• Coastside
• Half Moon Bay
• San Gregorio and La Honda
• Pescadero
• El Granada
• Moss Beach
• Montara

Coastside

The Half Moon Bay Coastside is a rural seaside community about 30 minutes south of San Francisco, and only an hour's drive from virtually anywhere in the bay area. This quaint ocean community boasts numerous Bed and Breakfasts, several motels and a world-renowned hotel.

Local activities include two award-winning golf courses, a driving range, sport fishing, whale watching, and horseback riding on the beach. A historical Main street made up of eclectic shops offers a unique shopping experience. Nature lovers can enjoy redwood preserves, bird refuges, bluff and mountain top hiking, acres of hot houses and field flowers, historical walking tours, two lighthouses, Ano Nuevo state Nature Preserve (south of Pescadero), Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Montara, Princeton Harbor and Maverick's, presently the hottest surfing location in the world.

Half Moon Bay

Spanishtown, or Half Moon Bay as we know it, is the oldest settlement in San Mateo County, dating back to the 1840's. Traces of its past are visible in the many historic buildings as you explore the communities that make up the Coastside. The area between Devil's Slide and Ano Nuevo boast a very colorful past. From the Spanish land grants in the 1840's to the Ocean Shore Railroad at the turn of the century, the rumrunners of the 1930's and the ever-increasing popularity of the setting today.

San Gregorio and La Honda

Ten miles south of Half Moon Bay is San Gregorio Beach, the first and largest of a series of splendid state beaches. With white sand, protecting cliffs, and a warmish lagoon retreat the area creates a pleasant spot for picnicking and beachcombing. One mile east on Highway 84 is the town of San Gregorio, (population 150) which is famous chiefly for it's extraordinary store, built in 1889. Kerosene lanterns, saddles, a surprisingly serious book section, home baked goodies, live music, and a cowboy bar satisfy a wide spectrum of needs. A pottery shop next door showcases local artisans. Recently, the town has become a favorite location for film companies seeking “funky historical” backdrops.

In the 1850's, the San Gregorio House hosted prominent San Franciscans who traveled the long distance by stagecoach to enjoy first class trout fishing, hunting, sea bathing, and boat races. The building still stands, but no longer functions as a hotel.

A drive eight miles deeper into the redwoods on Highway 84 brings one to La Honda, (population 600) first settled in 1861. A forest retreat for San Francisco society in the late 1800's, it became a popular summering spot in the first part of this century. By the 1960's, it was discovered by counter-culture gurus such as Ken Kesey. Today it boasts camps, gardens, several tasty eateries, a craft gallery, and a number of small businesses.

Pescadero

A New England town on the Coastside - that's Pescadero. The old frame houses and steepled churches reflect the towns pioneer Yankee roots, although today people of many cultural backgrounds call Pescadero home. A stroll around Pescadero reminds you of American small towns everywhere. A few restaurants, grocery stores, and a hardware store serve the needs of residents and visitors alike. But there is a difference. Instead of having a Main Street, Pescadero has a stage road running through town. Years ago, Pescadero was on the main road along the coast and stagecoaches brought hundreds of visitors to enjoy the famous resort hotels (now long gone) and Pebble Beach.

The Pescadero community church, its steeple standing tall above the town, is a California registered landmark. Built in 1867 in the classical revival style, it is the oldest church in San Mateo County on its original site.

El Granada

Located on the east side of Highway 1, El Granada offers restaurants and shops. Originally planned by the Ocean Shore Railroad as the “Jewel of the Coast,” a grandiose resort to rival Atlantic City, the town was laid out by architect Daniel Burnham in a Beaux-Arts design of radial semicircular streets embellished with elaborate flower and tree plantings. The failure of the railroad cut short development, perhaps happily. The second half of the century has seen construction of some stunning and palatial hillside gems as well as admirable restoration of authentic, late 19th century weekend cottages.

Princeton's cape cod façade, with constant foot traffic exploring the seafood restaurants and quaint shops temporarily obscures the fact that one of the largest fishing fleets in Northern California operates from here. With an annual haul of ten million pounds of fish, one can buy fresh crab, salmon, squid, or whatever is in season right from the fisherman's boats, or sign up for a charter boat day trip to catch one's own. Whale watching is possible from both boats and resident bi-plane.

Boat building and repair yards support both the 200-vessel fishing fleet and the 170 recreational boats that moor in the fine marina, which is protected on three sides by a beautiful rock breakwater. Only ghosts remain of the Portuguese sailors from the Azores who ran a whaling station here from the 1860's till the 1890's.

Miramar beach has nurtured the offbeat since 1964 when Pete Douglas' Sunday afternoon jazz gatherings became known as the Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society. (It's a great story, ask him.) Today, “The Bach” showcases world-class jazz and classical artists. There's also the New Age Center, built from found objects, and a cluster of architecturally startling cottages.
The site of the old Amesport wharf, built in 1868, and for many years the only consistently reliable link with the outside world, Miramar (Spanish for “behold the sea”) Beach remains a sandy stretch popular with surfers and walkers.

Pillar Point Harbor and Princeton-by-the-Sea, once frequented by rumrunners and prohibition agents, now serve commercial fishermen and recreational boaters.

Begin your walk at the heart of the harbor-at Johnson Pier. You can stroll to the outer breakwater. Along the way, you will pass the boat launch ramps and a protected shoreline habitat used by great blue herons. At the outer breakwater, watch local surfers catch the waves.

The trail north from Johnson Pier takes you to the public fishing pier on the inner breakwater. From the pier, around dusk, watch quacking night herons leave their roost on the Monterey cypress tree behind the Princeton Crab & Brewery Company.

The town of Princeton-by-the-Sea, noted for it's streets named after famous colleges, was laid out in 1908 to serve the throngs of visitors who rode the Ocean Shore railroad trains from San Francisco to explore Coastside beaches.

Moss Beach

During Prohibition, the San Mateo Coast was an ideal spot for rum running, bootleggers and speakeasies. Of this era was “Frank's Place” on the cliffs at Moss Beach. Built by Frank Torres in 1928, “Franks” became a poplar nightspot for silent film stars and politicians from San Francisco.

The restaurant, located on the cliffs above a secluded beach, was in the perfect location to benefit from the clandestine activities of Canadian rumrunners. Under the cover of darkness and fog, illegal whiskey was unloaded on the beach, dragged up a steep cliff and loaded into waiting vehicles for transport to San Francisco. “Franks Place”- now called The Moss Beach Distillery- still remains its look and secluded location among the ocean coves. The distillery retains one of “Franks” former customers, as well. Resident ghost “The Blue Lady” still haunts the premises trying to recapture the fun and excitement of "Franks" speakeasy years. The story of “The Blue Lady” was documented by the TV program “Unsolved Mysteries” and has been seen by millions of people around the world.

Montara

Today, Montara, the first village south of Devil's Slide, contains approximately 3,000 people. Harr Wagner, a San Francisco publisher, founded it around the turn of the century on a portion of the old Rancho Corral de Tierra. Wagner's hopes of establishing an art colony floundered with the demise of the Ocean Shore Railroad in 1922 and the fires of 1916 and 1920. Even the Sequoia gigantic planted by Joaquin Miller (“the pet of the Sierras”), who rode into town on the first passenger train, soon died as did Wagner's dream. However, today's population does include a number of writers and artists.