Pacific Coast Highway - Central Coast

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), or California Highway 1, as it is more often referred to, is on just about everyone's itinerary when visiting California. This highway offers beautiful panoramic views of the Pacific Coastline from the seat of your car, as it twists and turns atop the seaside cliffs.

The route starts in Southern California, just south of San Juan Capistrano, and begins its Central California Coast section in the south around Pismo Beach. The Highway, also known as the Cabrillo Highway for part of its length, heads north approximately 140 miles to Monterey. This section, the most scenic on the Central California Coast includes dramatic sections where one may see views of the rocky headlands as they meet up with the wild Pacific Ocean. The road dips and soars, passing by the tourist destinations of San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Pebble Beach and Carmel.

Further north, the 50 mile segment from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay is quite remote, yet scenic. A few miles north, Highway 1 merges with the streets of San Francisco only to lead into the world famous Golden Gate Bridge. You may want to park the car and do this portion of Highway 1 on foot, ending up with dinner in Sausalito. Across the bridge, Highway 1 continues on through the mountains and coastal areas of Marin County with access to the area's many natural attractions such as Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais and Point Reyes. It then reaches beyond San Francisco for another 175 miles, up past Medocino and out to the northern reaches of California.

Practically speaking, travelers heading to the San Francisco Bay Area from southern points will make better time on the inland Interstate Highways and Freeways. Vacationers, interested in viewing one of the world's most popular scenic routes en route to their destination will usually opt for Highway 1. Expect to make several short stops to admire the stunning vistas along the way, and plan for a few longer ones to give yourself time to visit some of the attractions. Many popular Californian tourist attractions, including beaches, mountains and popular towns may be accessed from Highway 1.

The road is well maintained, but is quite winding and crowded in some sections. Drivers heading south will have protected but sheer drop-offs to the right of their car. The going may be slow and passing is not allowed on most 2 lane sections of the road. It is advisable not to attempt to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in one day. Instead, you had best choose a less ambitious destination such as Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Monterey, for a stopover.