There is a lot of alluring beaches north of Santa Cruz, California but there is one in particular that is quite unique. It's called Davenport beach and it's a location with an abandoned pier.
Moody and mysterious, to a photographer, this seascape is a gem. That's why we decided to scout this place on a Sunday afternoon. After we parked and got our gear, we had to hop over a rail road track to make our way to the cliff side. Not knowing what to expect, we got to the cliff side and sure enough there it was, Davenport Pier. Distracted by its majestic beauty it took us a while to notice that the only way down to the beach was a steep cliff. At the top of the so-called trail, we looked down and saw someone jimmy rigged a rock climbing rope to a metal fence pole. Not looking too secure we decided to pass on using that as our lifeline down to the beach. The trail down the cliff needed a little bit of climbing experience but it wasn't as daunting as it seemed from above.
Once we got down to the beach with the sand reaching between our toes we had the perfect view. Three standing rock archways with nothing in between, holding strong against the daily crushing walls of water made it seem like the abandoned pier made a deal with time. During golden hour is the perfect time to be here. On the south end of the beach we spotted a waterfalls coming down the cliff side which was another great photo opportunity.
After many different shots the time just passed by and once it was time to depart it there was only a sliver of daylight left. I took my trusty flashlight out and made our way back up the cliff. Davenport was definitely worth the visit.
Stay wild. Stay adventurous.