This glorious weekend we headed down to Sunset Beach in Santa Cruz, right next to our beloved Manresa SB. It’s another beautiful stretch of sand. The boys had a great time paddling, building castles and collecting shells. Do beware that the currents on this beach are pretty strong and you should keep a tight eye on wading preschoolers. We also noted a lot of sand flies down there. Is that usual?
$10 day use fee. Toilets in the parking lots. BBQs to reserve.
The Outdoors Parent 
In response to your question – I was just at New Brighton state beach in Capitola this past weekend, just a few miles south of SC, and I didn’t notice any sand flies there. If you haven’t been there yet, check it out. You pay $10 for day use which includes beachfront (blufftop) parking, restrooms with cold showers (currently a porta potty while they are being renovated), and several miles of sandy beach. Water looked calm but there was also a sign about riptides – not that we’d swim in 55 degree water anyway. 😉 I actually got to take a power nap under the beach umbrella while the kids played in the sand with dad and grandpa. Pure relaxation!
We’ve been to New Brighton and Manresa a couple of times and never experienced the flies before either. I had wondered if it was the time of year…but maybe not…
Glad you got such a relaxing beach trip!