LOVELY, PEACEFUL APTOS

Aptos is in the south part of Santa Cruz County and is home to Cabrillo College, the historic Bayview Hotel, The Forest of Nicene Marks, Aptos Village, a fantastic Farmers Market, the celebrated Cement Ship, and one of the only walk entry beaches in the county at Rio Del Mar.

Aptos is named for an American Ohlone Indian word meaning the ‘meeting of two creeks’. In Aptos the Valencia and Aptos Creek come together. The residents pronounce it App-Toss.

Aptos is in the 11th Senate District and the 27th Assembly District.

Aptos Rancho was granted to Rafael Castro by the Mexican government in 1833, (Castroville fame). When California became a state, he leased the land to Americans and in 1853, a tannery was built on the site of the recently sold Apple Lane Bed and Breakfast.

Claus Spreckles, the sugar millionaire began leasing land from Castro in 1872 where he built a hotel and summer mansion near the beach. He fenced the entire area and stocked it with deer, hence the Deerpark Center!

Between1880 and 1920 Aptos was a redwood boom town. The Loma Prieta lumber company logged all of what is now the Forest of Nicene Marks. You can see the remains of the beautiful old growth redwoods surrounded by rings of newer growth. Even today , despite that early destruction, the forest is a magical place to walk, run or bike. Ferns about, vinca minor, coast iris, berry vines, and of course lots of poison ivy.

The Valencia Mill logged everything to the east. Within 40 years the hills were bare. Sad to think of all those beautiful trees being cut down. But with the hills bare it gave rise to another industry, apples. The old apple packing shed became Village Fair Antiques.

has population of just under 10,0000 people. It sits at 108′ above sea level, and is 7 square miles. Aptos is surrounded by hills and forests and

The climate is generally the same as Santa Cruz county with the exception of some years there is a little more fog, especially in Rio Del Mar township. But typically it burns off , unless the whole coast is socked in and then the day is bright with sunlight.

For more information regarding Aptos and the coastal area market, please contact Terry Ballantyne at tballantyne@comcast.net.