Pacific Coast Highway: Best Stops and Travel Tips

Plan your Highway 1 road trip with the best stops, coastal towns, beaches, places to eat, hotels, and practical travel tips.

Quite a lot of travellers, especially those visiting California, dream of driving the Pacific Coast Highway. And for good reason. It is truly beautiful route with incredible scenery.

The Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Highway 1 or State Route 1, runs along the California coast with views of the Pacific Ocean. The road is quite long, there is a lot to see along the way, and at times you will drive along long stretches without seeing any people or towns.

It is a good idea to plan ahead where you want to stop, where you are going to stay overnight, and what your should bring with you. That is why we have put together this guide to the Pacific Coast Highway based on our own experiences, as we have driven the entire route several times.

Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway officially starts in Leggett in Northern California and continues all the way to Dana Point in Southern California. So, it does not follow the coast along the entire length of California all the way to San Diego or the Oregon state line, as many people think.

The entire Pacific Coast Highway is 1,056 kilometres long, but the most popular section from San Francisco to Los Angeles is just under 800 kilometers. You could drive the latter in a single day if you are in a hurry, but I definitely recommend allowing more time for this trip.

If you plan to drive the entire Pacific Coast Highway described below, I would allow at least three days for the trip, and preferably quite a bit more. There is so much to see along the way that you will want to make plenty of stops. The coastal road is also winding, so you will have to slow down from time to time. Traffic can also slow you down at times.

We have driven the Pacific Coast Highway from San Fracisco to Los Angeles several times with just one overnight stay, but the stops at different places are then quite quick. If you want to visit more of the stops we have listed, or are planning to do some hiking, I would recommend allowing more time even for this section.

Things to See Along the Pacific Coast Highway

Northern California

The northern section of the Pacific Coast Highway is the least busy of all these driving sections, which makes it really nice to drive. The scenery here is also beautiful, although it is quite different from what you will see in Southern California.

Stops that are definitely worth adding to your lost include the drive-thru tree called Chandelier Tree; Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, which is covered in colorful sea glass; and Mendocino. The two lighthouses along the way are also nice stops, and visiting them does not necessarily take much time.

Mendocino is the largest town along this section. It has nice beaches, hiking trails, good restaurants, and historic buildings. One interesting activity is taking a ride through the redwood forest on a steam locomotive that is more than 130 years old; the Skunk Train. The town has also been ised as a filming location for shows such as Murder, She Wrote, and you can explore some of the filming locations around town.

One of the more unusualy places along this section is the so-called “Bowling Ball Beach“, where erosion has shaped the rocks into funny-looking balls. A visit to the beach needs to be timed for low tide, as most of the rocks are otherwise underwater, and getting there can sometimes be a little challenging.

Bodega Bay, on the other hand, is a very small coastal town known, among other things, as a filming location for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Some of the buildings seen in the movie can still be found here and there, so anyone who enjoys old movies should plan to spend a few hours here as well.

For those who also enjoy hiking while traveling, I recommend Point Reyes and Muir Woods. Point Reyes is a large and beautiful park area with numerous hiking trails. Muir Woods requires a small detour from the coastal road, but it is so famous that it deserves to be included on this list. At Muir Woods, you can see some of the tallest trees in the world, the coastal redwoods. Just keep in mind that you need to make a reservation in advance for Muir Woods.

• Chandelier Tree
• Glass Beach
• Point Cabrillo Light Station
• Mendocino
• Pygmy Forest
• Point Arena Lighthouse
• Bowling Ball Beach
• Fort Ross
• Bodega Bay
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Muir Woods

Eat at:

On this section of the route, it is a good idea to plan ahead where you want to eat, as the driving distances between the coastal towns can be quite long. Or at least keep some snacks in the car so you can make it to the next stop.

Mendocino is a good place both for eating and staying overnight, and it is the liveliest town along this section. For a more casual meal, you can try Flow Restaurant and Lounge, while Cafe Beaujolais is a good choice if you are looking for something a little more formal. If you are looking for vegetarian food, head to Fog Eater Cafe.

Bodega Bay is known for its fresh oysters and other seafood, so seafood lovers should save their appetite for places such a s Fishetarian Fish Market or Fisherman’s Cove.

Stay at:

Finding accommodation along this section is easiest in Mendocino and Bodega Bay, as they have the most hotels. You can also find some motels in Fort Bragg. In Mendocino, some of the most popular places to stay are cozy inns, such as Headlands Inn Bed and Breakfast and Agate Cove Inn. In Bodega Bay, I recommend Hotel Dega.

One fun place to stay is the Point Arena Lighthouse, where you can spend the night in a building that was originally built for lighthouse keepers.

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States, so it is worth setting aside several days to explore it. It is often said to be the most European city in the country, and I have to agree. It is colourful, relaxed, and welcoming.

The most famous sights in San Francisco are the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and Chinatown. But there is so much more to see in the city, including surprisingly many beaches and plenty of nature. You can even head our on some great hiking trails just a short distance from downtown.

It is also always worth checking the city’s event calendar for the dates of your trip, as San Francisco has lots of fun, and often free, events.

There is also plenty to see and do in the cities around San Francisco, and the area as whole is known as the San Francisco Bay Area. The Pacific Coast Highway passes through several cities in the area, including Sausalito, Pacifica, and Half Moon Bay.

Just south of these cities is Santa Cruz, which is known for surfing. It is not, however, officially part of the San Francisco Bay Area.

• San Francisco
• San Francisco Mission District
• San Francisco Presidio
• Walt Disney Family Museum
• Golden Gaten Bridge
• Fort Point
• San Francisco’s Kirby Cove
• Alcatraz
• Fortune Cookie Factory
• Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown
• Golden Gate Park
• California Academy of Sciences
• Museum of Ice Cream
• Best Holiday Decorations in San Francisco
• Best Pumpkin Patches in San Francisco Bay Area
• Half Moon Bay Pumkin Festival
• Santa Cruz

Eat at:

San Francisco is full of great restaurants, and there is definitely something for every taste and budget. The closer you get to downtown, the more expensive the menus tend to become.

If you want to try something truly local, California’s own specialities include fish tacos and Mission-style burritos. These are worth trying especially in the Mission District, where the Mission burrito originally came from.

The Mission burrito was developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and it is much larger and has more fillings than a traditional Mexican burrito. California-style fish tacos also tend to have more and different fillings than Mexican tacos. Taqueria El Farolito and La Taqueria in San Francisco make some of the best Mission burritos.

San Francisco is also known for its own version of clam chowder. It differs from New England-style chowder because the soup is traditionally served in a bread bowl made from the city’s famous sourdough bread. Boudin, one of the San Francisco’s most famous bakeries, serves good clam chowder in their café, but you can find San Francisco clam chowder in many other places too.

Stay at:

Even though we live quite close to San Francisco, we have stayed overnight there many times for different events and work. One of our favorite hotels is the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, which is in a very central location close to Market Street. San Francisco Marriott Union Square and Argonaut Hotel are also good-quality hotels.

If you have a rental car and can visit San Francisco as a day trip, you can save quite a bit by staying in one of the nearby cities instead. For example, it is easy to get downtown by train from Daily City and South San Francisco, while Pacifica and Marin City are just a short drive away.

Central California

Most travelers driving the Pacific Coast Highway only drive the section between San Francisco and Los Angeles. And it has some of the most beautiful coastal scenery you can find in California, along with plenty of things to see and do.

The beautiful coastal views start even before the charming coastal town of Carmel-by-the Sea, along the famous 17-Mile Drive. This also where you will find Pebble Beach, one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. Carmel is a lovely, upscale town which is also known for being very dog-friendly.

After Carmel, the next larger city is Monterey, which is definitely worth stopping in for at leart a little while. Monterey used to be a center of the fishing and canning industry, and its main street, Cannery Row, is now filled with great seafood restaurants and cute little shops. The best aquarium in California, Monterey Bay Aquarium, is also located right in the city.

Monterey is also a great place to join a whale-watching tour if that is something you would like to do.

After these two cities, you reach what I think is the best section of Highway 1. This area is called Big Sur. Some of the best-known stops include Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and Elephant Seal Vista Point. The last one is especially fun for kids, as seeing all the elephant seals lounging on the beach is quite a sight.

Very close to Elephant Seal Vista Point is Hearst Castle, which once belonged to newspaper publisher William Randolh Hearst. Today, you can visit the impressive estate on a guided tour.

The next good stops are Morro Bay, where several giant rocks rise from the ocean just off the coast, remnants of ancient volcanoes, and Santa Barbara. A visit to Morro Rock is especially fun for kids; there is a lot of sea birds, sand dollars and sea otters by the beach.

Sometimes we have left Highway 1 between these two places and driven inland to the Paso Robles wine region, and from there taken the faster Highway 101.

Before Santa Barbara, you can also make a small detour inland to the town of Solvang. It is a charming Danish-style town that is well worth visiting if you have enough time. The buildings in Solvang are designed in a Danish style, just like we saw in Copenhagen, and the downtown area has a several Scandinavian bakeries and shops.

The final stop along this section is Pismo Beach, which I think is one of the best beach towns in California. It has a nice little downtown, beautiful beaches, and plenty of things to do.

• 17 Mile Drive
• Pebble Beach
• Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Monterey
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Point Pinos Lighthouse
• Fort Ord Dunes State Park
• Big Sur
• Bixby Bridge
• McWay Falls
• Elephant Seal Vista Point
• Morro Bay
• Hearts Castle
• Solvang
• Mission Santa Inés
• Michael Jacksonin Neverland Ranch
• Santa Barbara
• Pismo Beach

Eat at:

Monterey is especially known for its seafood restaurants, most of which are located on Cannery Row. During our last visit, however, we also found a lovely place a little outside the city. Monterey’s Fish House is a family restaurant wit a really extensive menu of seafood dishes. It has also been mentioned in the Michelin Guide.

One of the most beautiful restaurants along Highway 1 is Nepenthe. It sits high on a cliff and has amazing ocean views from its terrace. The restaurant is quite popular, so you often have to wait for a table. There is also a café in the same building.

Big Sur River Inn is another nice place to eat. It has a rustic feel, and we have stopped there several times. The food is pretty good, and the restaurant is surrounded by beautiful redwood trees. If you have just been hiking and your feet are tired, what could be better than sitting in one of the river chairs and cooling them off in the water?

Stay at:

Where you should stay overnight depends a lot on how far you plan to drive that day. On the San Francisco end of the route, both Carmer-by-the-Sea and Monterey are lovely places to stay, and we have spent the night in both several times.

In Carmel, we have stayed at the very family-friendly Hofsas House Hotel. In Monterey, I recommend more traditional inns, such as  Victorian Inn and The Jabberwock Bed & Breakfast. On our recent visit, though, we stayed at Holiday Inn Express at Monterey Bay because almost all the hotels downtown were fully booked. It turned out to be a nice option, too.

We have also stayed overnight along the route in San Simeon, Morro Bay, and Pismo Beach. We really liked out hotel in Pismo Beach, called Oxford Suites Pismo Beach.

If you have decided to take a detour to Solvang, our favorite place to stay there is Royal Copenhagen Inn.

If you are planning to camp, take a look at the campgrounds in the different parks around Big Sur. Pismo Beach also has some nice places for both tent camping and RVs.

Southern California

If you are planning to visit Channel Islands National Park then your first stop will be in Ventura where the boats to the islands depart. I recommend staying the night close by because this is a whole day trip and you will have to be in the harbour early in the morning.

Southern California’s stretch of Highway 1 is full of beautiful coastal towns. Many of them are quite upscale, but each has its own personality and atmosphere.

Laguna Beach, for example, is clean and stylish town popular with artists and wealthy Americans. Venice Beach, on the other hand, has a more bohemian and youthful vibe. It is also home to the famous Muscle Beach, where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to work out regularly.

Santa Monica is familiar to many people from movies and TV shows, and it is definitely worth a stop. Its most famous attraction is Santa Monica Pier, with its Ferris wheel overlooking the ocean. Santa Monica is also the official end of the famous Route 66.

Long Beach is another interesting stop, especially if you want to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific or see The Queen Mary, a historic ocean liner.

• Channel Islands (Ventura)
• Malibu
• Santa Monica
• Venice Beach
• Manhattan Beach
• Hermosa Beach
• Redondo Beach
• Long Beach
• Aquarium of the Pacific
• The Queen Mary
• Huntington Beach
• Newport Beach
• Laguna Beach
• Dana Point

Eat at:

All these coastal towns have wonderful restaurants. If you love seafood, you can find some real gems here, but there plenty of other options, too.

If you have a specific restaurant in mind, I recommend making reservations beforehand as the spots fill up quickly especially on the weekends.

Stay at:

Staying in Southern California’s coastal towns can be expensive, but it is often worth the price. It is lovely to be within walking distance of the beach, waterfront restaurants, small shops, and nightlife. You can wake up to watch the sunrise and end the day with a beautiful sunset on the beach.

If you are planning to visit Channel Islands National Park, then I would recommend staying the night in Ventura. Boats leave early in the morning and even a short drive can take a long time in Southern California traffic . We stayed at Best Western At Ventura Pier, but the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ventura Harbor by IHG is also great.

We have stayed overnight in both Laguna Beach and Venice Beach. Laguna Beach has a free trolley that makes it easy to get around without a car. In Venice Beach, I would look for a hotel within walking distance of the beach.

In Laguna Beach, we stayed at Costa Art Hotel, while in Venice Beach, we stayed at The Kinney. We especially loved the latter.

You can also spend the night aboard The Queen Mary, a historic ocean liner that has been docked in Long Beach since 1967. The ship offers guided tours that cover its history and the stories of the ghosts said to haunt it. Even if you don’t stay overnight, it is an interesting place to visit.

What to Pack for a Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

You should prepare for a Pacific Coast Highway drive as you would for any other road trips. The distances between towns can sometimes be quite long, which means services and ameneties are not always avaliable when you need them.

It is a good idea to make at least a rough plan for how far you want to drive each day. This helps you prepare for meals, accommodation, and gas stops. Hotels along Pacific Coast Highway are often expensive, and they can be fully booked at times. I recommend making your hotel reservations in advance.

Internet access along the coast can be inreliable or even nonexistent in some areas. Although it is hard to get lost on the coastal highway itself, it is still a good idea to download a map to your phone or bring a paper map. This makes it easier to keep track of upcoming stops, especially since many of them appear quite unexpectedly around a bend in the road. We always recommend Yesim to our guests for mobile data.

It is also a good idea to keep some snacks and plenty of water in the car. We always bring beach chairs or a blanket, sunscreen, and hats. The ocean water in Northern California is usually so cold that we only need swimsuits for hotel pools. Farther south, however, you can take a dip in the ocean, too. The kids usually bring some sand toys as well.

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Driving the Pacific Coast Highway, no matter which stretch you choose, is truly an unforgettable experience!

I would love to hear how your coastal trips have gone or what you have planned. What did you love, and what didn’t you enjoy as much?