The Slow Coast is the nickname for the fifty mile stretch of highway 1 that extends from Pacifica to Santa Cruz. It’s the perfect day trip for those who are ready to explore small coastal towns and nature’s gems. To help you plan your day trip I created a Slow Coast Road Trip Guide. I’ve included restaurants, cafes and stops that shouldn’t be missed! Each city listed goes in descending order from North to South.
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is known to have exceptional coastline views. And the best place to view them is along the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail. You can park at the Poplar Beach Parking lot and the entrance to the trail is right there. Take the trail south and you’ll past Poplar Beach, Wavecrest Beach and Redondo Beach. Eventually you’ll past The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay where there’s lawn chairs and fire pits. The hotel also has restaurants with a view of the ocean.
If you need a pick me up along your road trip, drop by Granola’s Coffee House. They serve sandwiches, bagels, coffee, and smoothies. I had their quiche of the day and it was very delicious.
If you want something more filling, Sacrilege Brewing + Kitchen serves up beer on tap and variety of bar bites from tacos to burgers. Sam’s Chowder House is also a local favorite that became so popular that they made a food truck! Munch on their popular lobster rolls while taking in the ocean views.
To take in some local history, drop by the James Johnston House. It’s a registered national historic place that was built in the 1850s by a real estate investor. In the 1960s, renovation on the property started to restore it to it’s original New England salt box structure. It’s a beautiful piece of architecture that is perched on a hill, surrounded by wildflowers.
Pescadero
This tiny town in the middle of no where is one of my favorite spots! This town is the size of a block – LITERALLY. The center of the town is a block with a restaurant, cafe and few shops. On the strip there’s Downtown Local, a small coffee shop that doubles as a vintage shop. Drop by and grab a cup of Sightglass coffee and rummage through their vintage items (most are for sale). They have a lot of neat finds, such as comic books, toys and vinyl records.
Further down the street is Arcangeli Grocery where they sell goods that were produced locally. Their best sellers are the artichoke bread, sausages and fresh made pies.
If you love goats, visiting Harley Farms is a must. They offer tours of their farm which you can book online or you can drop by during their open hours: Friday-Sunday, 11am-4pm. They also have a cute farm shop that is housed in an old dairy stable.
For that epic travel picture, make sure to take a pit stop at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse is almost 250 years old! The lighthouse is open for tours and there is a hostel onsite for those who want to stay overnight. The lighthouse is exceptionally beautiful during the Spring when the wildflowers are in full bloom.
Davenport
Davenport is a small beach town known for two locations: Shark Fin Cove and Davenport Pier. Both spots are a photographer’s dream. Before going to either spots, I recommend grabbing a beach blanket, a bluetooth speaker and some food to enjoy on the beach.
Davenport Pier is an abandoned pier. The remaining remnants of it are merely concrete pylons standing in the open ocean. To get down to beach is challenging. You literally have to climb down a bluff to make it to the beach. Make sure to wear sneakers and tread down cautiously if you’re carrying down belongings. The first pier usually has swing hung on it, which is makes it the perfect spot to shoot.
Shark Fin Cove is more accessible. Because the climb down to the beach is less steep, the cove tends to attract more crowds. The cove gets it’s name from the large rock that is shaped like a shark fin, sitting out in the open ocean. Just parallel to the shark fin rock is a smaller rock shaped like a shark fin as well. The best time to visit the cove is in the spring when the wildflowers around the cove are in full bloom.
Santa Cruz
Another beach that deserves a visit is Natural Bridges State Park. Like Shark Fin Cove, Natural Bridges has a signature rock that sits out in the ocean. This spot attracts a crowd, especially photographers, during sunset.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has still been and remains to be Santa Cruz’s main attraction. Because I’ve been going to the Boardwalk since I was a child, the place has a special place in my heart. I can’t help to feel nostalgic when I’m there. I love grabbing carnival food and ride amusement park rides. My favorite ride there is the Big Dipper-the iconic wooden roller coaster.
Capitola
The last stop along the Slow Coast is a beachside town called Capitola. During three day weekends, this beach gets packed. Along the beach strip are numerous shops and restaurants. But what makes Capitola iconic is the strip of colorful vacation homes sitting along the beach. It’s a popular spot to take pictures.
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