11 Jun 10 AMAZING DESTINATIONS TO RIDE YOUR CRUISER SKATEBOARD

The world is yours when you have a cruiser skateboard under your feet. All you really need is a sidewalk or some pavement to have fun on your cruiser, but there are some places on earth that are exceptionally awesome for cruising. That’s why we’ve put together this list of our top ten destinations for cruiser skateboards!

Our top ten list takes many factors into account for the chosen destinations. We’ve considered things like smooth areas or paths to skate, how crowded the areas can be, whether a route is shared with bikes, scenery in the area, whether there are good restaurants/bars/attractions nearby, and even the weather of the locations.

If you’re planning to travel with your cruiser skateboard soon, these locations are a must-skate for any cruiser lover!

1. Los Angeles – USA

Considering that Southern California was the birthplace of skateboarding, it practically goes without saying that it’s an incredible place to skate or cruise! In this article, we’ve decided to focus on the region of Los Angeles between Santa Monica and Redondo Beach.

Starting at the famous Santa Monica pier, throw your cruiser down and head south towards Venice Beach on the Ocean Front Walk. This beautiful path runs along the ocean and eventually leads you right to the legendary Venice Beach skatepark. The area around the skatepark is historical for skateboarding as many of the first skaters (think Dogtown & Z-boys) would meet here to skate. Cafes, bars, and restaurants run along this path and are just a short walk from the skatepark. As you continue South, you’ll have to circle around Marina Del Rey to arrive at another very long cruising path starting at Playa Del Rey Beach. This smooth path will take you through Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. These locations offer incredible ocean views, picnic areas, and beautiful beachfront homes, especially in Manhattan Beach. This is also a great opportunity to stop at the Roundhouse Aquarium on the Manhattan Beach Pier! Further south through Hermosa Beach, you’ll eventually reach King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach. Once in Redondo, many great restaurants are just a short skate away to end your day of skating along the beautiful coastline.

Overall, this route is awesome to cruise, packed with fun places to explore, has beautiful beaches, and the weather here is quite good year-round. Therefore, the region from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach is very high on our top ten places to cruise!

2. Miami – USA

Miami is a top travel destination for many reasons – but all the great Miami spots to cruise are a good enough reason for us! While it can be a lot of fun to just cruise around the smooth sidewalks and streets lined with beautiful palm trees, the promenade along Ocean Drive is a must-skate.

Ocean Drive is one of the most iconic Miami locations and the place featured in many famous films and series like Miami Vice. The beach is filled during the day and the streets come alive in the evening with the legendary neon lights along the main strip. This makes the promenade a very fun place to cruise at pretty much any time of the day. You’re bound to find other skaters out enjoying the smooth paths along the beach as well. Top restaurants, bars, ice cream, and the beach are just a few of the many possibilities that Miami has to offer. Chances are, the weather will also be great when you’re there, making this a great cruiser destination.

3. Barcelona – Spain

If you’re not already aware, Barcelona is essentially the capital of European skateboarding. Few cities in the world come together so magically well for skateboarding as Barcelona. In fact, there are so many fun places to cruise here that we don’t really have a specific location to see. Instead, we recommend simply heading towards the waterfront and exploring! In almost all places in BCN, you will find beautifully smooth sidewalks and paths to cruise. Chances are, you’ll probably even come across some world-famous skate spots such as banks to ride on like natural street-waves.

Even if you head into the city, you’ll come across seemingly endless side streets with perfectly smooth tile ground to skate on. While there’s not really places to skate in the park itself, Park Güell is a must for any Barcelona trip. The park is situated just above the city, offering beautiful lookout points near the top. When you leave the park and head back into the city, you should come across some very fun streets with a decline to cruise down. You really don’t even need a plan to have fun here, just know that Barcelona is a cruiser lover’s dream and you’re basically guaranteed to have fun!

4. Bordeaux – France

Situated in one of the famous wine-growing regions of southwestern France, Bordeaux is home to many beautiful and historic monuments. However, the design of the city also happens to feature beautifully smooth tile walkways and many bike paths, making travel by cruiser super easy (and super fun) in Bordeaux.

Whether skating between wine bars, eating at the seemingly countless restaurants, touring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historical area, or just cruising the Pont de Pierre Bridge at sunset, Bordeaux is sure to leave any cruiser lover satisfied. Much like Berlin or Barcelona, it’s possible to skate to Bordeaux’s historical sites such as Place de la Bourse or the Bordeaux Cathedral by cruiser. This makes for a lot more fun than a bike rental! The city is also known in France for its great skate scene, so you’re sure to find other skaters out and about. For those who love to surf, the famous surfing spots of Lacanau are just a short drive west. Bordeaux is packed with awesome cruising possibilities, making it one of the best places to cruise in France and a must for our top 10 list!

5. Amsterdam – Netherlands

There’s certainly no lack of things to see and do in beautiful Amsterdam. Exploration by cruiser has been made easy with the help of countless bike lanes and paths found nearly everywhere in the city. You might encounter some bumpy brick streets and bikes to share your route with, but it’s totally worth it to discover all the beautiful places found around the many canals.

Amsterdam is filled with crazy museums, awesome restaurants, lively bars, and of course the famous “coffee shops” if that’s your type of thing. Traveling between all these cool attractions is seriously fun with a cruiser board. An awesome location to check out with your board is Vondelpark near the city center. This 19^th-century park has tons of beautiful ponds and even an open-air theater with many events in the summer. The park is lined with wide asphalt paths to carve while you explore. The nearby Rembrandtpark to the north west also has many smooth paths that wind through a tree-filled landscape. Amsterdam offers more than enough for the perfect weekend getaway with your cruiser skateboard, landing it a well-deserved spot on our list.

6. Berlin – Germany

The German capital city is like a massive playground of things to see and do. For cruiser lovers who aren’t afraid of skating the occasionally rough brick sidewalks, Berlin offers many miles of concrete and countless places to discover.

How about a history tour while on your cruiser? It’s totally possible in Berlin! Starting at the Alexanderplatz station, skate under the “Fernsehturm” viewing tower and head West down Bundesstrasse. On this street, you will pass the DDR Museum, the Berliner Dom, German Historical Museum, the Komische Oper Opera house, and eventually you’ll arrive to the famous Brandenburger Tor. After a few selfies, you can go south to the Jewish Holocaust Memorial, the busy Potsdamer Platz, the Mall of Berlin, and then head east back towards Alexanderplatz with many more surprises along the way. All in all, Berlin is a giant, cruiser-friendly city with a lot to discover. Just keep in mind that it gets cold in the winter months, so you might want to book your trip during the warmer seasons.

7. Ponente Ligure Cycleway – Italy

If it’s incredible views that you’re after, look no further than the Ponente Ligure cycle route stretching 24 kilometres between San Lorenzo al Mare and Ospedeletti on the Italian Riviera. This path is known for being one of Italy’s most beautiful bike routes and you can find the path running through all the coastal towns between the two cities listed above. It may be a “bike route”, however, there’s nothing stopping you from throwing down your cruiser and ripping down the wide path into the Italian sunset. It’s hard to beat the beautiful views of southern California, but this route could be the most beautiful on our list.

The Ponente Ligure route is characterized by long stretches of predominantly flat pathway, making this route a great place for beginner skaters to learn to ride or experts to test their top speed. It’s wide enough to suit cyclists and cruiser riders and the path has a smooth surface that cruiser wheels will love to carve. The path heads directly past picturesque beaches, bars, and sightseeing stops that you won’t want to miss. In the Spring and Summer, you’ll pass thousands of beautiful flowers and even carve your way through an underground tunnel. Fun fact: the route was originally used for a railway line that was completed in 1872!

8. Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

Rio is known to some as a skateboarder’s paradise, especially for cruiser lovers! This is largely due to the long cycle and pedestrian paths found along Rio’s beautiful beaches. Starting in Copacabana, you can head south towards Ipanema Beach, don’t be afraid to jump into a volleyball game right on the beach and make some new friends! Once in Ipanema, cruise down the Av. Vieira Souto path and take in the beautiful ocean views as you head west. At the end of the beach, you can climb up to Two Brother Cliff. At the top, you’ll see the beach you’ve cruised down, the mountains surrounding the city, and a beautiful view overlooking the ocean! 

Another awesome location to check out in Rio is the park at Aterro Do Flamengo. This park is filled with long, winding paths and is a common meetup spot for local longboarders and cruisers. There’s more than enough space here to carve your day away!

9. Sydney – Australia

Sydney – A beautiful city of old-meets-new that’s home to countless places to cruise! This harbor city is packed with waterfront cruising destinations and beautiful parks to carve your way through. There’s definitely more to see than just the famous Sydney Opera House!

In north Sydney, take a cruise down Manly Beach. Not only is this a great place to cruise, it’s an iconic surf spot! Catch some waves yourself or just admire those out on the water while soaking up some sun on the beach. Heading southwest, go towards North Sydney to arrive on the north end of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Skate across the bridge on the pedestrian path and have your camera ready! You’ll come across beautiful views of the harbor, ships, and the Opera House. Once on the south side of the city, discover the royal botanic gardens by cruiser. Further into the city, Sydney Park is a known location of skaters and longboarders, offering beautiful sights and plenty of paths to rip through. The surrounding area also offers many great restaurants, breweries, and cafes to end your cruise with a great meal and a beer!

10. Tokyo – Japan (At Night)

Tokyo is the largest city on our list with a population of around 10 million people. The city has smooth asphalt streets for practically as far as the eye can see. Even though the city covers a truly massive area, it supports a population so huge that nearly every street is filled with cars and people each day. The solution – go skating at night!

The street skateboarding scene in Tokyo is very centered on night skating for several reasons. The obvious reasons being that the streets are just too filled with people (and police) who don’t really appreciate skaters zipping through the crowds during the day. More so, the train system of Tokyo ends at around 1am. This may seem strange for such a big city, but this is actually a huge plus for skaters! The pause of night trains means that streets are nearly empty between about 1am and 4am. Therefore, one of the largest cities on Earth becomes a playground for cruising during these hours. Skate under the vibrant lights of Shibuya, go bar hopping in Shinjuku, or skate down the boardwalk of Odaiba Seaside Park near Koto City for some beautiful sights of the city at night. Skating Tokyo during these hours is an experience like no other and a must for every cruiser lover’s bucket list!

Text written by Skatetexter.