Entire home

Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach

Vacation home in Santa Cruz with kitchen and fireplace

Photo gallery for Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach

Property grounds
Smart TV, fireplace, DVD player, books
Beach nearby, beach towels
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Property grounds
Escape to Sharing Gates by the Sea, a charming beach cottage in Santa Cruz. Stroll 60 yards to Sunny Cove and St. Mo's beaches, where you can soak up the sun, explore tide pools and enjoy sunset views.

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

2 bedroomsSleeps 654 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Fireplace
  • Parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill
  • Outdoor Space

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About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach

Sharing Gates by the Sea

Walk about 60 yards to some of the warmest beaches in Santa Cruz: Sunny Cove and St. Mo's at Corcoran Lagoon. Play in the sand, boogie board, wander a long stretch of beach, explore the tide pools, and enjoy the sunset. Walk to nearby restaurants. The cottage is located halfway between the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and Capitola Village (two scenic miles each way).

The little beach house was once a part of a 1900s Victorian resort, the Hotel Villa del Mar, now a retreat center on 19th Avenue. Built in 1899, the 580 square foot cottage has personality and charm. The peaked redwood-paneled ceiling makes the living room feel spacious. The cottage can sleep up to six guests over eight years old. Kids welcome. Please note that the bedrooms are very small and access to the one bathroom is through the main bedroom. There is a queen bed in the bedroom, and a single couch in the living room. The private, sun porch room has a double sofa bed, and is used as a small, second bedroom. The cozy garden surrounding the house is fully fenced.

Recent renovations: the bathroom has a new tiled shower and floor; the exterior is now a "beach cottage" aqua, and the porch room was insulated and refreshed.

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby
  • Beach towels

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Car recommended
  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Electric kettle
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 2 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • DVD player
  • Smart TV

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Fenced yard
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Porch/lanai

Laundry

  • Laundromat nearby

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • Designated smoking areas
  • Note from host: Smoke outside only. No smoking inside cottage.

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • Near a health/beauty spa
  • Near a hospital
  • Near the bay
  • Near the marina
  • Near the sea

Things to do

  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Parasailing nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Scuba diving nearby
  • Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Theme park nearby
  • Whale watching nearby
  • Wildlife walks nearby
  • Windsurfing nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Deadbolt lock

General

  • Garden
  • Unit size: 580 square feet

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Check-out instructions

The host requires you complete the following before checking out:
Remove personal items
Turn off the lights, lock the doors, and return the keys
Unplug space heaters Close windows
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Note from host: Great for a small family. Fully fenced yard.

Events

No events allowed
Fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County

Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Smoke outside only. No smoking inside cottage.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: Fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadbolt lock
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

We should mention

A car is recommended for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

Hear the Ocean From This Historic Cottage. Almost Beachfront

About the neighborhood

Map
Santa Cruz, CA

What's nearby

  • Sunny Cove Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Twin Lakes State Beach - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Santa Cruz Harbor - 3 min drive - 1.8 km
  • Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 7 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Santa Cruz Wharf - 8 min drive - 4.7 km

Getting around

  • Watsonville, CA (WVI-Watsonville Municipal) - 26 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Crow's Nest Restaurant - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Cat & Cloud Coffee - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪People's Coffee - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪Verve Coffee Roasters - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Harbor Cafe - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach located?

Located in Eastside Santa Cruz, this vacation home is steps from Santa Maria's Beach and 2.3 mi (3.7 km) from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Sunny Cove Beach and Twin Lakes State Beach are also within 10 minutes.

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Reviews

Vintage Santa Cruz Cottage, Steps From The Beach Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

9.4

Cleanliness

9.8

Location
Rating 10 - Excellent. 162 out of 235 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 59 out of 235 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 8 out of 235 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 235 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 235 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Zane B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Neat little cottage

We loved our stay there. The bathroom is in the master, so there was less privacy than we had hoped. Perfect location, nice owner.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Heather W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Central Location, Wonderful Stay

We really enjoyed our stay in Santa Cruz in this cozy little cottage. No bells and whistles here, but it was just enough and what we needed for a great stay. We celebrated my daughter's 13th birthday with a little girls trip and we loved being in the center between Capitola and Santa Cruz. There was a Starbucks and a beach within a super quick walk - what else can you ask for?Jeanne, the property manager, was easy to communicate with and very fast in her responses. We would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Adorable cottage.

Relaxing
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Andrew R.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good beach access

This property was in a nice location. We were able to walk to two beaches, some local restaurants, and the Sunday farmers market.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

michaela g.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely location

This was a great find! Simple but it had everything we needed, the location really made our stay ideal:) I would definitely stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Janet C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cottage By The Sea

The location is great. We loved being able to walk to the cove and nearby conveniences. The house smelled mildewy and some of the dishes were dirty upon arrival. Overall, we had a great stay but I kept thinking an update of nicer furnishings and fresh paint would make it shine. Kent and Janet Curtiss
Stayed 9 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie A., Southern California

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Santa Cruz Cousin Invasion!

This fabulous beach cottage was perfect for our needs. We had 4 adults and we were very comfortable. The location is wonderful. It is a short minute to the cove, tide pools and the beach. The Wharf to Wharf race came by on Sunday and it was fun watching and cheering the runners on. Communication with the owner was a breeze. The cottage was very clean and the kitchen had everything you would need to cook a big meal or pack a picnic. Five stars for sure!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

David M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Passing through

Nice property. Slightly awkward bedrooms. Bathroom accessed through a bedroom. Only heaters are space heaters which worked okay. Front porch/bedroom is on a somewhat busy road. A little loud in that bedroom during busy traffic times. Good access to the ocean and beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

4/10 Poor

Nate G., Santa Rosa, CA

Beach Beach Beach!!!

My family of 4 recently stayed at the sharing gate from August 6-10. The house is very small, but for the most part worked well for our family. My son slept on the closed in porch, my daughter slept on an air mattress we brought from home in the living room. Good thing because the sofa bed was not very comfortable. The house is old and funky like a beach cottage should be but is in pretty good shape. The 10 year old Target/ikea/goodwill furnishings however, need to be updated. They have done their duty. I don’t think there were even 6 forks in the kitchen. The refrigerator isn’t full size, the pots and pans are incomplete, toy sized knives are dull, and there is no storage for food, we used the shoe rack by the door. The couch and coffee table are broken. The single bathroom in the bedroom wasn’t too big of a deal, everybody poops, right? But the lack of venting in the bathroom quickly filled the room with steam and set off the smoke detector repeatedly when people showered. The bathroom looks smells like there’s some dry rot. I liked the very very firm mattress, but could see how others wouldn’t. Outside the yard isn’t very private and east cliff drive is busy until about 7pm. There is only a front yard. The standard Weber bbq is a great. There’s a hose to wash off after the beach. We made the mistake of leaving our beach towels drying on the side fence and they were promptly stolen. There is steady foot traffic in front of the house during the day, I’m sure it’s heavy on weekends. The beaches near the house are awesome! We spent most of our time at sunny cove and it’s very easy to walk back to the house for snacks, more beer etc. There is currently a big remodel project happening next door. At 8:01am M-F the hammers and saws start until about 3pm. With a good refresh and a more secure front gate this is a 5 star spot, could probably even charge another 20-30/night. The location is great the beaches are the best.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Pamela T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Cozy cottage in fantastic location near best boogie boarding beach in Santa Cruz.Very tall ceiling in living room makes it feel larger than we expected.Perfect for family of 4.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Mindy T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location
Mostly most everything was amazing. Walking distance to the water and to Starbucks. Very nice very quiet location. Only real issue was couch was broke for sleeping arrangements. Bedding smelled musty. Otherwise outstanding. I would use again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Owen M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing

Great location. Nice beaches and neighborhood. Relaxing.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Jeanette S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cute Cottage

The Cottage was very cute and super clean. The neighborhood is quiet.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jay L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect getaway

Needed a place to stay for a show in Felton. This property was perfect. 20 minutes from the venue by car and five minutes to the ocean on foot. Everything as described. Intimate outdoor environment and cozy indoors.Had a lovely time.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

4/10 Poor

Charles S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy

uncomfortable

Ants unusable seating in side yard misrepresented "private back yard" difficult to walk around master bed window latches broken no blackout curtains
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Eric T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Nice place, but one of the beds is fragile / almost broken; gets hot in summer

This place is pretty nice and cute, and has a great location. It's a bit tight on space, but we knew that going in. My main complaint is that the fold-out couch in the living room is very fragile. It has instructions about how to pull it out gently, etc., which we followed; but no matter how careful we were, the fold-out part always collapsed after a few minutes of light usage. So we told our son to sleep on the other half of it, which is the main couch part. The place also gets pretty hot in the summer, and has limited ventilation. We went in August and the outdoor weather was quite pleasant, but the house heated up during the day anyway. You can open the windows, but that doesn't make the cool air come inside. There's a unit of some kind in the main room, but it has no labeling or instructions, and seems to only do heating. It's lucky that I brought a small fan with us from home, but even still the place was pretty hot by the late afternoon / evening.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jamie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So relaxing!

This cottage is super cute and steps away from the beaches, coffee and food. I would definitely stay there again! Check in and check out were super easy which added to the relaxation we were seeking on this vacation. Instructions for everything were super clear. I didn’t have to bother Jeannie at all.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tyler C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun Stay

The cottage is cute, comfortable and had everything we needed. Our only suggestion is to invest in some small area fans for warm days since there is no AC.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Francesca B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cute little cottage

We stayed here for Fourth of July weekend and had a wonderful time. Very close walk to the beach and a quick drive to the mystery spot and boardwalk. We loved the house just not the ants in the kitchen. Other than that it was perfect and we’d definitely stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

We had a nice stay in this little cottage. It is small but cute and fit our family of four well. We loved walking to the beach.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

David R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Seastar

Couple with 2 small kids max. Host is terrific and such a cute cottage.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Katie K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A Sweet Sister Time

We loved this little cottage for our sister retreat, quaint and cozy just as expected. The accommodations met our expectations as was advertised. Only thing we were left wanting was a cleaner landscape outside to sit and enjoy at night, seemed the yard keeper hadn't made it out in a bit. So grateful to found this place though!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jim H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent location

The interior of the house is clean, comfortable and well equipped. We loved it.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Karen T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

great location

We three adults stayed here for 2 nights. It was charming and in a good location. Having the bathroom attached to the bedroom was ok for us but not great. The sofa bed in the living room was broken. I managed ok on it but a large person and certainly 2 would not. It's a sweet place for up to 3-4 people if they share a bed--definitely cozy--(great shower!)
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chris R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Charming cottage

Had a two month stay while my girlfriend and I were looking for housing. The accommodation was a perfect fit and in a great location. Would recommend!
Stayed 57 nights in Jan 2024