Family-friendly vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County

Thank you Shyamal! Place was exactly what I needed to take a break from everything! The place was VERY dog friendly -- I normally don't allow my dog on furniture, but the host does supply small blankets next to the furniture, to protect the furniture from any fur your pet might have. Kudos! House is very comfy, and has a VERY distinct Santa Cruz vibe which made me happy. You have an option to chill out on roof deck, or back deck. Neighborhood was friendly, and beach access was only a block away. Shyamal was very quick to respond, and was great to work with before, during and after my stay was complete. I will definitely recommend to friends and family -- and will definitely return in the summer! Thanks again!

Two families with 2 littles kids each (3-8yo) stayed there and it was perfect for us. The house is very spacious, perfect for the 8 of us. Nearby Boardwalk and other fun locations to enjoy with the kids. We picked some tomatoes and a couple of asian pears for breakfast and they were delicious. The kitchen is very well provisioned with lots of utensils and condiments that made our meals much better. Thank you Sun and family! I was a little bit scared with the almost 3 years old when I read some reviews, but he did great. He was interested in some National Geographic books in the living room and I hope we put them back in the right place :) looking forward to come back in the future.

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

great location with privacy. also in a great place between capitola and the boardwalk so there is plenty to do! space was clean and the host was very communicative and clear on instructions!

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!

I really loved this place. It was filled with light and well appointed. Some nice perks are the water filter, and the easy in and out using the keypad. Easy parking, great communication. I have a son at UCSC and I will stay here again for sure as it’s very close to campus and close to town for restaurants and coffee and yoga and everything.

We really enjoyed staying at Geoff's place. Worked wonderfully for a gathering of family and friends for a Memorial Service in the area. We enjoyed the layout of the house as well as spending time in the yard around the Firepit and Hot tub. Also loved walking to Natural Bridges. Thank you Sue (co-host) and Geoff for providing a comfortable and relaxing place with so many helpful amenities to gather for an important weekend.

Best beach vibe! The location is amazing, great walkable neighborhood, lots to do. The house was fantastic, with so many thoughtful details. Joyce is a pro. She was super responsive and gave us great recommendations that made the stay perfect. My young kids (Age 9 and 6) loved the place - especially the downstairs living room and hot tub. Will stay here again!

I had such a peaceful stay at Rusty and Angela's cottage! I loved the proximity to the beach and was able to go on quite a few walks and runs to it. I could even see the stars at night.

Really enjoyed our stay at the Coach House! If you’re looking for somewhere peaceful and out of the ordinary for a weekend getaway- this is the place. Toni had clear and thoughtful instructions, both on the app and inside the cabin. I’d recommend checking in during the daytime if it’s your first time on highway 17. Thankfully it wasn’t our first rodeo and we were able to find the place at night without too much trouble. There’s a lot to explore around the property, including horses, goats, wild deer, etc. I’d recommend to anyone that wanted to stay near the Santa Cruz/Los Gators area! :)

Loved this place, very peaceful. We especially appreciated the wood stove and overall ambiance. Our dog was obsessed with the outdoor space as well as the plentiful toys. The Annie Leibovitz photo book was a great touch 👌

Sarah’s house is beautiful and exactly like the pictures! Super communicative with our every need. Tons of space and amenities! Loved the outdoor patio and the peek a boo ocean views! Sarah is an amazing host. Would absolutely stay here again! Love the fact that we were able to bring our dog! Thank you again for the amazing stay and making my family feel so welcomed!

Jane was very nice and responsive when I needed to change my travel dates due to a unique circumstance. Overall, we enjoyed our stay immensely and look forward to returning.

Jeremy is a great host. he made sure we had all the needed details ahead of our stay. the house is awesome and in a great location. Jeremy was responsive to any questions. Will definitely stay there again. highly recommend

Thank you for another excellent stay. I truly enjoy your Airbnb, which is very cozy, in a quiet neighborhood, and above all, the privacy! Best regards.

We were 2 adults with 2 teens and a dog. Loved that this home was pet friendly. The house had everything we needed, really loved all the space and light upstairs and view of ocean and sitting on the balcony having our morning coffee and lunch and just chilling and taking in all the beach and nature vibes. House is just as pictured. Really appreciated having 3 full bathrooms for all our family too.

This was the cleanest AirBnB we've ever stayed in! Pristine! Tidy! Stunning ocean views from both the living room & primary bedroom. The entire villa has been remodeled yet still has the Old World Charm and coziness. This Villa is located on the 2nd floor of North Bluff - is very private - has a pool jacuzzi just steps away. The resort offers many amenities, restaurant, bar, room service (or pick up) massage, sauna - endless. Aptos Village is right across the street - walking distance offering many shops, market and a great place for pizza and Italian food. We will definitely stay with Sue again - as soon as we can! Next time, we'll try her other property #33. Sue is a GREAT hostess in every area and has earned Super Host many times over!

The heated pool and hot tub were the focus of this very successful vacation. There were 8 of us: a family of 4 from Oakland, (Mama, Papa, girl 7, girl 3), from Chicago - a couple 37 & 40, and from Martha's Vineyard, us, 75 & 79. The 3 bathrooms were great, and the kitchen was well equipped. We ordered out mostly, from Hawaiian and Mexican restaurants. We spent a day on the boardwalk, and another on the trail at Wilder Ranch, where cliffs overlook ledges with MANY sunning sea lions, The house is easy walking distance from a couple of beaches. During our winter stay, there were high tides, wind and surf warnings. The views were spectacular. Also instructive. The father took his daughters an early morning walk; they saw a woman swept from the beach across the pavement. She had bloody knees, but was otherwise fine, but she and her two equally insane friends came off the beach. I hope the girls will remember this vivid lesson when they grow up to be invulnerable teenagers. Doubt it.

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!

Our stay with Himani was short but wonderful. We appreciated the extra amenities including coffee, tea, and toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturizer). We could see the stars from the hot tub and the ocean from the rooftop. We would happily stay again!

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).

What a gem! We had a wonderful time at Steve’s house. The house is beautiful, functional and well decorated. The kitchen had everything we needed plus more. The property itself was incredible - private and peaceful with many activities for kids (and adults). The house is also ideally located close to downtown Los Gatos. Quick and kind responses from our host. We will definitely try and stay here again.

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