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CAPITOLA, California

Take a tour of the Esplanade in the Capitola Village on the Capitola Beach.

The City of Capitola is a beautiful beach-front city on the coast of Monterey Bay and is bordered by Soquel to the north and Opal Cliffs to the south. The trendy tourist city is the oldest resort town on the West Coast and was originally founded in 1874 as "Camp Capitola" by Samuel A. Hall.

Occupying just 1.7 square miles of land, Capitola is a city that is completely walkable - drawing vacation-goers from around the world wishing to partake in its quaint shopping opportunities, fishing, relaxation and sailing. A charming town with boutiques, eateries, a theatre and an intimate sand beach where surfers find nice wave breaks close to shore at Capitola Jetty. These beaches have an artsy flavor of the town in which it sits.

For over 100 years, Capitola has made tourists feel at ease by keeping life simple and pleasing.  Festivals celebrating begonias, sand castles, wine and art are highlights for a town, located just around the bend from the big city lights of Santa Cruz.  The river, Soquel Creek, is the site of the annual Begonia Festival where flower laden floats drift down the river for one weekend in September. Also held in September along Capitola's Esplanade is Capitola Art & Wine Festival.

Capitola is also home to Depot Hill, which features the Inn at Depot Hill - one of the top 10 inns in the U.S. The Inn at Depot Hill is located in the former Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, circa1901 and contains 12 award-winning guest rooms. The Depot Hill area features world-class cuisine, boutique shopping, and easy access to miles of scenic hiking along the beach.

Recreation
The beaches of Capitola provide easy access to world-renowned Monterey Bay, including New Brighton Beach where there is plenty of scenic hiking. The geography features steep cliffs that fall into the Bay waters, making for a picturesque landscape year-round.

Downtown shopping areas are all within walking distance of the beach and fishing wharf. Bright-colored homes and shops occupy much of the cliff-front real estate.

Demographics
There are about 10,000 residents in Capitola. The average household income is about $46,000.

Did You Know
Hundreds of birds attacked Capitola in 1961. Ironically, the species of bird that attacked the city, sooty shearwaters, are known to be a non-aggressive species. When Alfred Hitchcock read about the bird attack, he directed The Birds in 1963 - a horror film based on an attack by hundreds of birds. Hitchcock had been a regular visitor to Santa Cruz. For years, no one knew why the birds attacked, until it was later discovered that they had been affected by demoic acid, which is a toxin that is produced by red algae.