Highway 1 is one of the most iconic roads in the entire world. It stretches along the stunning coastline of California, offering breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its scenic beauty, iconic bridges and impressive roads that navigate steep cliffs and gorgeous beaches. The route runs from San Francisco all the way to Los Angeles. You will have the best views starting in San Francisco, because you will have unobstructed views of the ocean. This is a must do when studying at San Francisco State University. But you need 2 things to do this trip: a car and time. Which is something that most exchange students don’t have. My recommendation would be to go with a group where at least one person is over 21 and has their driver's license. In addition, try to go on a long weekend. Most students only have class from Monday to Wednesday, which means you could go from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon. You will not be able to do the whole route, but you can do half. The first half is the prettiest anyway, if you’d ask me. Personally, I went with my parents for 4 days. Therefore, here is my 4-day itinerary to do a road trip on the iconic Highway 1.
Day 1
We started off by driving from San Francisco south to Shark Fin’s Cove, which took around an hour and 15 minutes. This is a beautiful rock in the middle of the ocean that looks like the fin of a shark. It is formed by erosion, which makes it a unique piece of nature. It's not very clearly indicated on a sign where it is, so you have to look carefully on google maps, so you don't miss it. I would recommend doing this early in the day, so you have good lighting. There even is a beach, though the road down is really steep and unsteady. After that, we drove 25 minutes more to Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a cozy village to stroll through. We visited the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, home to the oldest amusement park in America. It borders a large sandy beach where you can relax for a while. We walked on the pier where we even saw some sea lions, which was really fun. Along the way, we encountered various charming shops and typical American cinemas. We had dinner at Lillian’s Italian kitchen, which was really good. After that, we spent the night In Santa Cruz.
Day 2
The following day, we woke up in Santa Cruz and drove to a little town close by, called Capitola. We loved this town so much. It is known for its colorful houses at the beach. We walked around for a little bit and then had lunch at Zelda’s on the Beach. Our waiter was really nice, and their cinnamon roll is to die for. Definitely a place we would go back to. After lunch we walked back to our car and drove to Monterey. We walked through downtown to Fisherman's Wharf. From Monterey, you can book a boat trip to see whales. Also, you can go to lovers point park, which is supposedly really pretty. Personally, we had booked a stay in Carmel, so we did not stay here for long. From Monterey, you can drive the 17-mile drive. This is a paid route past the most extraordinary scenery and viewpoints. A ticket costs 12$ per car. The route has 18 markers where you can stop. At each marker there is a small parking lot and a sign explaining the spot. Fun fact, there are people living along this route. Almost all of the houses have an amazing view. Sadly, you would need to pay at least 3 million dollars to live there. Our favorite viewpoints on this route were: ‘Spanish Bay, Restless Sea, Point Joe, Fanshell Overlook, the Lone Cypress and the Ghost Tree’. After this, we drove to Carmel by the Sea and spent the night at the Carmel Mission Inn.
Day 3
We woke up in sunny Carmel and we drove downtown. Carmel was my favorite place from the whole trip. Everything was so cute; the vibe was great, and the people were really nice. After lunch we walked down to the beach. When I tell you this beach was gorgeous, that is an understatement. There are many surfers and people walking with their dogs. The beaches have white sand, and the ocean looks bright blue. After we sat on the beach for a while, we walked back to downtown where we had dinner at Flaherty’s Grill & Seafood bar. This is a well-known restaurant, where a lot of locals go, so it’s important that you make a reservation. I had the lobster ravioli with scallops, which was amazing. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone who wants to visit Carmel.
Day 4
After we woke up, we drove to Point Lobos State Park. When you arrive, you will see a lot of cars parked on the street, don’t be scared away by this! You can go in the park with your car, this costs 10$. This park has a lot of different hiking trails you can do, but they are a little far from each other, so it’s better to drive with the car from one to another if you want to do multiple. From hiking trails beside the sea, to hiking trails in the mountains where you can see deer. There are a lot of fun an diverse trails. We spend around 2 hours here. After that, we drove to the Bixby Creek bridge. This bridge is around 100 years old. The famous Bixby Creek Bridge is just a 15-minute drive from Point Lobos State Park. The best view of the bridge is just before you enter the bridge on the right side of the road. There is a parking lot here with a large viewpoint. You will also see several nice viewpoints and beaches along the way, where you could stop as well. This was the furthest we went. We drove the same route back which I would definitely recommend. You will see everything from a different perspective which I really liked. We stopped to have a late lunch at Whale City Bakery. The avocado toast here is so good. Sadly, this was the end of our trip. But it is a trip worth taking if you want to experience the real California lifestyle.