Half Moon Bay – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (2024)

Half Moon Bay is a city on the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The Half Moon Bay Coastside is a rural seaside community about 30 miles (45 km) south of San Francisco.

Understand[edit]

Half Moon Bay's visitor information center offer maps, brochures, directories, and other information for tourists.

• 1 Half Moon Bay Visitor Information Center, 235 Main St (from westbound Hwy 92, turn left on to Main Street), ☏ +1 650 726-8380, fax: +1 650 726-8389, info@hmbchamber.com. M–F 9AM–5PM, Sa Su 10AM–3PM. Closed on all holidays. Visitor Information Center run by the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce & Visitors' Bureau.

Climate[edit]

The climate in Half Moon Bay is more "foggy San Francisco" than "sunny California" in style. It's easy to spot the tourists on the beach: they're the ones shivering in bikinis. The locals are more likely to be found in wetsuits or strolling along the beach in shirts and rolled-up pants. Although there are cold snaps that drop below freezing every few years or so, and a few days here or there that are warm enough to be uncomfortable every year, on typical days, it's cool and somewhat windy, but not downright cold. Even in the summer, you'll want to pack a jacket or an extra shirt to put on when the ocean breeze kicks up in the early evening. Plan for rain from mid-October through April.

Get in[edit]

By car[edit]

Highway 92 is perfect if you are coming in from either 101 or 280.

If you are coming from San Francisco you can also take 280 to Highway 1.

By bus[edit]

Take Samtrans #294 from Hillsdale Caltrain, or 110 then 117 from Pacifica. The 110 to 117 is scheduled for a short-wait transfer at Linda Mar, but may not be guaranteed if the bus is late.

Get around[edit]

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 213 San Mateo Rd #112, ☏ +1 650 712-6880, fax: +1 650 712-6884.
• Coast Cab Company, El Granada, ☏ +1 650 726-1779, fax: +1 650 712-1119.

See[edit]

Almost all of the beaches are on or off of California State Highway 1 (a.k.a. the Pacific Coast Highway) (Note some addresses are given as CA Highway 1, the Cabrillo Highway or the PCH.)

• 1 Cowell Ranch State Beach (Off of Highway 1), ☏ +1 650 726-8819. The entrance to Cowell Ranch is a fairly long hike in and leads to cliffs overlooking the ocean. It is a steep hike down to the beach.
• 2 Dunes State Beach (Highway 1 to Young Avenue), ☏ +1 650 726-8819. Sister beach of Venice State Beach and Francis State Beach. Part of the Waterfront Coastside Trail system.
• 3 Francis State Beach (From Highway 1 to Kelly Avenue), ☏ +1 650 726-8819. Sister beach of Venice State Beach and Dunes State Beach. Part of the Waterfront Coastside Trail system. Also home of the Half Moon Bay State Beach headquarters.
• 4 Mavericks & Pillar Point Marsh (Highway 1 to Capistrano Road to Pillar Point Harbor), ☏ +1 650 728-3584. Home of the legendary Mavericks Surf Contest. This area is not recommended for swimming. (It is not recommend for surfing either but the people who compete in the contest are professional and a tad crazy.) The huge crashing waves are a sight to see.
• Naples / Roosevelt State Beach (Highway 1 to Washington Boulevard to Naples Avenue), ☏ +1 650 726-8819. Part of the Waterfront Coastside Trail system.
• Pigeon Point Beach (off of Highway 1). Home of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
• 5 San Gregorio State Beach (Highway 1 to Highway 84). Discovered by Explorer Gaspar de Portolá in 1769, the beach is strewn with driftwood and there is also a bird sanctuary. This is a clothing optional beach.
• 6 Venice State Beach (Highway 1 to Venice Boulevard), ☏ +1 650 726-8819. Sister beach of Dunes State Beach and Francis State Beach. Part of the Waterfront Coastside Trail system.
• Waterfront Coastside Trail (Pillar Point Harbor to Mirada Road), ☏ +1 650 726-8297. The trail systems goes through Naples, Roosevelt Beach, Dunes Beach, Venice Beach, Francis Beach and Bluff Top Coastal Park.

Do[edit]

• Rock the Block Coastside Block Party, ☏ +1 650 726-8380. Late May. Sponsored by Chamber Office.
• Portuguese Pentecostal Festival, ☏ +1 650 726-2729. 7 weeks after Easter. Sponsored by IDES Society.
• Dream Machines, ☏ +1 650 726-8380. Late July or early August. Sponsored by Chamber Office.
• Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival (Main Street between Miramontes and Spruce Streets), ☏ +1 650 726-9652. Early to mid-October. Sponsored by Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee.

Buy[edit]

• Coastal Flower Market, ☏ +1 650 712-9439. Third Saturday of every month (except October).
• 1 Coastside Books, 432 Main St, ☏ +1 650 726-5889. 10AM to 5PM. Serving Half Moon Bay since 1972, Coastside Books has a carefully selected stock of current fiction, biography, history, science and nature, spiritual books, and children's literature.

Eat[edit]

• 1 Ketch Joanne Restaurant and Harbor Bar, 17 Johnson Pier, ☏ +1 650 728-3747. 7AM–9PM most nights; open later on weekends. Good food and substantial portions in a busy, usually noisy, harbor restaurant. Attached bar becomes popular later in the evenings. $10–30. (updated Aug 2018)
• 2 Sam's Chowder House, 4210 North Cabrillo Hwy (between Surfers Beach and Pillar Point Harbor), ☏ +1 650 712-0245, dining@samschowderhouse.com. M-Th 11:30AM-8:30PM; F 1:30AM-9PM; Sa 11AM-9PM; Su 11AM-8:30PM. Large seafood restaurant just above the beach, with live music Friday and Saturday. The deck has great views and is a great place to sit around the fire pits. It's also dog-friendly. NBC's Today Show named their Lobster Roll ($29.95 as of April 2023) as one of the five "best sandwiches in America." For an unusual experience, call at least 48 hours in advance to get a "lobster clambake to go". They'll put together a large pot of seafood that you can steam over a fire or stove, plus clam chowder and coleslaw. Almost everything on the menu can be ordered for take-out and is available from the ChowderMobile food truck service. Reservations recommended, especially on holidays and summer weekends. $20–40. (updated Apr 2023)
• 3 Cameron’s Inn, Restaurant & Pub, 1410 South Cabrillo Hwy (South edge of town), ☏ +1 650 726-5705. Opens at 11AM daily. Mostly English pub fare in an ostentatiously English environment. Offers everything from pasties to pizza, or from bangers to burgers. Includes a store that sells English candy bars and other treats that can be hard to find in the US. $12–25. (updated Aug 2018)
• 4 Dad's Luncheonette, 225 South Cabrillo Hwy, ☏ +1 650 560-9832, mom@dadsluncheonette.com. Th-Fr: 11AM-7PM; Sa-Su: 11AM- 5:30PM. Try whatever special they are serving that day. Expect a satisfying, homemade meal in a cozy space. (updated Apr 2019)

Drink[edit]

• 1 La Nebbia Winery, 12341 San Mateo Rd, ☏ +1 650 726-9463, fax: +1 650 726-7074. Formerly Obester Winery.
• 2 H.M.B. Brewing Company, 3909 Capistrano Road, Princeton (west off Rt. 1 just north of Half Moon Bay). Seafood restaurant with an excellent and extensive menu (check out the Half Moon Bay Louie salad with Bay Shrimp) at reasonable prices (they offer half size portions too.) Fast, friendly service. Inside and outside dining with good views of Pillar Point Harbor. They book rock and blues bands on the weekends. moderate.

Sleep[edit]

• Half Moon Bay Lodge, 2400 Cabrillo Highway S, ☏ +1-650 726-9000, toll-free: +1-800-710-0778, fax: +1 650 726-7951.
• 1 The Miramar Inn & Suites, 3020 N. Cabrillo Hwy, ☏ +1 650 726-9700.
• 2 Oceano Hotel and Spa, 280 Capistrano Rd, ☏ +1 650 726-5400, fax: +1 650 726-5402. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Nice, clean rooms with helpful staff. Environmentally friendly features, including in-room recycling, organic bamboo linens (very comfortable!), and chemical free room cleaning technology.
• 3 Nantucket Whale Inn, 779 Main St, ☏ +1 650-409-6895. Enjoy original artwork, gourmet breakfasts, and comfy rooms in 1898 Victorian. $139–299.
• Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel, 16th Street at Cabrillo Highway 1 (7 miles / 11 km north of Half Moon Bay), ☏ +1 650 728-7177, himontara@norcalhostels.org. Affordable accommodations at a spectacular lighthouse location.
• Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, One Miramontes Point Rd.

Stay safe[edit]

Be careful to check for ticks after hiking in fields in the Bay Area, as this region has a high rate of Lyme disease transmission. If a rash with the appearance of a bull's eye develops at the tick bite site, immediately seek medical help and treatment with antibiotics.

For those visiting the beaches, never go swimming alone, and beware of rising tides.

Law enforcement services are provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Go next[edit]

The City of San Francisco is 25 miles (40 km) to the north, and Santa Cruz is 40 miles (65 km) to the south.

• Moss Beach
• Pescadero

Routes through Half Moon Bay

San Francisco ← Moss Beach ←	NS	→ Pescadero → Santa Cruz
END ←	WE	→ San Mateo → Hayward

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