Whimsy in the SF Bay Area: Shark Fin Cove

Just North of Santa Cruz lies the beauty of Davenport's craggly coastline & wildflower meadows. A perfect destination to watch a West coast sunset, Davenport is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the area. One of my personal favorites is Shark Fin Cove.

My sister and I decided to venture out to to this cliff-wrapped cove on Memorial Day Weekend. During this time, Santa Cruz has been under strict beach rules in relation to the pandemic: most notably that beaches cannot be visited between the hours of 11am-5pm. With this in mind, we set off around 4 to be there by 5. Sunset was around 8:30, so we had several hours of beautiful spring sunshine to enjoy before dusk.

While many of the "official" parking lots for the Santa Cruz beaches were roped off, ample parking can be found along the coastal roadwhere you can park along the edge of the fields. Please keep in mind that parking enforcement is prevalent along the coast, and you will be cited for not following signage. Excercise caution if you park on the opposite side of the road and need to cross over to get to the beach. Just like Malibu's PCH, cars and motorcycles fly along the coastal road.

The Shark Fin Cove experience is twofold - you can walk along a wonderful wrap of cliffs provide panoramic views of the turquoise water below, and go down the beach itself - a quaint, yet interesting environment of sand, caves, and rock pools. I love a beach that offers variety and explorable landmarks, rather than long stretches of sand with nothing much else to do than sunbathe. Note that the walk down from the cliffs to the beach is a bit of a scramble, so be sure to bring appropriate footwear!

If you would like to explore the beach's famous cave, I'd recommend checking the tide tables before planning your visit. Luckily for us, low tide was around 5:30pm that day, so it was perfect timing to explore.

Between the cave and the rest of the beach, there is a beautiful section of rock pools jutting out towards the shark fin rock formation. My sister and I walked out along those rocks to watch the waves roll in, and were delighted to be met by a friendly sea lion bobbing amongst the waves! The little guy splashed about, coming up for air and then diving back underwater, likely hunting fish that had wandered into the cove.

Whether your visiting to soak up some sun, enjoy the scenery, take photos, or find wildlife, Shark Fin Cove is a stunning place to visit. Remember to be respectful of the land and leave no trace. This way, both visitors and inhabitants of these beaches can live in harmony and enjoy the location's natural beauty for many years to come.

Thanks for reading, and be well, friends!