There’s no precise border, but many Californians call the Central Coast the area near the shoreline from Santa Barbara to Monterey, roughly the western or southwestern portions of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey counties. It’s between Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego) and Northern California (San Francisco and the Bay Area), hence the name “Central” Coast.
The scenery, the history, the food, and the people. The Central Coast has endless miles of, well, coast. Most of the waterfront is backed by dramatic hills and mountains that contribute to amazing views. The three Central Coast counties are the size of Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined, but with 1.1 million people, have less than one-seventh the population density of those two states. That means plenty of open space, and almost all of the coast is easily visible while driving on Highway 101 or 1.
The largely agricultural countryside is dotted with laid-back, charming, but sophisticated towns with high quality restaurants, shops, and entertainment such as Santa Barbara, Solvang, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Cambria, Paso Robles, Carmel, and Monterey. Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo are home to major universities that contribute to an energetic, youthful “college town” atmosphere. Hearst Castle, the palatial estate built by legendary newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in the early 20th century just a few miles north of Cambria, is also a major draw. Big Sur, the 90 miles of coast between Carmel and Cambria, has some of the finest scenery in the United States, as a 5,000 foot (1500 meter) mountain range ascends directly out of the Pacific, traversed by the slender ribbon of Highway 1 and innumerable bridges. Carmel is world famous for its golf courses, the 17 Mile Drive and the annual Concours d’Elegance luxury car show. Monterey’s Aquarium was one of the first, and still one of the best, modern urban aquariums in the world.
The Central Coast has some of the best preserved historical sites in California: Esselen bedrock mortars in Big Sur carved thousands of years ago to grind acorns into flour, Chumash rock paintings near Santa Barbara of similar age, eight of the twenty-one Spanish missions that arose throughout California in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Victorian-era lighthouses, and walkable early 20th century Spanish Revival and Art Deco town centers designed before the rise of California’s car culture.
And there’s the California weather. Even in the dead of winter throughout most of the US, daytime temperatures in January and February are almost always above 60° F (15° C) and often over 70° (21° C). In summer while other places drive people indoors with triple-digit temperatures, near the coast in July or August the thermometer rarely rises above 80° F (27° C). The seasons are highly predictable, with 70% of annual rainfall happening from December through March, and even then, most days are sunny.
Most travelers reach the Central Coast by driving from Los Angeles, San Francisco, or California’s Central Valley, flying into the Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) airports and renting a car, or one of the regional airports: Santa Barbara (SBA), Santa Maria (SMX), San Luis Obispo (SBP), or Monterey (MRY). There is also Amtrak train service from Los Angeles or San Francisco with stops in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Salinas.
The total driving time from Los Angeles to San Francisco on the coastal roads is about 10-11 hours without stops. Although it’s technically possible to make the journey in a single day, the Traveler does not recommend it. It’s much better to break the trip into at least two or three days, and it’s possible to spend a week or more without exhausting the possibilities this area has to offer.
Especially near the San Francisco and Los Angeles urban areas, travel times are difficult to predict because of traffic. The Traveler suggests that you check the California Department of Transportation website before taking to the road, as it displays real-time information about road closures and construction delays. Just type in the number of the highway you want to check.
These times are averages, without stops:
Los Angeles to Santa Barbara: 2 hours. From the Los Angeles metropolitan area, get on Highway 101 north, or, as Californians would say it, “the 101.” Some people prefer to take interstate Highway 10 (“the 10″) all the way west to Santa Monica, then transfer to coastal Highway 1. However, the Traveler does not like this route, because the 10 is often horribly congested near the Highway 1 interchange.
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Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo: 1.5 hours, all on the 101. Many online mapping services will route a detour on Highway 154 from Santa Barbara, as it’s technically a few miles shorter. However, this way is not really faster, as it’s a narrow, winding two lane road through mountain terrain. After Gaviota north of Santa Barbara, no road travels along the coast for 60 miles until Pismo Beach; Highway 1 is not a coastal route in this area.
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San Luis Obispo to Cambria: 1 hour. In San Luis Obispo on the 101, exit to Highway 1 following the sign “Morro Bay Hearst Castle 1 North.” The exit briefly deposits you in a residential area, but the signs to Highway 1 north are well marked.
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Cambria to Monterey: 3 hours, all on Highway 1. This stretch is known as Big Sur, a wildly mountainous region. Although it’s only 100 miles on a map, the road is sharply curved and most drivers average 30 miles per hour until the outskirts of Carmel. I do not recommend rushing through without stops, as Big Sur is loaded with scenic vista points and parks.
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Monterey to San Francisco: 2 or 3 hours, depending on which of the three routes you choose. Coastal Highway 1 all the way is the slowest. The Traveler finds the route pretty, but nothing to compare with the scenery further south. The Traveler’s preferred route is on the map below, taking Highway 1 to Santa Cruz, then 17 to the outskirts of San Jose, 85 around San Jose, and finally 280 into San Francisco. Highway 280 is surprisingly scenic for a six lane freeway, as it has a stunning mountain backdrop, and it usually has little traffic. The Traveler does not recommend using the 101 to get into San Francisco, which is the default option of most online mapping services. It is usually heavily congested and visually unappealing for long stretches.
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Great stuff Central Coast Traveler! My family and I are doing this drive in early April this year.
That’s great! You’ll have a wonderful time.
… we’re going in September!
Excellent choice. If the Central Coast Traveler can answer any questions, just ask!
Love the info you provide. We start our trip at LAX for family wedding at Malibu. Then on to Yosemite and Sonoma and San Francisco. We are unable to drive North on the coast because of schedule at Yosemite so will be forced to back track .We are traveling from Los Altos to Hearst Castle. Have never traveled the coast north of Santa Barbara. Should we continue on to LAX from San Simeon to return to Chicago or drive back to San Jose to fly back to Chicago and how much time should we allow for this final leg of our journey. Sorry to bother you with this but we are stuck on this last leg. We depart Chicago Sept. 13th. Wedding on the 15th. Party in Pasadena on the 16th. Sonoma 17th thru 21st. Yosemite 9/21-25. San Francisco 25-26th Los Altos 27 0r 28th. Hope to return to Chicago on the 30th or 10/01 at the latest . Is it doable? Can cut SF to 1 night and cut 1 night from Los Altos.
Hi John:
I wouldn’t backtrack, but instead would press on ahead to the south. San Simeon to LAX is somewhat under 5 hours without stops, depending on traffic.
Great blog! Thanks for putting so much info together in one place.
Me and a few of my friends (30ish) will be making the trek down Highway 1 in early July. We’re departing from San Francisco early Tuesday and need to be in Los Angeles (Santa Monica actually) by Wednesday afternooon. We had tentatively pencilled in San Luis Obispo as our overnight stop, but were wandering if this is the ideal location? It appears as though most of our “exploring” will be done north of San Luis Obispo, but will this leave us enough time to perhaps check out the vineyards and surrouding areas of San Luis Obispo? We’d like to stay somewhere where we can find moderately priced food and a few drinks before taking off the next morning for L.A. Do you think San Luis Obispo would fit these needs?
Hi Roger: I think SLO would be an excellent base. It has by far the biggest cluster of restaurants and bars between Monterey and Santa Barbara. Most of the action is around Higuera Street, in the middle of downtown. You may want to check out Big Sky Cafe or Eureka!Burger, both reviewed on this blog.
Hi Roger, You must visit the Natural Foods Marketplace in southern SLO,near Costco & Home Depot, south of the Madonna Inn. It is easy to find and has an extremely varied array of fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses, wines, artisan beers and artisan baked goods as well. “All the munchies you would ever need to get you to LA and back. All itens are fresh, many organic, They serve full breakfst and lunch menu with many soups, sandwiches and wraps. They take special orders and will prepare any combination of your choosing, There is a pleasant outdoor patio, and an inside seating area. Its worh a stop.
My wife and I are “doing California” in September, after LV, Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce we will travel towards San Francisco via Death Valley and Yosemite however we would also like to do some of the coastal route up from Cambria. Not sure what order to do Yosemite and the Coast or indeed whether this is practical. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hello Blu: Thanks for checking in with the Central Coast Traveler! Whether any of this is practical depends on how much time you’ve allotted for your trip, and your tolerance for long drives. If I know how much time you have, I can help with your planning.
Hi central coast traveller, my wife and I, late 40s, are coming from Australia to California from May 15th for two weeks. We are staying in LA for three nights then into a hire car from LA to San Fran. We are planning to drive up the coast for 3 nights before heading across to Fish Creek. We have got accom booked for 21st and 22nd at Fish creek to see Yosemite. We will then have one further night on the road before having 7 nights in San Fran to explore. Any ideas on where to stay and what to see. Regards Glenn
Hi Glenn: Do you have any specific interests or things you’d like to do for the Central Coast portion of your trip? Do you want quiet relaxation near beaches or vineyards, active outdoor sports (bicycling, hiking, surfing), fine dining and shopping, or touring historical sites? All of these are available on the Central Coast, but I’d need to know what appeals to you before offering advice.
Good evening,
We found your website via Frommers.com. We’d like to ask for your advise since we’re visiting Cambria for 3d/2n this spring break (staying at the Cambria Pines Lodge). We’re driving from LA to Cambria via the “101″ as you recommend. We’ll visit moonstone beach, moonstone boardwalk, downtown Cambria, linn bakery, paso robles for wine tasting. Are there other things to see and do in/near Cambria??
Is the elephant seal rockery close by ?? Are there hiking trails near Cambria ??? (we’ll skip hearst castle). Thank you very much and looking forward to your response.
Regards, ThuyD.
Hi ThuyD: Thank you for asking the Central Coast Traveler! There is so much to do in Cambria; it’s a great base to explore the area. Actually, the 101 doesn’t go to Cambria. Highway 1 splits from 101 in San Luis Obispo: Highway 1 goes along the coast to Cambria, while 101 heads inland to Paso Robles.
The elephant seal rookery is very popular, and only 12 miles (19 km) north of Cambria. Here’s their website: http://www.elephantseal.org/Rookery/where.htm
There are many hiking trails around Cambria. It’s in the foothills of the Santa Lucia mountain range, so there are plenty of scenic hills and valleys. For more info, check out: http://www.cambriachamber.org/hiking.php
In Cambria itself, many people like to stroll along Main Street and visit the shops. There are no national chain stores, only locally-owned businesses; it’s unusual among American towns in that respect.
For Paso Robles wine tasting, this site may be useful: http://www.pasowine.com/
You’ll have a great trip!
We both are non drinker’s so the vineyards do not appeal. We are into looking at the sights, history, some shopping and looking into the history along the coast. We thought we would stay the first night in or around Santa Barbara but not sure were to spend the next two. reards Glenn
Hi Glenn: You’re in luck as the whole Central Coast is loaded with sights, history, and shopping. Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carmel and Monterey are among the oldest towns in California, as they were founded during the original Spanish colonization in the 1770′s. The Spanish missions established during this era are wonderful places to see living history:
http://santabarbaramission.org/
http://www.missionsantaines.org/home.html
http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org/
http://www.carmelmission.org/
The best places for shopping north of Santa Barbara are San Luis Obispo, Cambria, and Carmel. San Luis Obispo has a large, tree-lined, pedestrian-friendly downtown core with many buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century, all centered around the 18th century mission. You’d exit on Marsh Street from Highway 101.
The part of our journey I am concerned about is after we have visited Death Valley (Stovepipe Wells has been suggested?) we have 8 days before we need to be in San F.
Yosemite is a must but as I say we would like to do some of the coastal route, e.g.Big Sur.
Blu
Thank you great information.
i have a business meeting in san francisco on monday morning 5/14 and then need to be in santa monica on wed morning. i want to drive to monterey on mon afternoon. should i drive big sur and back on tuesday and then fly to lax from monterey, or should i just drive straight from monterey to santa monica on tuesday? i am not interested in “quaint towns” or restaurants etc.. just want to enjoy the scenerey. i doubt that i will have much time to stop for hikes. thanks so much for your site and your info.
Hi Aaron: I recommend driving through. Although the Monterey airport is small and security is easy to get through, you may be waiting a while for a plane to depart.
Thanks for the great info.
We’ll be going at the end of the month.
Unfortunately we’ll be a little rushed. We plan to eat breakfast in Carmel and then drive south and turn inland around Cambria to head to Paso Robles to meet some family. So we need a suggestion on the best place for lunch between Carmel and Cambria. Views while dining are a plus, but we don’t need anything fancy or dress up or too expensive. We are from Texas and always on the look out for the best burger. Any suggestions?
Hi there:
Californians have a reputation for dressing very casually. Some of the richest people wear fleece and battered hiking boots to expensive restaurants. Big Sur, being remote, is even more laid back.
You may want to try the Ambrosia Burger at Nepenthe. It’s a wonderful restaurant with incredible views. However, Nepenthe is only an hour south from Carmel; depending on when you leave and where you stop on the way, you may get there soon after breakfast. South of Nepenthe, there aren’t many restaurants I’d recommend until Cambria, which has an abundance of great places. Robin’s is my favorite there.