What to do in Central Coast California, CA

Activities, attractions and tours

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park which includes landscape views and rocky coastline
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park which includes landscape views and rocky coastline
Yosemite Valley which includes mist or fog
Central Coast California
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park showing mountains, landscape views and a beach

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What to do in Central Coast California


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Butterfly beach along Channel Drive in Santa Barbara, California., Shutterstock ID 23776711, SF SSA Case with Manager Approval: Case 07151371, Job: Prepay credit, Client/Licensee: , Other:

Montecito

5/5(4 area reviews)

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Montecito. A stop by Miramar Beach or Butterfly Beach might round out your trip.

Montecito
Starting off a great day of fishing with a beautiful #sunrise over the Santa Barbara Harbor #adventure #ocean #California

Santa Barbara Beach

4.5/5(67 area reviews)

Santa Barbara Beach is known for its stunning beaches, and you can see some sights area like Stearns Wharf and MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation.

Santa Barbara Beach
urban landscape of the city of Santa Barbara, California ; Shutterstock ID 398939668

Downtown Santa Barbara

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Downtown Santa Barbara. A stop by Lobero Theater or Presidio Santa Barbara might round out your trip.

Downtown Santa Barbara
Following highway 1 south out of Monterey you get views like this

Downtown Monterey

4/5(31 area reviews)

The pristine beaches and popular aquarium are top of the list for many visitors to Downtown Monterey. A stop by Golden State Theatre or Munras Avenue might round out your trip.

Downtown Monterey
This is a small state park at the northern end of Santa Cruz' scenic West Cliff Drive and a little over a mile from the Boardwalk, wharf and Main Beach.  A couple of times a year you can see Monarch butterflies during their migration. They are not in the numbers of years past, but you'll still see some.

If you walk north towards the rocks during low tide you will find some amazing tidepools full of sea anenomes, sea urchins, starfish, crabs, hermit crabs, and all sorts of marine life. The tidepools are on a ledge, so the tide needs to be quite high

Westside Santa Cruz

4/5(31 area reviews)

Travellers to Westside Santa Cruz praise its stunning beaches. If you've got some more time to explore, be sure to stop by Monterey Bay and Pacific Avenue.

Westside Santa Cruz
View of Carmel Beach from Scenic Rd.

Golden Rectangle

5/5(11 area reviews)

While visiting Golden Rectangle, you might make a stop by sights like Carmel Plaza and Carmel Beach.

Golden Rectangle