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Manresa State Beach, Watsonville, CA

Photo: Dg251273, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Manresa State Beach

A bluff-backed Monterey Bay beach in Santa Cruz County with tent camping, fishing, and ocean views.

1445 San Andreas Road, Watsonville, CA 95076 · Watsonville, CA

About Manresa State Beach

Manresa State Beach sits on the Monterey Bay coast in Santa Cruz County, reached by San Andreas Road from Highway 1 south of Aptos. Visitors can walk the sand, fish from the surf, and take in views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Monterey Peninsula. Picnic tables line the bluff top. The Manresa Uplands campground nearby offers tent-only sites from mid-May through October. Ocean conditions can be dangerous, with rip currents and deep drop-offs, so swimming and surfing call for experience. Dogs are allowed on a leash, and drones are not permitted.

  • #beach
  • #camping
  • #surf fishing
  • #clamming
  • #bluff views

What's around here?

The closest stops to Manresa State Beach, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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  • Sightseeing
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    Transit: reachable by public transit

    6.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Stay
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    Transit: reachable by public transit

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