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Rio Del Mar

Rio Del Mar History

   Rio Del Mar is an upscale community located beside the neighboring city of Aptos. Both towns were part of the Aptos Rancho, which was granted to Rafael de Jesus Castro in 1833. Castro raised cattle on the land until 1850, when California became a state. He then leased his land to developers, who built a wharf, general store and lumber mill.
   In 1872, sugar magnate Claus Spreckels bought a parcel of land that comprises modern-day Rio Del Mar, Seascape and parts of Aptos. Spreckels planted beets on the land and encouraged local farmers to do the same. The California Sugar Beet Co. operated from 1874 to 1879,  producing up to 3.5 tons of finished product per day. Although Spreckels eventually moved operations to the Watsonville area, Rio Del Mar was instrumental in the early development of the crop.
   After Spreckels' death, much of the land around Aptos came up for sale, and Rio Del Mar was coined as a catchy name to sell real estate. Seacliff Park and the Rio Del Mar Country Club were developed in the late 1920s. Both Seacliff and Rio Del Mar were popular during the Prohibition era because drinking and gambling were discretely available. Although business waned during the Depression, construction continued throughout the area. Developments along the Beach Drive -- now home to million-dollar houses -- began in 1935, and smaller beach homes sprang up around 1937.
   After World War II, Rio Del Mar grew as a recreational center for San Jose-area residents. Today it offers exclusive beachfront living along Monterey Bay.

Activities

   Rio Del Mar is located between a golf course and a beach, and it offers a wealth of outdoor activities, from swimming and fishing to boating and bird watching.
   Monterey Bay is home to salmon, steelhead and squid as well as a variety of sea birds. Farther out in the Pacific, you can spot sea lions, dolphins and whales.
   Dozens of types of seashells wash up on the region's beaches, including sand dollars and the occasional starfish. Up the shore at Seacliff State Beach, you can bask in the sun and check out the remains of the Palo Alto, an experimental concrete ship that sailed only once before retirement. Now closed to the public, the ship can be seen from an adjacent pier.
   The Forest of Nicene Marks, located four miles north of Aptos, is a 10,000-acre former logging area offering 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking and jogging.
   There are a few businesses in Rio Del Mar, but Aptos has the majority of the area's stores and restaurants. Aptos is also home to The World's Shortest Parade, an unusual event held each July 4.

Rio Del Mar Fast Facts

   Location: Rio Del Mar is located on Monterey Bay, about 80 miles south of San Francisco and 34 miles north of Monterey
  *Total area: 4.61 square miles (2.99 square miles land area; 1.62 square miles water area)
  *Population: 9,198
  *Housing units: 5,022
   Average annual rainfall: 30.67 inches
   Average temperatures: 64ºF in summer, 50ºF in winter
*Information provided by 2000 Census

Schools

   There are no public schools in Rio Del Mar. Students attend classes in neighboring communities.
   Cabrillo College is located two miles away in Aptos.

Beaches

   Rio Del Mar Beach offers a wide, clean strip of sand and a small jetty. The beach is open from sunrise to sunset, and lifeguards are on duty in the summer.
   Seacliff State Beach, located in nearby Aptos, is an expansive white sand beach offering picnic facilities, camping and fishing. This beach is also open from sunrise to sunset.

Maps of Rio Del Mar

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