Hidden Beach

Located in the city of Aptos, Hidden Beach is a small beach that is a part of the Hidden Beach Park and is situated in the town of Rio Del Mar.

Hidden Beach welcomes dogs and is well-equipped with amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, two oceanfront benches, a grass park, and a playground.

If you are a fan of beach activities, Hidden Beach has you covered with swimming, hiking, biking, bodyboarding, paddle-boarding, and beach walking.

Getting here is easy – after you get off of Highway 1, take the Rio Del Mar Boulevard exit, and turn west to Cliff Drive to reach the free parking lot which has only eight parking spaces. Finding parking near Hidden Beach can be very difficult because there is no street parking and apart from the small lot, there is only a small overflow lot nearby. You can easily access the beach through a paved ramp.

If you are looking for nearby attractions, there are many within a 25-minute drive of Hidden Beach. Bigfoot Discovery Museum is devoted to an American folklore ape-like creature Bigfoot and features tchotchkes from the 1970s Bigfoot boom and the 1980s resurrection with Harry and the Hendersons memorabilia. Another great museum near Hidden Beach is Aptos History Museum that is home to many historical exhibits, photographs, and antiques from Aptos. The gravity-defying Mystery Spot is among the most prominent illusion-based tourist attractions – visitors can experience demonstrations that disobey gravity inside a wooden building and while walking up a steep hill here. If you like water sports, Adventure Sports Unlimited offers many underwater courses including swimming, scuba diving, diving, and snorkeling.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Hidden Beach. You can drive five minutes to the upscale Sanderlings Restaurant, an American bar-restaurant featuring breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert options in an elegant patio setting. Palapas Restaurant & Cantina is a vegetarian-friendly oceanfront Mexican restaurant that serves seafood, tacos, nachos, drinks, and desserts in an airy tropical space. Another great restaurant near Hidden Beach is Hong Kong Garden that offers Chinese and Asian food.

If you are looking for a hotel near Hidden Beach, you can drive five-minutes to the upscale 4-Star hotel Seascape Beach Resort that offers many amenities including a pool, bar, sauna, spa, restaurant, golf course, tennis court, and fitness center. Best Western Seacliff Inn is a 3-Star hotel that was awarded the Travellers’ Choice 2020 Award by Tripadvisor. If you are looking for an affordable hotel near Hidden Beach, the 2-Star Rio Sands Hotel has a pool and kids club.