How to Explore California’s Pacific Coast Highway

Now is the time to start planning your California coastal road trips. The entire stretch of the state’s iconic Highway 1 is open again and your Enterprise Rent-a-Car is ready to take you on your way.

After massive landslides destroyed parts of the well-traveled roadway, the last section of the highway reopened on July 18, just in time to catch the peak summer travel season.

There are so many options when it comes to traveling along the Pacific Coast Highway, it’s hard to cram everything into one itinerary, but many have tried.

Travelers with plenty of time can easily spend weeks exploring everything there is to see along the way but those working with one week to 10 days, the average amount of vacation time in the U.S., should check out some of the highlights.

Los Angeles

Fly into Los Angeles, pick up an Enterprise rental car and start making your way north to San Francisco. Enterprise offers rentals that can be picked up in L.A. and dropped off at another Enterprise location along the way. Traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco with a one-week rental costs around $600.

Santa Barbara

Traveling north up the coast, visitors will want to make the coastal city of Santa Barbara a priority. Explore the zoo, stroll State Street or plan to stay the night and enjoy the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

Solvang

This town is the gateway to the Santa Ynez Valley, brimming with large estates and beautiful wineries. The town itself is a shrine to Danish-style architecture and heritage and is home to Elverhoj Museum of History & Art. If you aren’t planning to wine taste, spend an hour or two exploring the city or maybe stop for lunch.

There are a number of eateries, options for wine tasting and loads of accommodations.

Avila Beach

A short drive up the coast from Solvang is the thriving beach town of Avila. Perched on a crescent of sand along the Pacific Ocean, the waters here are warmer and calmer than in other areas along the coast.

Enjoy fresh seafood, delicious coffee, beautiful ocean views as well as wildlife excursions—it’s the perfect day at the beach. There are a limited number of accommodation options but staying is worth the effort.

Paso Robles

Wine enthusiasts can create a coastal journey that revolves around wine tasting. From Avila, rather than taking the coast road from San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, follow U.S. Route 101 up to Paso Robles for a short detour to another of California’s popular wine regions.

Paso Robles offers a number of world-class vineyards as well as many boutique wineries that offer unique options for accommodation in a true California style.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon and Cambria

Head back to the coast from Paso Robles and into Cambria. This charming village has a number of vintage stores, coffee shops and cute eateries, but what’s really worth stopping for is a stroll along its famed Moonstone Beach.

Stay in Cambria or nearby San Simeon just up the coast and take some time to explore the area, its rugged coastline, Hearst Castle and Elephant Seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, one of the few places people can see these majestic creatures on land.

Ragged Point

Leaving San Simeon is where the coastline truly becomes a craggy coastal wonderland. The road winds along cliff faces and around just about every corner is stunning vista after stunning vista. Be prepared to stop and go here for photographs.

Take a break from the drive at Ragged Point. It’s the perfect spot for a snack or a picnic. There is a hotel here as well as an ice cream stand, a restaurant and burger stand. There’s also a small general store.

Visitors can take a short hike around the point or wander all the way down to the beach to walk along the desolate shoreline.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Another short hike right off the road is in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It is located just a few miles south of Big Sur and is an ideal place to stretch your legs. A short hike leads visitors to the McWay Falls, which drops 80 feet over a cliff into the Pacific Ocean.

Big Sur

The area of Big Sur encompasses the coastline between San Simeon and Carmel, but the town is tucked away in the forest just a few minutes drive from Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. If not stopping overnight here, plan to spend some time poking around its eclectic shops or enjoying a locally sourced organic meal.

As you leave, you will head out over one of the area’s most iconic sights, the Bixby Bridge. Plan your drive accordingly so you don’t miss it in the dark.

Point Lobos State Reserve

When leaving Big Sur, make sure you have water and snacks, or maybe even a picnic lunch. Point Lobos will be your next big stop and its worth planning for a few hours here. There is so much to see and do, including kayaking in China Cove, visiting the Whaler’s Cabin Museum, a short hike to see sea lions and more.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Another half day can be spent exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row. Travelers planning to stop at the aquarium should definitely plan ahead and purchase tickets in advance to avoid sell-out crowds.

San Francisco

Those planning a weeklong stay will have definitely filled their days once they reach Monterey, however, travelers could spend another two to three days continuing from Monterey north to Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay before reaching San Francisco.