Pacific Coast Highway: San Francisco to Los Angeles

Highway 1 hugs the Pacific for most of this drive, with the slowest and most dramatic stretch through Big Sur, where the road clings to cliffs above the surf. Plan for lots of pull-outs, fog banks in summer and a pace of around 50 km/h on the twisty sections. It suits anyone with four or five days and a taste for coastal towns, state parks and long lunches.

The stops

1. Start

   San Francisco

2. Town

   Half Moon Bay

   Pumpkin-patch and surf town, an easy first coffee stop

3. Worth a look

   Santa Cruz Wharf

   Walk the wharf and watch sea lions underneath

4. Worth a look

   Monterey Bay Aquarium

   Built on Cannery Row, good for a rainy or foggy morning

5. Viewpoint

   Lone Cypress, 17-Mile Drive

   Toll road through Pebble Beach; the cypress is a short walk from the car park

6. Viewpoint

   Bixby Creek Bridge

   Pull-outs on the north side give the classic photo

7. Park · Overnight

   Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

   Redwood walks and a campground right by the river

8. Viewpoint

   McWay Falls

   Short boardwalk to a waterfall that drops onto the beach

9. Viewpoint

   Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery

   Free viewing boardwalk; seals are on the beach year-round

10. Historic

    Hearst Castle

    Book tours ahead; the visitor centre is at the foot of the hill

11. Viewpoint

    Morro Rock

    Volcanic plug at the Morro Bay waterfront

12. Worth a look

    Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

    Walk the pier then eat in the old town

13. Worth a look

    Malibu Pier

    Last good stop before Los Angeles traffic

14. Finish

    Los Angeles

Where to stay

• Night 1

  Monterey

  Veterans Memorial Park Campground (city-run)

• Night 2

  Big Sur

  Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park campground

• Night 3

  Cambria

  San Simeon State Park campground

• Night 4

  Santa Barbara

  Carpinteria State Park campground

When to go

Apr-Oct; summer fog is common on the north coast, autumn is clearest

On the road

Big Sur has a history of landslide closures, so check Caltrans QuickMap before you set out. No fuel for long stretches in Big Sur, so fill up in Carmel or Cambria.