Insider's Guide to Santa Cruz

Join host Josh Meyers on the California Now Podcast as he explores the laid-back coastal town of Santa Cruz with two local experts.

Meyers kicks off this episode by chatting with Peter Mel, a champion big-wave surfer and Santa Cruz native. From his first waves at Pleasure Point to catching world-class beginner breaks at Capitola, Mel shares his childhood Santa Cruz surf experiences. Mel gives insider tips for first-time surfers, sharing where to find beginner surf spots and lessons. “Living here, you’re kind of living in a vacation anyway,” he says. “There’s a wave for everybody. You just need to know where it is.”

Beyond surfing, Mel shares his favorite Santa Cruz adventures: “You can get up in the mountains and see the redwoods…you can get on a boat, go whale watching, go fishing…or just hang out on the beach or boardwalk, ride a roller coaster.”

Next, Meyers interviews Colby Barr, cofounder of Verve Coffee Roasters and a pioneer of Santa Cruz’s coffee scene. Barr shares his go-to order (a cappuccino) and recommends drinks for adventurous coffee lovers.

He also recommends seeing old-growth redwoods and visiting the nearby mountain town of Felton for lunch. “The cool thing about Santa Cruz is that you can be in the ocean, and then be in the mountains in 10 minutes among towering redwoods,” Barr says.