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. Sam's Chowder House, a true icon of Half Moon Bay, is one of the most popular dining establishments on this stretch of coast.
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. Tucked along the California coast, Half Moon Bay welcomes visitors from all over the state and the world. Half Moon Bay has the right conditions to host some of the biggest waves in the world, so surfers flock to the best beaches in this ideal location. 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 by the coast.
The small center of Half Moon Bay is the perfect place to familiarize yourself with this quiet coastal city. And if you're not interested in chasing that little white ball, maybe you can go get a cold drink at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. 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. 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. 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's main street is the Bay Area's best kept secret, where you'll find unique and interesting shops, epic restaurants, art galleries, tasting rooms and much 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. You can start your day at Half Moon Bay and drive along the coast to watch the sunset in Santa Cruz, or you can start in Santa Cruz and finish in Half Moon Bay. But without a doubt, my favorite of all the NorCal coastal cities that stretch between San Francisco and Santa Cruz is Half Moon Bay.
If you didn't have time for breakfast before hitting the road, buy a freshly baked cake at Half Moon Bay Bakery.
