Where to stop along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)

As someone who was born and raised on the east coast of the United States, I underestimate the travel appeal of this massive country and every time I set out on a domestic trip I find myself in awe of its natural beauty, cozy small towns, massive cities, and diverse people. It’s easy to sleep on the US when planning a vacation, especially if you’re a backpacker and culture seeker. But if you’re like me, constantly in search of international flights and ways to get to beaches, mountains, valleys, tundras, and deserts then I’d like to remind you that the US has all of that and more.

With that being said, 2020 has been a year of US travel for us. We were already on the road in our little camper van prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and found ourselves stranded far from home as airports were being shut down and restaurants locked up. So we socially distanced ourselves from state to state and saw what we could, where we could. It was eerie and surreal passing through small towns that are completely devoid of people. State and national parks, pillars of social distancing, were shut down with no timeframe for reopening. Restaurants with no dine-in service. Put simply, it’s been a weird drive.

We hope you enjoy reading about our experience on one of the most scenic and iconic drives in America!

Start: San Diego (1-2 days)

Sunshine and beaches await in the southernmost city of California. San Diego sits right on the US/Mexican border with seedy Tijuana, Mexico awaiting you on the other side. San Diego is about as fun as it gets, the weather is consistently pleasant year-round and the beaches are gorgeous all along the coastline. Before we started our drive north on the PCH we needed to quarantine with friends in Encinitas (about 20-30 minutes north of San Diego) for three months and it’s worth noting that if some of the busier beaches of San Diego aren’t your speed then simply drive 20 minutes north and you’ll find something that suits your needs - Moonlight Beach was where we found ourselves most often.

In San Diego proper you’ll want to visit the Gaslamp Quarter, which is the younger, more lively, area of the city. If you’re looking for luxury, just over the Coronado Bridge is the resort town/city of Coronado, which has a long stretch of beach open to the public and is where the elite Navy Seals train. Coronado also has several bars, restaurants and shopping along its main street of Orange Avenue. If you’re looking for some non-beach related outdoor activities, head to Torrey Pines where you can hike through multiple trails right along the coastline. Another short but scenic trail that we recommend is Annie’s Canyon, which is short but picturesque.

If you’re looking for a day-trip, Joshua Tree National Park is about 3 hours from both San Diego and Los Angeles.

Stop: Dana Point (> 1 hour)

Dana Point’s claim to fame is that it’s the whale watching capital of the west. We didn’t see any whales during our stop (although, we actually did see a small pod much further north, around San Francisco). But if you’re driving up the PCH at the right time of year then it’s worth grabbing a cup of coffee and trying your luck at spotting one of the worlds most majestic creatures.

Stop: Laguna Beach (2-4 hours)

Laguna Beach is well-known due to the popularity of the reality show from the early-mid 2000’s. It’s a gorgeous beach town that is perfect for a quick stop to stretch the legs, stop into the shops, grab a fabulous lunch, admire the luxurious beach homes, and go to the beach to break up the drive.

The highlight of the Laguna stop for me was Victoria Beach. It’s a hidden gem that requires that you park alongside Highway 1 and weave your way through the neighborhoods to a secret staircases that opens up to this diamond in the ruff. It feels like you’re trespassing but don’t worry, it is a public beach. Take some photos of the Pirate Tower that sits along the coastline and enjoy the good life.

*The Pirate Tower at Victoria Beach, Laguna Beach.*

Stay: Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica or Venice Beach (1-3 days)

Coming from San Diego you’ll want to make your first true stop in LA and its surrounding cities. If you’re staying true to the PCH then your best bets are Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, or Venice Beach.

Manhattan Beach is the outlier here as it’s about 30 minutes south of the other two options. Manhattan Beach is a lovely little city that is going to feel more mature than the other two. It' has nightlife but you’re not going to get any wild clubs. It feels more like a well-to-do beach town than a suburb of Los Angeles.

Santa Monica and Venice, on the other hand, are true cities with tall residential and commercial buildings scattered across. There is park space to roam around and the beaches are large with a ton of activities to keep you busy. One caution is that there is a considerably larger homeless population, which is pretty typical of a larger city atmosphere but it can be a bit overwhelming/intimidating here. Both Santa Monica and Venice Beach have plenty of park space and “green” areas, nightlife is absolutely wild, there is a diverse restaurant and food scene, and the Santa Monica Pier is a California icon. We recommend walking along Palisades Park, checking out the original Muscle Beach, the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Stairs, and the Venice Skate Park (on the beach).

Overall, if you’re looking for a more quiet and sophisticated atmosphere, stay in Manhattan Beach. If you’re looking for something younger and more lively, head north to Venice and Santa Monica.

Stop: Malibu (3-8 hours)

You won’t be getting too far down the road before your next stop in Malibu.

The Malibu beaches of Zuma Beach, Point Dume and the rock formations at El Matador State Beach aren’t to be missed. Malibu Wines is a local staple where you can live like a celebrity for an afternoon while enjoying wine in this canyon vineyard - fun fact: Malibu Wines also has a safari adventure featuring giraffes, zebras, and other fun animals.

If hiking is your thing that one of the best stops you can make is in Malibu Creek State Park, which features several swimming holes and has some iconic landscapes that have been featured in multiple Hollywood productions. If you’re looking for quicker hikes closer to Highway 1 then try Solstice Canyon and Escondido Falls, both of which will more than satisfy the adventurer inside you.

Stay: Santa Barbara (2-3 days)

Santa Barbara is a wonderful change of pace and it’s here that it begins to start feeling a little less like southern California. We fell in love with this adorable little city!

State Street is one of the most well put together main streets of any city/town that I’ve seen. It’s super walkable and isn’t so short that you’re done seeing it after 20 minutes; how many times has that happened to you? You see a nice downtown area and go for a stroll and it just sort of ends. State Street is going to keep you busy for awhile. There is a plethora of shops, stores, bars, restaurants, a few museums and it ends with the Wharf area on the ocean. The best dining and nightlife can be found in the Funk Zone, which is at the end of State Street, right before the ocean area. The Funk Zone is a small warehouse district that has been converted to house breweries, wineries, fine dining, and solid social hangouts. Another hidden gem is Cold Spring Tavern, which is a great barbecue and wild game joint in a western style saloon, located about 25 minutes north of the city.

Outside the artsy downtown area, there are several cliffside beaches that you can’t miss. More Mesa is great for jogging or just a leisurely stroll, Leadbetter, West and East beaches are the easiest to access from Downtown, and Miramar Beach and Butterfly Beach are where the fancy folks go. There are a bunch of hikes in the Santa Barbara Hills too, our favorite was the Hot Springs Canyon Trail, which takes about 90 minutes and leads you to about six pools of varying temperatures from about 120-95 degrees.

Stop: Pismo Beach (>1 hour)

Pismo Beach isn’t for everyone. It’s a little bit, shall we say, lowbrow? But I love lowbrow. Lots of tank tops, Oakley sunglasses, beer guts, you get what I mean. Stop and grab a cup of coffee while you enjoy a cinnamon roll from Old West Cinnamon Rolls.

Stay: San Luis Obispo (1-2 days)

A great town for wine enthusiasts and located in central California, San Luis Obispo (SLO) has the best of both southern and northern California. The town isn’t massive but this affluent community has big city dining and shopping with small town walk-ability. It is about 15-20 minutes from two very different beach towns (Pismo Beach and Morro Bay) and it is a stone’s throw to one of the best vineyard and winery stretches in the nation. We recommend staying here for a day or two but if you don’t have the time then it’s at least worth a stop for lunch.

Stop: Morro Bay (>1 hour)

Morro Bay makes for an easy quick stop to get a photo of the Morro Bay Rock, a super cool volcanic plug on the edge of the small fishing village of Morro Bay. It’s only 15 minutes from San Luis Obispo so drive over as you make your way north, snap a photo or two, and get back on the road.

Stop: San Simeon (1-2 hours)

San Simeon is the former home to the once great publisher William Randolph Hearst. This was a peculiar stop for us and it felt like we entered Narnia for a brief moment.

It started with an abrupt stop at 70mph on the highway as Nicole shouted from the passenger seat “horsies!…. Wait no. Zebras? Oh my god! ZEBRAS!” and sure enough, there was a herd of approximately 20 zebras grazing along the highway. As it turns out, William Randolph Hearst had a zoo on his property at Hearst Castle (also open to view and makes for an excellent quick stop on the trip). When he passed, many of the animals were sent to city/state owned zoos while others, like the zebras, were simply released into the wild. So, fun fact, there are 126 wild zebras that roam along Highway 1 in northern California in the San Simeon area.

The other animal-based-attraction is the elephant seal vista point. Hundreds of big schnozed blobs laying on top of one another, shoving each other for space, and barking obscenities in seal at one another. Another very goofy and surreal stop along our journey.

Next, you’ll want to stop at Hearst Castle. Unfortunately, we were unable to see due to the pandemic closures but photos make it look like it’s worth the stop. It’s not far out of your way so assuming you’re not in a hurry I’d recommend the stop. The other stop, if you’re at all interested, is the Hearst Winery, which is right on Estero Bluffs State Park.

Stop: Big Sur (1-2 days)

Big Sur is home to several of the best hikes and vista points in the US. Its one of the most scenic stretches on the entire PCH and we fully recommend taking your time as you traverse it. If you’re planning on stopping for camping or hiking you’re going to want to download road and trail maps in advance as cell service along this stretch is spotty (to put it mildly). Sadly, our drive through Big Sur was limited to the vista points and views from the road as our timing could not have been worse with COVID restrictions still in place. However, here are the hikes that we originally planned to do and hopefully this will help you on your trip:

Ragged Point (>1 mile)
McWay Waterfalls Trail (>1 mile)
Ewoldsen Trail (4.5 miles)
Pfeiffer Falls Trail (2 miles)
Salmon Creek Trail (6.5 miles)
Pacific Valley Bluff Trail (>1 mile)
Partington Cove Trail (1 mile)
Limekiln Trails (3 miles)

Stay: Santa Cruz (1-2 days)

I was a huge fan of Santa Cruz! It is a super laid back surfing community with bohemian vibes. If you’re a surfer or just enjoy watching the dudes and dudettes shred then head to Lighthouse Point where you’ll see some of the best surfing I’ve seen in my life. The massive waves hug the jagged coastline and actually run parallel rather than perpendicular to it. It’s a unique area to sit and watch some skilled locals “shred the gnar” as they say… at least I think that’s what they say.

We stayed in Aptos, which is just a few miles south of Santa Cruz. In Aptos we, completely by chance, stayed in a boutique yoga retreat at the top of Day Valley. It was absolutely stunning and really summed up the region nicely in my opinion.

Aside from surfing, Santa Cruz is also one of the first and best places we were able to stop to see the famed California Redwoods. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park has incredible hikes and some of the oldest Redwoods in California. Hike to the Santa Cruz Sandhills, which is the only dune of its kind in the world, situated at the top of Henry Cowell State Park, these sand dunes were actually once at sea level and several shark teeth and other fossils have been discovered on this mountain top. The last reason to head to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park are the beaches, not ocean beaches but river beaches. In the spring and summer months you’ll find countless hikers in bathing suits lining the rivers edge. The water is excellent and there are plenty of places to sit and picnic with friends. If you’re looking for more coastal hikes, check our Wilder Ranch State Park as well. But I would 100% make time for Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park if you can.

Stop: Davenport Swing (> 1 hour)

Seen on many an Instagram story or Tik Tok video. The Davenport Swing is a great photo opp but be forewarned, there can be long lines depending on the time of day. The line was so long when we arrived that I made the executive decision to snap a photo from above and call it a day. The swing photo opp aside, the ocean views from atop the cliffs are spectacular and in line with what you’ve been able to see to this point.

Stop: Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterrey (>1 day)

Monterrey and Carmel by the Sea make-up one of the wealthiest communities in the nation and driving along the famous 17 Mile Drive will take you past some of the most scenic coastline in the country, some of the largest and nicest estates in the country, and take you past three of the best golf courses in the world (Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, and Cypress Point). It’s about $10.50 to per car to enter the 17 Mile Drive and it’s totally worth it. If you’ve got the cash on hand it’s definitely something worth trying, it makes for a very pleasant afternoon and some great photos. When you’re done, stop by the super unique Folktale Winery, which is about 10 minutes inland in the Carmel-by-the-Sea area.

End: San Francisco (2-3 days)

The PCH goes much further up the coast than San Francisco but given the climate of the world during our trip we decided that it was time to find somewhere to live and plant some roots for the rest of 2020. So we opted to end our PCH adventure in the tech and business hub of the west coast, if not the world, San Francisco. SF, as the cool locals call it (seriously, do not say San Fran, lest be seen as a total loser) has iconic attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Golden Gate Park - all three are incredible in their own right. The former island prison of Alcatraz is a quintessential piece of San Francisco and even US history. The only Japantown in the nation is also located in San Francisco. There is also the famous Fisherman’s Wharf where you can find fresh fish to bring home and prepare or you can purchase ready to beat eaten directly from vendors. We highly recommend the Palace of Fine Arts for a quick stroll through some really unique architecture. Obviously a day trip to Napa Valley is always a good call if you’re a wine enthusiast or if you just play one on TV. And one of our favorite places to stop is Mission Dolores Park, which is the perfect picnic park - bring wine, cheese, and board games and just hangout with friends.

Photo Credits:

McWay Falls: Mai Hanoon