Santa Cruz Live Cam

The stretch of sand known as Cowell Beach unfolds immediately adjacent to two of Santa Cruz’s most iconic landmarks: the Dream Inn to the west and the Santa Cruz Wharf to the east. Here, layers of human narrative intertwine with coastal dynamics and geological features, creating a setting rich for exploration both as a visitor and as a student of seaside environments. Surfers, historians, environmental scientists, and casual beachgoers converge on this shore, each drawn by aspects of its past, its physical processes, and the network of attractions and ecological systems just steps away.