Rio del Mar, Rio del Mar, CA

Rio del Mar is the beach village of Aptos, strung along the Esplanade where Rio del Mar Boulevard ends at the sand. The name is Spanish for river of the sea, and it suits a village laid out around the water. Rio del Mar homes near the sand are a mix of older beach cottages and bigger single-family houses. The residential streets stay quiet, and the commercial pieces cluster on the Esplanade and around the boulevard instead of spreading through the neighborhood. Rio del Mar State Beach is the main outdoor draw, a dog-friendly shore where beach fires are popular. Hidden Beach Park, off Bay View Drive, is a small ravine park with an all-abilities play area that opens onto its own stretch of sand. The SS Palo Alto, a concrete ship launched in 1919, rests in the surf at the next state beach up the coast, though the pier that once led out to it has been taken down. For food, Venus Spirits Cocktails and Kitchen Beachside sits on the Esplanade with an ocean view, serving drinks made with its own distilled spirits and a menu built on local seafood and produce. Bittersweet Bistro on the boulevard does American dishes with Mediterranean touches, a heated patio and a dessert menu. Red Apple Cafe, Peet's Coffee and Deluxe Foods of Aptos share one shopping center nearby, with Red Apple running breakfast and lunch. Deluxe Foods is the neighborhood grocery, and most other errands fit within a quick drive. The street to the beach is walkable, but bigger shopping and the commute run through Highway 1, which is reached by the boulevard. That boulevard is the main way in and out, so beach days put most of the traffic on one road. The Esplanade runs right along the sand, though, and a walk there is an easy way to end a day.