San Simeon
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.
Hearst Castle Evening Tour
There's not a lot to do in San Simeon itself, but it does
make a good base for a day or two while exploring everything close by. We
haven't stayed there ourselves but we have visited the Cavalier Oceanfront
Resort to look around and it was a lovely place, right on the ocean as the name
tells you.
We usually stay in Cambria, which is livelier than San
Simeon and with more accommodation and eating options, but it is about 7 miles
further south than San Simeon's motels. If you're visiting Hearst Castle in the
evening or have a tour booked for early in the morning, staying in San Simeon
can make more sense.
Hearst Castle
Most of the accommodation in San Simeon is close together
and roughly 4 miles south of the entrance to Hearst Castle. You can read all
about Hearst Castle on some of our other pages:
Hearst Castle Tours
Visiting Hearst Castle
Driving from Los Angeles to Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle Evening Tours
Elephant Seals
About 7-8 miles north of San Simeon is one of our favorite
stops on the Pacific Coast Highway. We simply cannot drive by without stopping
at Piedras Blancas, or the Elephant Seals Beach. We can guarantee that you'll
never have seen anything like it in your life. It's the only elephant seal rookery in the world that is easily
accessible and is open for free every day of the year. Yes, the elephant seals
don't even take Christmas Day off!
Piedras Blancas Light
Station
Drive north from the elephant seals and in less than 2 miles
on the ocean side (naturally) will be the Piedras Blancas Light Station. We
have to admit that we've not yet visited here simply because we always spend
longer than planned watching the elephant seals.
The light station dates back to 1874 and was originally 100
feet tall, but an earthquake in 1948 damaged the top and it's now 70 feet high.
You can tour the light station but you must book in advance here.
Note also that tours do not start at the light station
itself but at the former Piedras Blancas Motel, which is 1.5 miles further
north.
San Simeon Beaches
San Simeon can also offer some very good beaches, if you
want to relax a little. The William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach is
hard to miss as it's directly across from the entrance to Hearst Castle. The
soft sand beach has kayaking, fishing, boating, and other facilities, and the
Coastal Discovery Center is open at weekends.
Further south is Pico Creek Beach, which is walking distance
from most of the local motels and hotels. There are also hiking trails from
this beach, and several other beaches are within easy driving distance of San
Simeon.
Driving to San Simeon
Driving from Los Angeles to San Simeon should take about 4
hours in normal traffic, if you take the fastest route along I-5 and then cut
across to the coast on Highway 46. It's a pretty straightforward drive, but
allow for traffic which can push the journey time up to 5 hours.
Going from LA to San Simeon along the Pacific Coast Highway
will add about an hour to the journey time. The total distance from central Los
Angeles is about 240 miles, whether you go along the coast or take I-5.
From San Francisco to San Simeon is also about 240 miles and
should take 4-5 hours, perhaps a little more if the traffic is bad. You can go
south along Highway 101 to Paso Robles and then take Highway 46 out to the
coast. This is the way to go if Big Sur is blocked, as it has been a few times
in recent years.
The other option is to take Highway 1 along the coast which
trims the journey to about 200 miles but the journey time can be anything from
3.5 to 5.5 hours, depending on the state of the traffic.
Where to Stay in San Simeon
Other California coast pages
Malibu is a beach city north of Los Angeles famous for the celebrities who live there in expensive homes and the Pacific Coast Highway runs through it and there are beaches and hikes for all to enjoy.
The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.
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.
Crescent City is on the Pacific Coast Highway in northern California and noted for its crescent-shaped beach, Ocean World sea park, and nearby redwoods and state parks.
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 Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
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.
There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.
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.
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.
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.
La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.
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.
Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.
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.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
Of all Eureka inns, The Carter House Inns are the most romantic and historic, with one of the best restaurants in Northern California.
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.
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches and surfing.
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.
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.
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.
Santa Monica in California is famous for its pier, and beaches, and is one of the best west coast vacation spots, with hotels, restaurants, surfing, museums.
The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.
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