Family-friendly vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County

This is our favorite place to stay in Santa Cruz. There are little markets walking distance, some restaurants but the best part is the ocean is right there 2minute walk! Also, if the ocean is too cold for us adults to get in, the house has a jacuzzi for us to enjoy in the evening. In the mornings, I enjoy sitting on the balcony listening to the birds and smelling the ocean breeze while I enjoy my hot cup of coffee. Great place to take the family. The host is very responsive.

Sun was very helpful and communicative. Sun’s place is a short drive to some lovely beaches, close to a nice park, and centrally located for all the activities we had planned. We had 4 young kids with us (ages: 1, 3, 6, and 9), and it was very family and kid-friendly. Would recommend highly!

Tranquility Base…surely lived up to its name. So comfortable, so charming we felt like a part of the forest. The whole place had so much personality we felt right at home Magical and enchanting getaway Highly recommended We’ll be back

The Sea otter Cottage was such a dream! It was beautiful, cozy and was everything we wanted for a relaxing family vacation. it was very family friendly-the backyard was my toddlers dream. Would recommend 100% and definitely will book again!

Annie was a great host and the place was exactly as described and just what we needed for a relaxing beach getaway. We loved the hot tub in the backyard and the beach cottage feel of the place. Thank you for hosting us!

Our stay here was great. The house was clean and comfortable, all amenities described in the listing were available, and it was really quiet and private for being a guest cottage. The hot tub was definitely our favorite part. Erin was great with communication. She proactively sent messages to let us know different things about the property (hot tub, trash, etc), and was quick to respond to any questions I had. I would definitely stay here again.

This is a very nice home in a great location. We had a lot of fun!

Delia‘s place is very unique and stunning. She is a spectacular host - super engaged and helpful. Although attached to her home, the unit and yard are completely private and quiet. The bedroom is small, but the weather was beautiful, so we spent most of our time in the lovely yard. The hot tub and fire pit were wonderful.

Sand Dollar Inn is a great place to stay if you stay someplace with a peaceful 10 minute walk to an uncrowded beach. I felt like I was on retreat. It's situated in a lovely, quiet neighborhood, great for birding. The kitchen is well equipped. It is located conveniently in the Monterey Bay between Santa Cruz and Monterey. The hosts were available for questions. It is a great place for pets and kids.

I would give 10 stars if I could! This tiny cute cabin is located in a very beautiful working farm, very quiet, calm and relaxing, and it’s only a 10 minute drive from Los Gatos in the Bay Area. Totally recommend it.

Sarah’s house was beautiful- clean and lots of room. There was enough space for us to be together and space for alone time. There were 8 of us. Sarah had made some recommendations for dinners and places to go. We did try a couple of them and the Mexican restaurant and ice cream place was delicious . We had one issue with hot water and Sarah responded immediately and issue was resolved in a timely manner. The house was a little farther from Santa Cruz than we were used to but it only took 20 minutes get there. The area where the house was located was quiet and close to the ocean. We genuinely loved our time in Aptos. Would stay again .

Ms. Jane was a great host. The space was a perfect size and had a personal entrance for guest. Also Ms. Jane communicated with and responded with in the hour of our message. The location was ideal for us. We had easy access to Santa Cuz, San Fran, Monterey and Big Sur. We would recommend our own family and friends.

Love Liz's place. I have stayed her numerous time and will continue to do so. What I especially LOVE: Cozy Private Patio High ceiling (feels spacious) Walk to coffee shop in the morning Walk to dinner in the evening Walk to the beach all the time Lovely neighborhood I highly recommend Liz's place!!!

My family and dog stayed at Jeremy’s house for 5 days and loved every minute. The house is very spacious and airy, super well-maintained with lots of room to relax and enjoy. The front and back yards are big and perfect for a dog and kids. Everything you’d need is covered, from outdoor shower to a handy pooper scooper and toys for the dog. The neighborhood is quiet and safe, yet only 3 minutes walk to great burgers, pizza or Mexican food. And only 8 minute walk to The Hook or 38th Ave for surfing or beach. 5 minute drive or an easy bike ride to downtown Capitola. Jeremy was a fantastic host, always asking if we needed anything. Will definitely visit again!

Rolando’s place is very clean and spacious, the neighborhood is very quiet, and it’s very close to shopping centers and malls—just a 10-minute walk. I highly recommend Rolando’s place. If I visit San Jose again, his place will be my first choice

Absolutely gorgeous place! Extremely clean and well maintained. Kathleen's instructions were spot on and she quickly responded to any questions that I had. It was nice to stay here for my kid's birthday weekend. I highly recommend this beautiful home. ☺️

We had a wonderful short getaway at Sue’s place! The condo is just steps from the beach, pool, and jacuzzi. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves was relaxing, and the ocean breeze was very refreshing. It was exactly what we needed to reset and recharge. Everything was just as described, and we would stay here again! Thank you, Sue!

Amy's place was wonderful - one of the few places we've ever stayed that was even better in person than in pictures. It was clean, spacious, and very comfortable for the 2 of us. The outdoor space was amazing, plenty of quiet spaces to lounge in the sun and walk around. The area was great as well, quiet but close to downtown, and Amy was a thoughtful and responsive host, we really appreciated her thoughtfulness. The one thing to note is that the Wi-fi could be unreliable - we both worked from the Airbnb, and made it work for the week, but something to note for future visitors. We'd definitely recommend this place and plan to come back next time we visit. Thank you Amy!

Himani was very helpful she greeted us at the door and walked us around showing us the place and amenities. The place was very clean and had everything we could think of. We felt like we were home. Excellent stay.

EJ and Nancy have such a lovely property. We easily felt we had our own space. You can tell that they've been doing this for years, and have a great way of making everything comfortable for guests. Our two kids had space to spread out, the playground is not directly next to the front door of the apartment, but you can see it through the yard's trees & hear them more or less within ear shot. Kitchen was amply supplied and set up, & there are plenty of storage spaces and creature comforts to make the stay feel like home. Beds were comfortable & clean, super comfortable pillows. The unit itself doesn't get a ton of natural light, but to be expected in redwoods. The hosts were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful, we had a nice time chatting with them. Wonderful hosts, they felt like family. Their little dog is so so sweet and friendly as well, my kids loved the dog. Great location, easy to get to surrounding areas and Santa Cruz proper. Would return!

Staying at Seascape was the perfect kid-friendly vacation. The pool was easy to access from our condo and the views were beautiful. The condo's set-up with two bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs and a half bath downstairs was great for our family of 5. The private beach was beautiful - we saw otters, whales, and my son found two perfect sand dollars walking down the beach. It was a little bit of a trek to get down to the beach with three little kids and all the beach gear, but once we were there no one wanted to leave. Several near-by restaurants were delicious, especially the newly opened Dos Pescados. It was fairly easy to get into Santa Cruz too, but we did have to time traffic or it would double the drive time (to almost 45 minutes).

Wonderful place in a wonderful environment. We had an excellent time with the kids, very nice pool, beaches close by and in the middle of the nice green hills of California

Theresa’s place exceeded my expectations! The weather was perfect which added to our enjoyment. Playing scrabble on the deck at sunset was so memorable! Definitely one of the best if not the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in! Book this! You won’t be disappointed!!

Amazing property!!! So so awesome! My family felt right at home. So close to the beach and heated pools. Power west is amazing company. !!!