Enjoy beautiful views while touring on two wheels throughout Santa Cru

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With a temperate climate, beautiful coastal and forest views and a variety of options for cyclists craving flat roads and steep trails, Santa Cruz is best seen by bike. The region has some of the best trails in California from mountain tracks to oceanside paths, where biking introduces you to both historic and under-the-radar sites — all while feeling the ocean breeze on your skin.

Pack a lunch or plan to stop at a neighborhood cafe, choose one of these bike routes to keep your two wheels moving and go out to enjoy it all.

Get a spectacular introduction to Santa Cruz cycling along the 3-mile mixed-use path that runs along West Cliff Drive from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to Natural Bridges State Beach.

As you pass the Dream Inn Santa Cruz and head toward Steamer Lane, locals and visitors alike enjoy this path for walking, running, biking, pushing strollers and walking dogs. Take a break to check the surf at Steamer Lane, and stop at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum (housed in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse), where you can learn more about how the sport of surfing was brought to Santa Cruz by Hawaiian royalty.

As you continue on past scenic overlooks and beach coves, you may be lucky to spy whales and dolphins swimming along the coast. At Natural Bridges State Beach, linger to explore tide pools, seasonal Monarch butterfly groves and the beach’s arched outcrop.

Ride along dramatic coastal bluff tops on the multi-use Old Cove Landing Trail in Wilder Ranch State Park to soak up some non-technical, off-road seaside cycling fun. Start your journey on this 2.3-mile loop near the historic dairy complex and ride past quaint farm fields on the level, hard-packed dirt path.

Make a stop at the Wilder Beach scenic overlook to get a view of this natural reserve that’s off-limits to human visitors due to its importance as a snowy plover nesting site. From there, wind your way along the cliffs while the waves crash far below, and keep a sharp lookout for secluded coves and marine life just off the coast.

The final portion of the trail heads back inland, but if you want more bike mileage, take a left at the railroad tracks onto the Ohlone Bluff Trail to continue along the coastal cliffs.

Cruise through neighborhoods from the surf community of Pleasure Point to the Pacific coast’s oldest seaside resort town, Capitola.

For this 3-mile (one way) journey, start at Twin Lakes State Beach on East Cliff Drive, and cycle past sweet surf breaks, pocket beaches like Sunny Cove and Blacks Beach and the former home of surfer and wetsuit pioneer — the late Jack O’Neill.

Take a break at the spot overlooking popular surf spot the Hook before following the path onto 41st Avenue and taking a quick right on Opal Cliff Drive through a quiet neighborhood of coastal homes. This street eventually joins Cliff Drive and descends over Soquel Creek into Capitola Village with its brightly painted cottages and air of endless summer.

Linger to enjoy some time on the beach and a meal at one of the beachfront restaurants before turning around and cycling back to Santa Cruz.

You’d be missing a big part of Santa Cruz if you only stayed along the coast. Take your wheels to the redwood forest for mountain biking just a few minutes from downtown and the university.

The 2-mile Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip park winds through oak and bay trees along a creek before gently climbing into the cool redwood forest and connecting to the U-Con Trail at the top.

Built in 2012 by more than 300 volunteers who donated 3,500 hours of trail work and added sustainable drainage to minimize the impact of erosion, the Emma McCrary is a forgiving flow trail that’s easy for beginners to have fun going both uphill and downhill, yet packed with enough berms, jumps and rollers for more adventurous bikers. This multi-use trail is shared between cyclists, hikers, equestrians and dogs on leash, so remember to ride at a safe speed.

Regular cyclists don’t balk at bringing their own bikes along, but if you need a rental, there are excellent local shops.

With locations in Santa Cruz and Aptos, Epicenter Cycling rents Trek demo full-suspension and hardtail mountain bikes, full-suspension electric mountain bikes and enduro mountain bikes. The shop’s Aptos location also offers a shuttle to the top of the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park so riders can enjoy single track loops at Soquel Demonstration State Forest.

Want to make sure you get the rental bike you want? Reserve it online, and you’re all set.