Head south out of San Francisco, along California’s Pacific West coastline, and after around 120km you’ll find yourself in Santa Cruz. There are many good reasons why you might want to visit.
If you’re a surfer, Santa Cruz is credited, along with Hawaii, as being one of the birthplaces of the sport thanks to its coastal breaks. And if the sea isn’t for you, the city has a multi-cultural charm – modern and vibrant, but also laid-back in the way that beach resorts tend to be.
Beyond the city limits, though, just a short distance further inland, is another kind of paradise: a mountain range that is not only home to some incredible roads for cycling, but also myriad dirt trails sprawling through the county’s magnificent redwood forests, just begging…