Twin Lakes, CA

Twin Lakes is the harborside strip of the Santa Cruz County coast, with Seabright on one side and Live Oak on the other. Santa Cruz Harbor was built in the early 1960s on an old lagoon, and the whole district still organizes itself around boats, docks and the beach beyond them. Because Houseberry maps one neighborhood in Twin Lakes, the city page and the neighborhood page cover the same shoreline, so this view stays wide. The harbor holds charter sailboats that run sunset sails and wine tastings, plus kayak and paddleboard outfitters and a row of waterfront restaurants. Bella Notte Inn, Harbor Inn and the Ocean Echo cottages give visitors a place to stay near the sand. Sunny Cove Beach is a small cove, good for sunrise and sunset, and the long beach nearby has room for a full day on the sand. Evenings often end at the harbor's edge, where the Crow's Nest has patios above the sailboats, Aldo's Harbor Restaurant serves Italian favorites and fresh seafood on the dock, and Johnny's Harborside plates seafood with seasonal ingredients. All three sit nearby rather than inside the boundary. Within it, Aloha Island Grille serves Hawaiian plates and Los Pericos Market is a taqueria for tacos and burritos. Deke's Market and Sushi Market Sprouts handle casual lunches. Harbor Cafe has been serving brunch for more than sixty years, and Cafe El Palomar offers Mexican food right on the beach. Daily life in Twin Lakes leans on a car for work and groceries, and a free water taxi links the harbor with Seabright on summer weekends. A Santa Cruz Metro bus route also serves the area, and the harbor is a flat, easy ride by bike. The harbor changes character with the tide, the sailing calendar and the season, and that shifting routine is what most sets this shoreline apart from the inland parts of the county.