to traffic and street noise. For a quieter option in another part of town, see our other listing at vrbo #764224

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Hot tub
Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Outdoor space
Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Family friendly rental
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking permitted outside

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Strip any used beds, gather used towels and store extra beds
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights, lock the doors and return the keys
Turn off all electronics, leave all remote controls near the TVs. Close and lock all windows and doors. Place used towels on the bathroom floor. Make sure the hot tub cover is closed.
Turn off propane if you used the grill.
Place the keys back inside the key box AND SPIN THE NUMBERS. Have a safe journey home!
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
Property Registration Number 231276

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Santa Cruz

Located in Eastside Santa Cruz, a neighbourhood in Santa Cruz, this holiday home is near theme parks. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a popular attraction and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Monterey Bay and Capitola Beach. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and Boardwalk Bowl are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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Map
Santa Cruz, CA

What's nearby

  • Santa Cruz Harbor - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Twin Lakes State Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Seabright Beach - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Main Beach - 18 min walk - 1.5 km
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 20 min walk - 1.7 km

Getting around

  • Watsonville, CA (WVI-Watsonville Municipal) - 24 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Crow's Nest Restaurant - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪People's Coffee - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Tramonti - ‬11 min walk
  • ‪Verve Coffee Roasters - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Senor Teds - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is 3bd/2ba Cottage w Hot Tub/Bikes/Amenities. Walk to Beach, Harbor, Restaurants located?

Located in Eastside Santa Cruz, this holiday home is within 1 mi (2 km) of Twin Lakes State Beach and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Monterey Bay is 2.7 mi (4.3 km) away.

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.2/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 243 out of 321 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 66 out of 321 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 321 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 321 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 321 reviews

Reviews

8/10 Good

Marguerite B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a very comfortable stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lauren W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Loved all the beach amenities!
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dee N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Well appointed with everything we needed! Comfortable and relaxing.Excellent location near the beach!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Everything was clean and tidy. The Hot tub was clean and warm. beach was close by
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Holly G.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The place was clean and good location. Only 10 min walk to the beach, and 20 min drive to the boardwalk was great!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Beverly C.

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

Great stay.

The rock house was great for our family. The shed is well stocked with beach toys and we loved the hot tub. Everything was great.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nice place. Great having access to bikes to ride around Santa Cruz. Would stay there again
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Scott G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Very clean, quaint home! Would stay again. Everything you needed to access was right there!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brandi A.

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

Rock Beach House

Great location, plenty of beach supplies, great room spacing.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mattea J.

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

Great stay!

Had a great time and everything was as listed!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Wesley U.

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

Everything was as advertised and better

Had a great time. I grew up in Santa Cruz and have been living in Hawaii in the last 20 years, it was nice to come home and show my family around where I grew up.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tami H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had an amazing 3 days! It was nice to be a short walk from the beach and the house comes with all you need to enjoy it. The house is beautiful and so much was provided. The only minus was that the bridge was under repair which caused a significant detour - but all is good.. We had a wonderful stay! Thank you!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sally H.

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

Loved our stay

Family wedding at Crow’s Nest was an easy walk. Beach so close! Loved the bikes.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

deborah b.

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

Great place

Sweet home. Great location. Had everything we needed. Would definitely recommend
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

TJ P.

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

Super clean and great location!

The Rockhouse was exactly what we wanted. The location is perfect as there is beach access with restaurants, volleyball courts, a harbor with lots of fishing and relaxing. The home was very clean and we loved how the shed is fully stocked with bikes, wetsuits, beach accessories etc. the owners were prompt and attentive if needed. We will rent here again. Edward and Jennifer from Rocklin ca
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Raymond G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed for granddaugher graduation. House was easy to locate and fairly close to graduation. House was comfortable and perfect for our needs. TY
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Laraine K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The location is excellent, within walking distance to beach & restaurants. Also, the hot tub & boogie boards were great amenities. Mostly everything else was good also. A couple suggestions: the dishwasher has a rack that is broken & basically useless so you can't get too many dishes in, especially bowls. Also, the table in the kitchen is too big for the area & very difficult to move to accommodate people on all sides of the table.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Megan R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
House was spacious for our group, great distance from the beach and walking path to the light house. We loved having access to the bikes, boogie boards, and hot tub. Having stayed in smaller homes in this neighborhood, having two full baths and a larger kitchen area was very nice. The street could be a little noisy at night but not too bad. We did have to have the windows open all the time, do to there being no A/C. I don't know if the A/C just wasn't working or if we were doing something wrong. It never got too bad to were I had to inquire with the hosts. If I had to change anything about the stay it would be the air situation. Other than that we had a great time!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Janet M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
House was located just 8 minute walk to beach. However, most of the time we loaded the car and dropped everything and person at the beach and then driver would go back to the house and would walk back to the beach. Spa was nice after a late evening after the beach. Kids used body boards available in shed. We used beach chairs. Plenty of beach towels available. Host available by VRBO messaging. Replied promptly.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Aubrie P.

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

Rockhouse Rocks!

We had so much fun at the Rockhouse. Close to everything, lots of amenities, and the selection of wetsuits were perfect for our kids. Highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Trisha A.

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

Everything you could need

It was so nice to be so close to the beach! They have everything you could need to have a fun day at the beach. Super close to the boardwalk! Everything was great :)
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Monica W.

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

We really enjoyed our stay wonderful property

Would come back here , we all enjoyed our stay and the hot tub!!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

8/10 Good

Heather D.

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

Charming property with Great Hosts

Very cozy and peaceful.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Leah H.

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

Lovely Place

This was a lovely place. Exactly as advertised.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Halie C.

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

Great location

We had a great time! Perfectly located to the beach and harbor. It was chilly while we were here so the hot tub was a plus for sure. We look forward to coming back.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

About the host

Hosted by Paul & Kate Winkler

Host profile image
Our family moved to Santa Cruz years ago looking for a nice place to settle down and raise our daughter. Having lived in the big city for decades (San Francisco and Chicago), we wanted a tightly knit community, with all of the amenities of a big city, and of course a killer location. We couldn't be any happier. Santa Cruz is amazing.

Why they chose this property

So why this property? We have a child and know how difficult and expensive it can be to travel with kids and multiple families. So, we wanted to provide a family friendly place for people to come and experience all of the great things in Santa Cruz. We are walking distance to the beach, harbor and boardwalk and have provided all of the fun amenities that a rental should have for families (bikes, boogie boards, wetsuits, beach chairs, hot tub, etc). All of this for less than the cost of a couple of hotel rooms with much more comfort.

What makes this property unique

Since we are locals, we also have built a great rolodex of some of the best service providers around. We would be delighted to help you arrange massages on premise, book with one of the local fishing guides, arrange in-house babysitting, or just recommend some of our favorite restaurants or hikes.

Languages:

English

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