If quaint and charming checks your list then Santa Cruz’s small neighboring beach town Capitola might just be perfect for your next vacation. Capitola is what California beach cities used to be and provides its residents and visitors with a quiet laid-back lifestyle that is hard to find on the California Coast these days. It is slightly quirky with its colorful Venetian-style beachfront condos and tends to conjure up a warm welcoming feel as you meander through its car-less back streets.