Back to results

Natural Bridges, United States

Stay in Santa Cruz: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Santa Cruz

All 24 on Santa Cruz's map

Watch this spot We email you when Natural Bridges is worth the trip.

Santa Cruz, California - Boardwalk
Santa Cruz, the nearest town, 4 km away. Photo: Matt314, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

About Natural Bridges

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (197°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (17°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 39). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Santa Cruz, 4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), direct.

    See flights MDW → SJC · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Natural Bridges.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Santa CruzAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Santa Cruz · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Santa Cruz · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Natural Bridges on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct424 ft9 scrumbling310kJ20°C
Mon 19Oct115 ft9 ssoft374kJ17°C
Tue 20Oct06 ft10 ssoft630kJ17°C
Wed 21Oct485 ft8 ssoft257kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct203 ft9 scrumbling123kJ18°C
Fri 23Oct305 ft6 smushy146kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct145 ft7 smushy259kJ19°C
Sun 25Oct274 ft7 smushy142kJ22°C
Mon 26Oct415 ft7 smushy277kJ21°C
Tue 27Oct474 ft7 smushy180kJ19°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SJC, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf The Hook

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Blacks

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf 3 Mile

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Harbor mouth

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf The Hook

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 7 s, wind 0 kn (0 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SJC, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 25 door to door

The plan picks the best of 18 spots near Santa Cruz each day: 26th Ave., 3 Mile, 4 Mile, Blacks, Cowells cove, Harbor mouth, Mitchell's Cove, Murph Bar, Natural Bridges, Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz - 41st privates, Santa Cruz - RockView St, Santa Cruz - Sunny Cove, Santa Maria's, Steamer Lane, The Hook, The Rivermouth, The Wedge.

The trip from Santa Cruz, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,845 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SJC, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£465
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,020–£1,845

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Santa Cruz

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.