Santa Cruz is a coastal town in California, famous as a centre for alternative culture, with a brilliant boardwalk, amazing beaches and great Californian climate. It's a perfect destination for a west coast family holiday, with a laid back family friendly atmosphere. And with a huge selection of rental homes available in and around the area, including many with spectacular ocean views, it can be a surprisingly low cost place to take a brilliant holiday! Shop around for deals among the luxurious oceanfront houses available to rent in this great little corner of California, away from the madness of the larger cities.

There is more than enough to do in Santa Cruz to fill a family holiday. Beaches like the Natural Bridges State Beach will probably take up at least a few days, with their hiking trails and surfing facilities, in addition to working on your tan, but the town of Santa Cruz is also well worth exploring, particularly the historic Beach Boardwalk which has been entertaining families since the 1900s, with what is apparently the oldest wooden rollercoaster in the United States. Downtown Santa Cruz is also easy to walk around (and cycling is also a popular form of transport), with some great restaurants and quirky little shops. And of course you can't visit California without seeing the giant redwoods! The Big Basin Redwoods State Park is probably the most impressive, with some great walking trails for hiking over to Waddell Creek State Beach. You can also have a great round of golf at the challenging Delaveaga Frisbee Golf Course. There's definitely something for the whole family.

There are a huge number of houses and cabins for rent in the Santa Cruz area, at the truly luxurious end of the market, many overlooking the beach directly, so you will have no trouble finding amazing rental homes for your stay. With prices starting from around £600 for a week in a house large enough to accommodate a family of four or more, it can be a money saving option compared to the cost of booking hotel rooms. And with luxury features including HD televisions, hot tubs, pools and enormous rooms, the houses are worth a holiday in their own right! The added privacy and extra space also means rental homes in Santa Cruz are great for kids. The youngest members of your family can run around and let off steam without you needing to worry about disturbing the neighbours!