Manresa State Beach - La Selva Beach(Trestle Beach, Lundborgh Beach)

Located in Santa Cruz County, La Selva Beach is a beautiful and large beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs. 

La Selva Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs on leash are allowed in La Selva Beach. 

La Selva Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, hiking, and fishing. The water near La Selva Beach is highly unsafe for aquatic recreational activities including swimming and surfing as it has strong waves and dangerous currents. In addition, shark sightings have also been reported in the water near this beach. Depending on the time of the year, you can watch many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you are planning to fish in the water near La Selva Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations.  

In order to access La Selva Beach, you need to first access another separate state-protected beach named Manresa State Beach. The entrance to Manresa State Beach is easily accessible from the nearby community of La Selva Beach and Cabrillo Highway/Pacific Coast Highway via San Andreas Road. Signs are present around San Andreas Road which offer directions for Manresa State Beach’s entrance. You can park at the paid parking lot for Manresa State Beach and then easily walk to the beach. Once you reach Manresa State Beach you need to walk north along the shoreline to finally reach La Selva Beach.

There are many attractions near La Selva Beach. The Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe is a 19th-century rancho hacienda that was constructed in the mid-19th century. This hacienda offers a unique insight into California’s vibrant history. Seascape Park is a six-acre neighborhood oceanfront park that has many amenities including artistic benches (created by artist Mary Fuller), a picnic area, a playground, restrooms, and a walking path. As an interesting fact, it was here that the inventor John Montgomery conducted one of the earliest high altitude flights in the history of aviation via a glider airplane that was launched from a hot air balloon in 1905. If you are looking for another attraction near La Selva Beach, the Agricultural History Project Center & Museum has interesting historical exhibits related to agriculture. 

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near La Selva Beach. Sanderlings Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing steaks, seafood, and burgers. California Grill offers amazing salads, sandwiches, seafood, pasta, steaks, and burgers. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing breakfast dishes including eggs, pancakes, burritos, and breakfast sausages. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near La Selva Beach, the modestly priced Showtime Pizzeria is 17 minutes away by car and offers fantastic pizzas. 

If you are looking for a hotel near La Selva Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Seascape Beach Resort offers many amenities including a restaurant, three pools, multiple hot tubs, and tennis courts, a golf course, a fitness center (available for a fee), and a bike and boogie board loaner facility. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Best Western Seacliff Inn, which offers many amenities including a pool, gardens, fitness center, a coin-operated laundry, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near La Selva Beach, the 2-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Watsonville, an IHG Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast.