irst and formost the Villa caters to equestrians, hikers and cyclists. Within easy walking distance of California's oldest state park, visitors have direct access to over 35,000 acres of public lands via the Skyline to the Sea trail, which crosses the estate and connects with the Big Basin, Castle Rock and Portolla Redwoods state parks. Rancho Del Oso beach is a short 4 hour horseback ride from the Villa and offers overnight camping for equestrians and hikers.

During the spring you'll experience brilliant flowers and plentifull wildlife. The fall provides an excelent opportunity for mushroom hunting under the oak and madrone hardwoods where you can find black chantrelles (the poor man's truffle), the common chantrelle (Cantharellus Cibarius) and several varieties of Bolletes including the highly prized Bolletus Edulis or 'Cep'. The estate also hosts a large number of Sitka deer and wild Russian Boar.

For driving enthusiasts the journey to and from the Villa will be a joy. Highway 9, which connects Saratoga and Santa Cruz to the San Lorenzo valley, is a magnificently engineered road that offers a spectacular and thrilling experience for sports car drivers and motorcyclists. Highway 35, also known as Skyline Drive, connects you to San Francisco and the Half Moon Bay to the north and offers both incredible views and a good reason to let your passengers enjoy them while you pay attention to the road!

Golfers will enjoy the nearby Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club, which offers a challenging 18 hole course surrounded by majestic Redwoods.

Water sports in the Santa Cruz and Monterey area include sailing charters, either bareboat or crewed whale whatching tours, as well as diving charters in the Monterey Bay and Carmel Canyon. Divers can also take advantage of excelent shore diving at the Monterey Breakwater or the spectacular Monastery Beach for the more advanced. If you'd like to see the fish without getting wet, Monterey's world famous aquarium might be just what you're looking for. If it's too cold to dive or boat but you still want to see some big marine mamals up close in the wild try Ano Nuevo State Park between December and March for guided tours of the Elephant Seal breeding grounds.

In the end it would be purely criminal to forget about surfing on the Central Coast. From Pleasure Point to Mavrick's, Santa Cruz county offers the best surfing in the world. Beginners will enjoy Pleasure Point alongside their more experienced breatheren at The Hook just a few steps to the north. For the world class surfer there's Steamer's Lane off the Santa Cruz public pier and for the jaded extreme big wave seeker, Maverick's in Half Moon Bay waits for you.

Families should take a day to visit the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and ride the famous Big Dipper, the oldest wooden rollercoaster in California.

For those interested in fine wines and their production there are so many local vintners offering tours and tastings that we can't list them here. Please check the Santa Cruz Wine Country for a complete directory.

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