If you're looking for panoramic views and delicious fresh seafood, Half Moon Bay is what you're looking for. This is the perfect day trip for anyone traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area and wants to see it all without falling asleep. 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.
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival, Pacific Coast Dream Machine, 4th of July fashion show in Sol fashion, Make it Main Street, Nights of Lights, live music. On this stretch of coastline, there's no better place to quench your thirst (and enjoy good vibes) than Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Trust me when I say that there's no better place in Half Moon Bay to have a cocktail and watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean than the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay has the right conditions to host some of the biggest waves in the world, so surfers flock to the best beaches of this ideal place.
I've been preparing a short list of things I wanted to see in both Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, but I couldn't find the perfect blog that would link both places together as a day trip. From Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz is about an hour's drive south (without traffic), but there are many stops along the way that interrupt the trip. After exploring Half Moon Bay and making whatever stops you want, drive along the coast (or go up, depending on the route) and stop at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. When you approach Half Moon Bay, you'll notice that there aren't many entrances, so those small alleyways can get very congested.
There are also some historic points of interest located in and near the center of Half Moon Bay, including the small Half Moon Bay jail and the beautifully restored Johnston House. 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 coastline encompasses the cities of Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, San Gregorio, La Honda and Pescadero. If you didn't have time for breakfast before hitting the road, buy a freshly baked cake at Half Moon Bay Bakery.
I stayed at an AirBnB property in the small town of El Granada, about 4 miles north of Half Moon Bay. The few times Zach and I have driven to Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz have always been on a weekend, but we've been lucky and only run into heavy traffic once.
