Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe Park Property

Phone Number

(831) 226-9669

Park Hours

Closed to the public at this time, except by special event or appointment.

Dogs Allowed?

Driving Directions to Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe

The Castro Adobe is located at 184 Old Adobe Road, Watsonville. Take Highway 1 and exit on Buena Vista Drive (exit #428). Drive east on Buena Vista Drive for a half mile until the Larkin Valley Road intersection stop sign. Turn left, then immediately turn right diagonally, going up the hill to Old Adobe Road, a one lane private road. Travel up Old Adobe Road approximately 1 mile. The Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe State Historic Park is on the right side of the road.

By Bus: Take Santa Cruz METRO route 91X Commuter Express to Watsonville. Exit Main & Green Valley. Walk towards Green Valley & Main bus stop for 74S towards Watsonville Hospital. Stay on the bus for 16 stops, then exit Manfre & #309 (Buena Vista). Walk 1.5 miles north on Manfre Road toward Buena Vista Drive, turn left on Buena Vista Drive, Turn right onto Larkin Valley Road, then take a slight right onto Old Adobe Road. The Castro Adobe will be on the right in 1 mile.

View on Map

Online reservations are not available for this park.

No online brochures available for this park.

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Exhibits and Programs
Guided Tours

Winter Storm Closures

Due to extensive damage sustained during recent winter storms, many state parks in Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties are fully or partially closed. Staff are currently assessing the condition of the parks for reopening.

Parks that are fully closed include Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Portola Redwoods State Park, and Butano State Park.

Parks that are partially closed include Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park (Pipeline Road, various trails, and parking lots closed except main parking lot at visitor center), Wilder Ranch State Park (all trails closed; historic complex open), Seacliff State Beach (lower parking lot, picnic areas, and campground closed; visitor center open and pedestrian and bicylist access only at beach level), The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park (closed beyond Winter Gate), and the Rancho del Oso subunit of Big Basin (East side access to the Nature Center is closed. West side is open from the yellow gate to the horse camp parking lot; Marsh Trail is open from horse camp parking lot to the creek. Waddell beach parking lot is also open.)

Come visit us for a free 90-minute guided tour on Saturday, February 11, 2023, from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm.

Stroll back in time with State Park Docents to the Mexican Rancho period of the mid-1800s. That’s when the two-story Castro Adobe hacienda was built on the 9,000-acre rancho granted to Jose Joaquin Castro and became one of the social centers of the central California coast. Learn about vaquero culture and skills at Rancho San Andres while listening to live music. Explore the Fandango room where music and dance were enjoyed frequently and visit one of the last remaining indoor cocinas in California where you'll hear about the bear and bull fights held on site.

These guided tours require pre-registration at: https://SantaCruzStateParks.as.me/CastroAdobeOpenHouse

This is a free event with limited parking so carpooling encouraged. Old Adobe Road is a one lane road, so please be considerate of our neighbors, drive slowly and pull over to let oncoming traffic pass. Dogs are not permitted in the park and cannot be left in a vehicle unattended.

Check us out! Click on the links below to get a preview of the Castro Adobe and see what makes this place so special. Then come visit us at our next open house!

"20 Years of Labor and Love: Restoration at the Castro Adobe," a video produced by the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI4pXzt5ymY&feature=youtu.be

Click on this link to get a 3D virtual tour of the Adobe: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=t48vmw2xeoT

Want to support the Castro Adobe?

Castro Adobe SP Photo 2 Located in the Pájaro Valley, the two-story Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe is a historic rancho hacienda that was built between 1848-49.

Funding for the restoration of the Castro Adobe is provided by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Visit their website to support this project.

Kids2Parks Program

Kids2Parks is an innovative park-equity program to bring students from Title I schools to State Park field trips. The program, a partnership between California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, increases the number of students who have visited a state park or beach by reducing barriers to access. The program offers transportation funding for field trips to select Title I schools in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. For more information, and to apply, please visit www.thatsmypark.org/visit/k2p/.

Land Acknowledgement

Rancho San Andres Castro Adobe State Historic Property sits on the homelands of the Awaswas speaking Aptos tribe. Their descendants continue their stewardship and presence here, in partnership with State Parks. We would like to recognize the indigenous people past and present, and give our appreciation for the opportunity to teach, work, live, learn, and steward on their traditional homelands.