Foggy Mornings in Santa Cruz, CA with surfers
Santa Cruz, CA | Travel Photography
![portrait of a Santa Cruz surfer on the beach early morning](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-016-a-scaled.jpg)
I consider myself lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, right over the hill to Santa Cruz, California. many mornings I find myself heading over the hill to sit by the ocean listening to the waves as those first sips of coffee happily hit my taste buds.
I watch the birds dance in the sky thinking how nice it is to be so free and have wings to carry you anywhere in the world.
Then my attention is turned to the surfers, up early to catch the first waves of the day, as their bodies wake up in the icy cold waters that are typical to Northern California. I chuckle as I overhear one surfer warn another that is barely arriving and slipping into a wetsuit, “it’s extra cold out there today”.
![coffee in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-iphone-042-web-683x1024.jpg)
![birds in the sky](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-027-a-web.jpg)
![portrait of Surfers in pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-024-a-web.jpg)
Low tide reveals a walkable beach:
On this particular morning, Luck was on my side as it was an extreme low tide and I was able to walk on the beach feeling the ocean brushing up on my feet from time to time. The low tide also gave me a glimpse to the underworld of the ocean by reveling it’s beautiful work on the rock formations, that normally go unseen in Santa Cruz beaches. The bright green moss hugging the rocks were in their full glory and if you go looked closely you might spot a treasure or two hiding in the crevices in tiny pools of ocean water.
![surfer wading through tide pools in pleasure point, Santa Cruz ca](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-002-a-web.jpg)
![pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-042-a-web.jpg)
![Surfers in pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-028-a-web.jpg)
Travel Tip: Be careful on the slippery rocks
If you hit the beach during low tide- be sure to wear some grippy water shoes, as the rocks will be super slippery. And trust me it’s no fun to fall on them!
I own these from Amazon and I love them!
![Surfers in pleasure point in Santa Cruz during low tide walking through teh tide pools](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-014-a-web.jpg)
Day Trip to Santa Cruz, CA from San Jose International airport
If you are visiting the San Jose Bay Area, make sure to head to Santa Cruz for the day. It is only 32.6 miles from the San Jose International Airport (approximately 45-50 minutes) one the hill on HWY 17.
If you are adventurous try your hand at surfing with a surf lesson!
![Surfers in pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-034-a-web-768x512.jpg)
Well behaved furry friends welcome!
If you have a 4 legged beach lover head over to Pleasure Point located at East Cliff Dr. at 32nd Ave. Don’t have one of your own, don’t worry you are sure to get a fix there as sometimes they run up to you for a cuddle, or to ask you to throw a ball!
![ocean views from pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-032-a-web.jpg)
![Dogs on the beach at pleasure point in Santa Cruz](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-06-23-Santa-Cruz-043-a-web.jpg)
Take a visual day trip with me via the Vlog.
![family portraits in Santa Cruz, CA](https://marianamaya.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20140608_Gaeta-Brooke_img_3a-web.jpg)
Thinking about Portraits in Santa Cruz, CA
Stop thinking and book me to photograph you, and/or your family at one of the many beautiful locations in and around Santa Cruz, California.