Gated Hilltop Estate with Sweeping Monterey Bay Views

Constructed in 2012, the single-story main residence spans 3,314 square feet across three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The architecture is organized around a vaulted, wood-paneled ceiling that rises above the main living room—a gesture of generosity that sets the tone for every room that follows. Polished concrete floors run underfoot, warm and practical, heated from below by radiant systems that render the home as comfortable in January as it is in September. A stone fireplace anchored by built-in shelving anchors the living room on one wall; on the other, a wall of folding glass doors opens entirely to the south-facing stone terrace and the bay beyond. The interior and exterior are not two separate experiences here—they are one continuous one.

The kitchen is the undisputed engine of the home. Warm wood cabinetry pairs with black granite countertops and a dark stone tile backsplash. A large island with bar seating anchors the space, centered beneath a stainless steel range hood that rises above an eight-burner Viking professional range. The appliances throughout are uncompromisingly professional grade. Adjacent, a live-edge dining table sits beneath a modern pendant chandelier, with sliding glass doors framing the garden and orchard beyond—a view that makes every meal feel considered.

The primary suite is designed as a genuine retreat. Shoji-style sliding screens, expansive windows opening to a private patio, and a spa-calibrated bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower finished in dark stone tile and a wood-vanity topped in black granite create a space that balances serenity with sophistication. The suite opens directly to its own outdoor patio, where a Buddha statue rests in the garden beyond.

The outdoor living infrastructure matches the interior in ambition. A covered patio with a wood-paneled ceiling and recessed lighting extends to a stone terrace. The outdoor kitchen features a built-in pizza oven, stainless steel grill, and granite bar with seating—a facility that invites long evenings under open sky. A bocce court, olive and mixed-fruit orchards, a meditation garden with a ceremonial gong, and a chicken coop extend the grounds into something approaching a private sanctuary.

The separate guest house provides a complete one-bedroom, one-bathroom retreat with granite finishes, hardwood floors, and its own kitchen—accompanied by a two-car garage with a workshop and an additional full bath. A dedicated home gym, custom home office with integrated cabinetry, and a thoughtfully appointed laundry room with mosaic tile and bamboo cabinetry complete the picture. The whole is supported by solar panels, whole-house water filtration, well water, and infrastructure built to sustain the life it frames.

Aptos is one of those rare places on the California coast that has resisted the pressures of over-development while remaining genuinely accessible—a community of quiet confidence tucked between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the northern arc of Monterey Bay. The name itself derives from a Coast Miwok word, and the area carries that sense of deep, unhurried time. It is a place where the redwoods press close to the ocean, where morning fog lifts to reveal long views across the water, and where the pace of daily life reflects a considered relationship with the natural world.

The hilltop position of 1080 Larsen Road places it above the coastal flatlands, insulating it from noise and traffic while preserving exceptional access to everything the Central Coast offers. Aptos Village, approximately four miles away, anchors the community with its preserved small-town character—a cluster of locally owned shops, restaurants, and gathering places that have given the area its identity for generations. The nearby Aptos History Museum reflects the town's commitment to its own story, and the weekly Aptos Farmers Market draws residents who share an appreciation for locally grown produce—an ethos that resonates naturally with a property that maintains its own orchards and garden.

Rio Del Mar Beach, approximately five miles from the property, offers one of the more accessible stretches of Monterey Bay shoreline—wide, relatively uncrowded, and backed by the natural buffer of the Seacliff State Beach corridor. Seacliff State Beach itself, home to the historic concrete ship Palo Alto, is a well-known local landmark and a testament to the area's layered history. The broader Monterey Bay region is defined by its marine sanctuary—one of the largest in the United States—which protects the extraordinary diversity of ocean life that has made this coastline internationally significant for both conservation and recreation.

For those drawn to the mountains as readily as the sea, the Santa Cruz Mountains rise immediately behind Aptos, offering access to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park—thousands of acres of old-growth and second-growth redwood forest threaded with hiking and mountain biking trails. The agricultural richness of the region extends into the Pajaro Valley to the south, and the wine-producing appellations of the Santa Cruz Mountains provide a compelling local cellar for those who appreciate provenance in their glass as much as in their architecture.

The city of Santa Cruz, approximately ten miles north, provides the full infrastructure of a university town—cultural events, dining, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and the energy of UC Santa Cruz—while Silicon Valley lies roughly an hour's drive over Highway 17, a commute that has made the Aptos and Santa Cruz corridor increasingly attractive to those who seek a life of substance away from the density of the Bay Area.

At this address specifically, the estate's elevation and acreage provide the kind of genuine privacy that is increasingly difficult to find along the California coast—not the privacy of walls and fences, but the privacy of open land, ocean horizon, and sky.