This beach at Capitola Village, so busy on weekends, can be lovely and quiet in the early morning or late afternoons from fall to spring, and it can have interesting birds. Soquel Creek flows to the ocean here, attracting a nice gull flock all year. Shorebirds often scour the beach, especially when there is kelp wrack, and a small jetty hosts some rocky-shore birds. Capitola Wharf permits closer viewing of birds on the bay, while high bluffs on either side of the beach provide yet another perspective seaward. At low tide one can walk east from Capitola along the base of the bluffs all the way to New Brighton State Beach (but remember the tide may come in while you are down there).
Directions. To reach the beach take the Bay Ave (Capitola) exit south from Hwy 1. After 0.6 mile, Bay Ave veers to the right at an intersection and becomes Monterey Ave. Continue forward, crossing railroad tracks, and enter Capitola Village, where the beach is just ahead. Parking at the beach and in the village is metered. Spaces are hard to find during the busy time of day, but also try the large city parking lot located behind city hall at 420 Capitola Rd. Capitola Wharf starts at the west end of the beach. To reach the bluffs west of the beach drive or walk across Soquel Creek on Stockton Ave in the Village and continue a short way up East Cliff Drive. The bluffs on the east side are a little trickier to reach from here: drive back up Monterey Ave, turn right on Escalona Dr, then right immediately on Central Ave. Park near the south end of Grand Ave and continue on foot to the path that runs left along the bluff top.
Birds. According to the season, the beach has shorebirds typical of a sandy beach, such as Sanderling, Black-bellied Plover, Willet, and Marbled Godwit. Kelp wrack and the rock jetty attract Black Turnstone and Surfbird. This remains a likely spot for Ruddy Turnstone, now rare on local beaches. Spotted Sandpiper often bobs along the shore just east of the jetty. The winter gull flock can be excellent. Thayer’s and Herring gulls are regular, and there are many records of Glaucous Gull. Mew Gull is often common during winter storms. The bay waters attract Caspian, Elegant, and Forster’s terns. Black Skimmer and Least Tern can appear in spring and summer, and Common Tern in fall. Parasitic and Pomarine jaegers are seen regularly August to October. The bay is also good for loons, grebes (Eared and Horned are regular, and Red-necked is possible), pelicans, cormorants and scoters. Even a Brown Booby was present one September day. Great flocks of Sooty Shearwaters often fly by and feed off the beach in the late afternoon from May to September, and once a Manx Shearwater was seen with them. Alcids, although often scarce, may include Ancient and Marbled Murrelet in winter. Merlin and Peregrine Falcon may appear here in fall and winter.
Take a short walk up the east shore of Soquel Creek along a path that begins on the east side of the Stockton Ave bridge to look for Common Merganser (best April to July), herons and egrets, Spotted Sandpiper, as well as landbirds in the plantings near the creek. Hooded Oriole nests here.