One of the world’s great coastal drives, this cliff-clinging route offers big Pacific views, laid-back surf towns, soaring redwoods and heaps of old-school glamour.
This is one of those occasions where it really is worth taking the scenic route. Weaving for 656 miles in a series of adrenaline-rushing curves on State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway links seaside towns with sandstone cliffs on one side, crashing Pacific waves on the other and limitless sky overhead. San Francisco to Santa Monica is the blockbuster stretch, packing in palm-fringed beaches, kitsch attractions and architectural icons.
Further south, your next stop is Monterey, home to colourful fishing boats and Cannery Row, a former sardine-packing hub where repurposed warehouses brim with indie shops.Four miles south of Monterey, the seaside town of Carmel-by-the-Sea has long flaunted its quirky side: Clint Eastwood is a former mayor; there are no street addresses; and a permit is required to wear high heels.
Over recent years, a new crowd has been drawn here, thanks to a fresh crop of restaurant openings. You’ll need to book ahead for, a European-inspired restaurant that draws heavily on the bounties of the coast. The chef owners live upstairs and eating here feels like having dinner at a friend’s house — if your friend has a Michelin star.Just south of Carmel, the landscape switches to cloud-grazing bluffs blanketed in oaks. You’re entering Carmel Highlands, the gateway to Big Sur.
Along the way you’ll cross the Bixby Bridge, soaring 260ft above the sea. Stop at the turnouts for photos, before detouring to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park for redwoods.The rolling hills of grapevines flashing by the window are your cue that you’ve entered wine country. Schedule a pit stop at one of the leafy estates to taste the spoils —, publishing tycoon and art collector William Randolph Hearst’s more-is-more mansion, based on the design of a Spanish cathedral.
Arriving into Santa Barbara, it’s impossible not to be seduced by its coastal promenade lined with swaying palms and neat rows of white stucco homes . But it’s not all pristine lawns — thedistrict’s former fishing outhouses have been turned into galleries, microbreweries and surf shops, and nearby you can pick up the urban wine trail.Finish in Santa Monica, the seaside hub that brings all the fun of the fair.
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