Half Moon Bay has some of the best beaches in the San Francisco Bay Area, with opportunities to swim, walk, explore tide pools, or just relax. Whether you live in the Bay Area or are just visiting, a day trip to Half Moon Bay is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. It's less than an hour's drive from cities like San Jose and San Francisco, but it feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley. This is the perfect day trip for anyone traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area and wants to see it all without staying one night.
However, don't let the small-town descriptor fool you. Half Moon Bay has the best of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in one place. With a vast and diverse landscape that encompasses miles of wide sandy beaches, lush cliff-top meadows and forested hills, there's a lot to explore. Our enviable coastal environment, with a dynamic active port and a thriving surf and water sports culture, will inspire you to hop on a fishing boat, kayak or paddleboard and explore our diverse ecosystem marine.
And if you're not interested in chasing that white ball, maybe you can go get a cold drink at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. I'm visiting my friend who lives in the Half Moon Bay colony. In fact, it has the first house built in this exclusive complex on the Ritz Carlton golf course and has ocean views. Tucked along the California coast, Half Moon Bay welcomes visitors from all over the state and the world.
With an immense landscape and the charm of a small town, the coastline of Half Moon Bay offers visitors a wide range of experiences. So, take advantage of the rest stop and learn about the Half Moon Bay coastal path that runs along four beaches. The coastline encompasses the cities of Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, San Gregorio, La Honda and Pescadero. The few times Zach and I have driven to Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz have always been on the weekend, but we've been lucky and have only run into heavy traffic once.
I've been preparing a short list of things I wanted to see both in Half Moon Bay and in Santa Cruz, but I couldn't find the perfect blog that would combine these two places for a day trip. Half Moon Bay's main street is the Bay Area's best kept secret for unique and interesting stores, epic restaurants, art galleries, tasting rooms and more. There are also some historic points of interest located in and near the center of Half Moon Bay, such as the small Half Moon Bay jail and the beautifully restored Johnston House. If you want to start the day with a pleasant walk along the coast and enjoy some lobster rolls, finish with a sunset at Shark Fin Cove, start at Half Moon Bay and drive along the coast. There's no better place to quench your thirst (and get some energy) on this stretch of coastline than Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.
Search all accommodations 1855 Zaballa House Aristocrat Hotel Beach House Hotel Cypress Inn On Miramar Beach Half Moon Bay Inn Half Moon Bay Lodge Harbor View Inn at Mavericks Mill Rose Inn Nantucket Whale Inn Ocean View Inn Oceano Hotel & Spa Quality Inn Seal Cove Inn The Miramar Inn and Suites The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. The Visit Half Moon Bay website is a cooperative effort of the Half Moon Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, the Half Moon Bay Hotel Business Improvement District, and the Half Moon Bay Downtown Association. For example, the first time I visited it, I knew I wanted to see the sunset at Shark Fin Cove (near Santa Cruz), so I started the day at Half Moon Bay.
