As you drive through the town of Pacifica, you’ll learn about the history of San Francisco Bay and Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá, who put it on the map. You’ll also uncover the unusual story behind how the town got its name.

NOTE: This 555-mile-long tour covers the essentials of Pacific coast highway in 5-7 hours.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This rocky point juts out into the ocean and makes for phenomenal seaside views. There used to be a road to the point, but it’s only accessible via footpath now, and only at low tide. It’s a great spot for a hike with a big payoff at the end.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This bunker was built during World War II, and was intended to watch for a potential Japanese invasion of the mainland. At the time, soldiers with binoculars kept a constant watch on the horizon. These days, it’s a favorite hangout spot among local youths and graffiti artists.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This beach can be an incredible place to spot whales, depending on when you visit. In December and January, gray whales migrate south past this shore. They’re often close enough to see with the naked eye!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Montara is a charming, rustic town that owes its existence to an old-timey lighthouse. Many of the town’s oldest buildings are still standing today, giving it a totally distinct and classic vibe.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This beach is home to some of the biggest waves around. During peak season, the swells here can reach up to 60 feet high! This makes it a super popular surfing spot for thrillseekers, though amateur surfers are probably better off watching from the shore.

• Admission Ticket Free

This sleepy seaside town is set on the edge of a lovely crescent-shaped bay. But it has a surprisingly dark history. At one time, this area was known as the most corrupt county in California thanks to mob activity.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bean Hollow State Beach gets its name from its oddly-shaped coast, which some swear resembles a bean. It’s a humble but pleasant beach surrounded by plenty of great scenery, and makes for a great place to stop and take a quick break.

• Admission Ticket Free

At 115 feet tall, this is the tallest lighthouse on the west coast. It’s also one of the oldest. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect seaside photo shoot, this is a fabulous spot for it.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

While you won’t directly enter this park, you’ll pass by its lush redwood groves as you drive. These old, enormous trees are positively awe-inspiring, and just have to be seen to be believed.

• Admission Ticket Free

Another park you’ll pass along the way, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is exactly what it sounds like. Tall old growth trees, a lush canopy, and maybe even some wildlife sightings if you’re traveling in the morning!

• Admission Ticket Free

Keep your ears open as you pass this state reserve and you just might hear its most famous residents: Elephant seals! The months between December and April are the best time to view seals here, as that’s their breeding season.

• Admission Ticket Free

The tiny town of Davenport is home to just over 400 people, but it’s well known for its pristine beaches. In addition to some great sand and surf, the town also features other landmarks like the Davenport Crack, where water has carved a deep tunnel through a cliff, making it appear as if the land split in two.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Despite the name, you won’t have to worry about sharks at this cove. It gets the ominous title from a distinctive rock formation jutting from the water, which looks like an enormous shark’s fin!

• Admission Ticket Free

The beaches here are known as pocket beaches, because they’re quite small and secluded. Reaching them takes a bit of scrabbling, but as a result they’re almost never crowded. If you want some time alone with the coast, this is a perfect spot.

• Admission Ticket Free

One of the must-see stops on your tour. Founded in 1791, Santa Cruz is a picture-perfect California town. Here, you’ll find beautiful architecture, incredible eats, and all the quirky shops your heart desires.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Santa Cruz Wharf is the number one hotspot in Santa Cruz. It’s buzzing with activity and loaded with seafood restaurants for the freshest catch around. The wharf also boasts an amusement park with a fully-functional wooden roller coaster!

• Admission Ticket Free

The Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California, opened in 1939 by George Prather. Visitors experience demonstrations that appear to defy gravity, on the short but steep uphill walk and inside a wooden building on the site.

• Admission Ticket Free

This large beach has ample parking and boasts incredible views not just of the ocean, but also of towering bluffs along the coast. It’s also a very pet friendly beach for those traveling with four-legged friends.

• Admission Ticket Free

Sunset State Beach is, unsurprisingly, one of the best places in central California to watch the sunset. Folks flock to the beach in the late afternoon, so if you want to see the sunset here, it’s a good idea to plan ahead.

• Admission Ticket Free

The Elkhorn Slough Reserve is a vast wetland where salt water meets fresh water. Over 700 species of terrestial and marine animals call this reserve home, so you have a good chance of spotting some of California’s critters as you pass.

• Admission Ticket Free

This beautiful bay features some truly stunning coastal views. As you drive by, you’ll learn about how plentiful the bay’s sardine population once was, and what happened to change that.

• Admission Ticket Free

Once the center of the sardine-packing industry, Monterey has been many things over its long history. Today, the historic Cannery Row has become a popular strip of gift shops, seafood restaurants, and bars in converted factories. The city is also home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, with thousands of marine animals and plants on display in underwater and interactive exhibits.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Big Sur is perhaps the most iconic stretch of Pacific Coast Highway. Featuring dramatic bluffs rising hundreds of feet above crashing waves, as well as lush greenery and rocky hiking trails, it’s a remote and rugged place that’s sure to take your breath away.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The famous 17-Mile Drive is a scenic detour through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. It passes lavish estates on one side and unbeatable ocean views on the other.

• Admission Ticket Free

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a picture-perfect coastal village. Famous for its fairytale cottages and eccentric residents, this tiny town packs a ton of charm. It also features an absolutely staggering number of art galleries.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

A lovely white sand beach beside a cypress grove. Carmel residents come here to surf, walk their dogs, or watch the sunset.

• Admission Ticket Free

This reserve boasts an incredible variety of marine and terrestrial animals in its lush and untouched environment. It’s also a fantastic spot to go scuba diving for those who want to get up close and personal with the oceanic wildlife.

• Admission Ticket Free

Some of Big Sur’s best hiking trails can be found right here. Many lead to the coast, where you can take in breathtaking ocean views, but others cut through valleys of lilies and even redwood groves.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

This concrete arch bridge is one of the most photographed bridges in California. The graceful architecture works beautifully with the lush green bluffs on one side and the ocean on the other to create a completely unique crossing.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This mountainous island used to be a nightmare for ships traveling at night, but now it’s just a picturesque spot along the coast. That’s thanks to the Point Sur Lighthouse, which has since been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Admission Ticket Free

The former owners of this land forbid development of almost any sort along this stretch of coastline. The result is a remarkably untouched wilderness that’s sure to inspire any nature lover.

• Admission Ticket Free

This handsome bridge is actually brand new. It was built to replace a predecessor which cracked due to a major landslide in 2017.

• Admission Ticket Free

Pfeiffer Beach is a little off the beaten path, requiring a detour down a narrow road, but it’s worth the trip. This unusual beach is best known for its purple sand! The sand acquires this color from manganese garnet which washes down from the nearby bluffs.

• Admission Ticket Free

This humble dirt lot affords visitors one of the very best views of Big Sur. Make sure to have your camera ready!

• Admission Ticket Free

Seal Beach Overlook is a fantastic place to spot California’s favorite marine mammals. They like to hang out on the rocks by the shore, so you’ve got a very good chance of seeing not just one seal, but many!

• Admission Ticket Free

This sheltered, secluded cove is a great spot to find some peace and quiet along the coast. It’s also rumored to have been a dropoff point for moonshiners during prohibition!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This 80-foot waterfall once cascaded directly into the Pacific, until mudslides permanently changed the landscape. But it’s still an absolutely impressive sight to behold today.

• Admission Ticket Free

At 589 feet long, Biig Creek Bridge is another of the architectural marvels along PCH. It features turnouts at each end to give drivers a chance to pull over, admire the scenery, and snap a few photos for posterity.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This is another excellent vista point to soak in the scenery. Remember, you can never have too many pictures from your trip!

• Admission Ticket Free

Limekiln State Park gets its name from the lime production industry which once used this land. Four historic lime kilns from the 19th century still remain and are among the park’s most popular attractions.

• Admission Ticket Free

This peculiar bit of engineering consists of a protective shed and a bridge designed to safeguard the highway from rockslides. The story behind how designers came up with the structure is even more interesting than the odd creation itself!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

This lovely secluded cove was once the site of a major prospecting rush. That’s thanks to the fact that there was tons of jade to be found here back in the day. While most of the big gems have already been scooped up, enterprising visitors can still find small pieces of jade for themselves!

• Admission Ticket Free

As you drive past this old growth redwood grove, keep an eye out for the tallest trees of the lot. These giants can grow up to 350 feet tall!

• Admission Ticket Free

Ragged Point is considered one of the most picturesque stretches of Big Sur. The bluffs here soar up to 400 feet above the ocean, human development is minimal, and scenic vistas abound.

• Admission Ticket Free

This cute, rustic inn is a hugely popular spot for folks who want to stay in the wilderness of Big Sur. Even if you’re not a guest, it’s a great place to stop for a quick bite.

• Admission Ticket Free

This unusual lighthouse might look like someone chopped the top section off… because they did! You’ll find out why as you cruise on by.

• Admission Ticket Free

There’s no place better to see California’s elephant seals than Elephant Seal Vista Point. You’re all but guaranteed to see these enormous, blubbery critters here, lounging in crowds on the rocks. This spot also features a fully accessible walkway.

• Admission Ticket Free

This picturesque detour leads along the shores of Moonstone Beach. A lovely boardwalk runs the length of this beach, making it the perfect place to stretch your legs before continuing with your journey.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Nitt Witt Ridge is one of the strangest landmarks along your route. This house, built by reclusive artist Arthur Beal, is made almost entirely from trash! It’s a bizarre but somehow oddly beautiful property that’s sure to start a conversation.

• Admission Ticket Free

If you’re keen to visit a small town, you can’t get much smaller than this. At last census count, Harmony was home to only 18 people!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cayucos is a small, unincorporated town with a distinct old-timey vibe. It was founded in 1867, and residents have done their best to keep it feeling just a little like the Wild West. It’s full of saloons, antique shops, and plenty more.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Morro Bay is perhaps best known for Morro Rock, an enormous volcanic plug rising 600 feet out of the water. Today, it’s a favorite nesting spot for peregrine falcons. Whether you visit or just drive by, you’ll learn how a volcanic plug actually forms.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

San Luis Obispo is another must-see destination. Lush with greenery, vibrant with flowers, and buzzing with activity, it’s an almost impossibly pleasant small city with undeniable California chill. The locals don’t call it “SLO Cal” for nothing!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

One of San Luis Obispo’s more peculiar yet most popular attractions, Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like. Both walls of the alley are covered in bubble gum, left by countless visitors over the years. If you have a stick of your own, feel free to add it to the collection!

• Admission Ticket Free

In the 20th century, this land was home to chromium and mercury mines. These days, it’s where you’ll find lush natural beauty and over 8 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.

• Admission Ticket Free

This seaside community might sport some excellent ocean views, but it carries a dark history. As you pass, you’ll learn how an oil company obliterated the town… as well as how they rebuilt.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dinosaur Caves Park has neither dinosaurs nor caves, but it is still a lovely place for a picnic. As for where it got its unusual name, you’ll find out when you visit!

• Admission Ticket Free

Pismo Beach is a lovely beachside community with a long history. This shoreline is actually one of the very first landing places of the European missionaries who journeyed to the new world.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Between October and February, around 25,000 monarch butterflies shelter in these eucalyptus trees. If you’re visiting during this season, this is a can’t-miss stop. It’s a sight you won’t soon forget.

• Admission Ticket Free

The small, quiet town of Guadalupe may not be a huge tourist destination, but it’s still a great place to stop if you need a quick break from the road.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

These dunes are the tallest on the entire west coast. Some reach up to 500 feet in height! Standing atop one of these, you’ll get a truly unbelievable panorama of the ocean and the surrounding landscape.

• Admission Ticket Free

The town of Lompoc grows tens of thousands of flowers every year, and the murals scattered throughout town pay homage to this industry. There are 40 of them in total, each depicting a scene from the town’s past or present and honoring the flowers which keep the town moving.

• Admission Ticket Free

The Lompoc Wine Ghetto doesn’t look like much from the outside. Inside, though, you’ll find a world-class collection of wineries and tasting rooms. Here, you can sample and purchase the region’s best wines.

• Admission Ticket Free

An optional detour leads to Jalama Beach, a quiet alternative to some of the coast’s more crowded shorelines. Because it’s off the beaten path, this beach doesn’t see nearly as many visitors as some of the others you’ll pass on your journey, making it a great spot for the crowd-averse travelers.

• Admission Ticket Free

You’ll definitely want to stop at this vista point for a few photos. As you proceed down PCH, the California landscape changes dramatically, meaning no one overlook is ever the same as the next!

• Admission Ticket Free

The quintessential California beach. Refugio State Beach has it all: White sand, palm trees, plenty of sunlight, and shockingly blue water. A fantastic stop for those looking for that SoCal lifestyle.

• Admission Ticket Free

Another incredible butterfly grove like the Monarch Butterfly Grove. Unfortunately, the e