Fun Things to Do on Pacific Coast Highway near SF Bay Area

Once you’ve found “the way to San Jose”, there are so many different options for things to do and see, both in and out of town. This post is for those of you who love hopping in the car and taking casual day-trips just to see what’s out there. On this local adventure, we drove west out of San Jose to Santa Cruz, then up the coast on Hwy 1 or the “PCH”. And now we will share our tips on the fun things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway near the San Francisco Bay Area.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Our first stop was at Seymour Marine Discovery Center. This is an amazing marine science complex which is a part of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Inside the Discovery Center, there are many fun and fascinating exhibits to see and learn from!

Go ahead and roll up your sleeves, because they also have several hands-on exhibits to explore. Have you ever touched a starfish? What about a sea cucumber?

What about a SHARK?! One exhibit is a shark tank with two Swell Sharks. We got to pet one of them! 😊 Look at those eyes!

What is the largest mammal on Earth? What is the largest mammal EVER? The Blue Whale! Larger than any dinosaur that ever walked the Earth! The first time you see this 87-foot long skeleton of a blue whale (named “Ms. Blue”) you are guaranteed to feel a little humbled by the sheer size of it. This is the largest skeleton of a blue whale on exhibit anywhere in the world, NOT a reproduction, this is the real deal.

In 1979 Ms. Blue washed ashore near the town of Pescadero. She was around 50 years old, and the cause of her death is still undetermined. Blue whales have been protected as an endangered species from the 1970s, since commercial whaling almost wiped out the entire population of blue whales in less than a century.

Other than humans, there are really no natural predators to blue whales because of their immense size, power, speed, and noisiness. No kidding — blue whales are some of the loudest animals on the planet, their whistling calls reach 188 dB, that’s louder than a jet-plane taking off, and they can hear each other’s calls up to 1,000-miles away!

Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers self-guided tours, and admission is $9.00 for adults. Open year round, Tuesday through Sunday, from 10am to 5pm. Check the schedule for holidays, free days, and special events. Also, at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm a complimentary docent-led 45-minute tour is provided to the ticket holders.

Learn about the infamous Shipwreck Beach, see the mast of the steamship La Feliz that still remains after the wreckage in 1929, and enjoy fantastic views of the coastline. The docent-led tour will also give you access to parts of the Long Marine Lab facilities! You may get a chance to see their dolphins goofing off, and rescued seals and sea lions sunbathing! These areas are not normally open to the public, unless you are with the guided tour.

On your way out, don’t forget to stop by the Ocean Discovery Shop for souvenirs and memorabilia!

Swanton Berry Farm

Continuing on Hwy 1, you must stop at the absolutely adorable co-op Swanton Berry Farm in Davenport. They are open year round, 8am to 7pm.

The farm grows a variety of organic berries, and their strawberries are OUT OF THIS WORLD! They also make their own berry pies, strawberry shortcakes, jams and jellies, and lots of other goodies.

When in season (spring-fall), you can even pick your own berries from their fields, selecting exactly the ones you want. The strawberries are so fragrant, your whole car will smell like a strawberry field! Tip: You might want to grab a second bunch to snack on during your trip.

Año Nuevo State Park

Just 9 miles north from Swanton Berry Farm, lies Año Nuevo State Park, famous for being one of the largest mainland elephant seal breeding colonies in the entire world.

During high season (between December 15^th and March 31^st) males fight for dominance, and newborn pups get their first splash in the ocean. Only guided tours are available at that time, and the demand is crazy high. We hope to get our reservations, and will report on that later! However, the cool thing is that the elephant seals can be seen year round at Ano Nuevo, just not as many. After breeding season, the adult males swim north to Alaska, and the adult females head off to Hawaii for a well-deserved vacation 😊.

Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park

After passing by multiple beaches, enjoying the views of colorful paragliders and pelicans in flight, you’ll see a towering lighthouse overlooking the rocks below. This is Pigeon Point Lighthouse, probably, the most photographed lighthouse in California. At 115-feet it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the US, in operation since 1872.

It is named after the clipper “Carrier Pigeon” that shipwrecked in the area in 1853 during her maiden voyage from Boston to San Francisco. She successfully made her trip around Cape Horn, only to crash on the rocks, 500 feet from the shore near the end of her voyage. Thankfully, the captain and the crew all survived.

Visitors can’t enter Pigeon Point Lighthouse, since it has been under conservation and restoration since 2001. The great news is that California State Parks has recently announced that over nine million dollars in funding has been secured for the project. The full restoration can continue, starting in the spring of 2020!

Next to the lighthouse in the Fog Signal Building, visitors can enjoy the exhibition about the history of the light station and daily duties of the lighthouse master (who had to climb up and down the spiral staircase every few hours each day, carrying buckets of lard to fuel the light). That must have been quite a workout!

This is where you can see the original Fresnel lens with 1,008 prisms that the Pigeon Point Light Station installed in 1872, but no longer in use. Doesn’t it look like a time machine? It’s huge too! 16-feet tall, in fact! Each lighthouse has its own signature light transmission, so sailors know which lighthouse it is. Pigeon Points signature is one white flash of light every ten seconds. So, this 2,000 pound Fresnel lens was rotating every four minutes to produce the required signature light pattern.

By the way, right next to the lighthouse, there is the HI Pigeon Point Hostel, famous for its cliffside hot tub. The living quarters of the lighthouse keepers were converted into this hostel.

Town of Pescadero

From the lighthouse, drive another 10 minutes north to Pescadero Creek Road, and here you’ll find the tiny but busy town of Pescadero. For a population of only 653 people, and one main street — Stage Road, it is very popular with weekend visitors. The two most iconic dining establishments here are Duarte’s Tavern, a winner of James Beard award, and Arcangeli Grocery Co. / Norms Market. If you aren’t hungry by now, you must have eaten the second basket of strawberries from Swanton 😊 .

Arcangeli Grocery Co./Norms Market is a MUST-STOP in Pescadero for several reasons: 1) Artichoke Bread! 2) Artichoke Bread! 3) Artichoke Bread!

Using the secret family recipe since 1929, these legendary loaves have drawn crowds from all over the globe, and featured in magazines across the nation. The bread is baked throughout the day, so grab a warm loaf to take home (if it lasts that long 😊)!

The Arcangeli offers a variety of other baked goods as well, so try different ones! They also carry local produce, preserves, and Pescadero’s own Harley Farms goat cheese, that is as delicious as it is beautiful with pressed edible flowers in it.

4) The Sandwich Shop in the back of the store! The sandwiches are all excellent, but our favorite is The Godfather sandwich with Salami, Mortadella, Prosciutto, with Provolone Cheese, Lettuce, Red Onion, Pepperoncinis (those give it a bit of a kick!) & Garlic-Herb spread on Pesto Focaccia, served hot. Sorry no pictures. We shared the sandwich (they are pretty good size), and forgot to take photos 😊. But here is another one of the bread.😊

As far as Duarte’s Tavern goes, we’ve stopped there twice but without reservations – don’t make our mistake. It is a very popular place, and the wait time can be a bit long. We were recommended by many of our friends to try their artichoke soup, and not to leave without getting a slice of the olallieberry pie! Maybe our 3^rd time will be the charm. Or we’ll just make reservations. 😊

Also, Pescadero has perfect access to hiking trails, nearby beaches, and Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, a 235-acre park, the largest wetlands of San Francisco Peninsula – a paradise for birdwatchers. See, there are so many fun things to do on Pacific Coast Highway!

Where to Next?

Continue north on Hwy 1 just a bit farther and explore the towns of Half Moon Bay and Moss Beach. Or, backtrack a mile south to the Pescadero Beach area to get to the curvy Hwy 84, which cuts through the redwoods, taking you to Hwy 280 in Menlo Park. Our trip from San Jose, up the coast, and back via Hwy 280, took a good part of the day, and was worth every minute of it.

What are your favorite spots for fun things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway near SF Bay Area? For more outdoor adventures in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out our posts in the Local Discoveries section, like Fort Ross, Rancho San Antonio, or Alum Rock Park. We love hearing from you, so please comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to our blog!