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Dana Point
The Start of the Pacific Coast Highway
Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.
Whale Watching Boat at Dana Point
Photo (c) Donna Dailey
Dana Point in southern California is the official start, or end, of the Pacific Coast Highway. The PCH starts at exit 79 from I-5, where California State Route 1 begins.
The highway then takes you through part of Dana Point and then north along the coast towards Laguna Beach and the other California beach towns beyond.
There’s much more to Dana Point than just being the start of the road trip, however, and it’s well worth a night or two of anyone’s time. It’s probably best-known for its whale watching trips, and in particular its Festival of Whales.
Dana Point Whale Watching Festival
Dana Point Festival of Whales
The annual Festival of Whales takes place at Dana Point usually over two weekends in early/mid-March. It’s a great time to visit, but book your accommodation ahead.
There are parades with huge inflatable whales, octopuses and other sea creatures that kids will love. There are races, lectures, hot rods on display, music, hikes, walking tours, art, movies, pancake breakfasts, BBQs, sand sculpting, rubber ducky races, and a whole lot more including, of course, lots of whale watching trips.
The Festival also coincides with Dana Point Restaurant Week, when there are some bargain and special meals to be had in the town’s eating places. If you’re coming in for the day from outside the town then there’s a regular shuttle service so you don’t have to get caught up in downtown traffic, and you can park and ride all day for free.
Whale Watching Trips
One of the Dana Point experiences you must on no account miss is a whale watching cruise with Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching. Prime season for grey whales is from about November to April, though it can vary a little from year to year depending on the conditions.
Then from May to October, the blue whales start to be seen, making whale watching a year-round attraction at Dana Point. Read the account of our Dana Point Whale Watching trip, on a sunset cruise.
Surfer at Dana Point
Photo (c) Donna Dailey
Doheny State Beach
To the south side of the harbor is Doheny State Beach, the first part of a long stretch which goes all the way to San Clemente. It’s a very popular beach, with a campsite behind it that usually needs to be booked well in advance. It is consistently voted the Best Camping Site in the whole of Orange County, year after year.
It’s also a great location for anglers, and is considered one of the best surfing beaches in Southern California.
Santa Catalina Island
You can catch ferries from Dana Point to the totally unique Santa Catalina Island, well worth a trip of a day or two.
Other California coast pages
Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.
This Visiting Hearst Castle page gives all the practicalities including location, types of tour, length of tours, how long to allow, and much more information.
For a Moss Beach hotel just off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Seal Cove Inn offers good accommodation north of Half Moon Bay, minutes from the ocean.
PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to the most scenic spots on the Pacific Coast Highway in California with Big Sur, Bixby Bridge and Pfeiffer Beach.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Of all Eureka inns, The Carter House Inns are the most romantic and historic, with one of the best restaurants in Northern California.
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.
Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.
Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.
Newport Beach is a small city on the Pacific coast of southern California, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and noted for its beaches and surfing.
There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.
Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
The Point Reyes National Seashore is an hour’s drive northwest of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and is maintained by the National Park Service.
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
Santa Catalina Island, or Catalina Island, is off the shore of Southern California and reachable from Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
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