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.
Our Pick of the California Guides
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.
Other California coast pages
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.
One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.
A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.
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.
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.
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.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
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.
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.
Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.
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.
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.
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.
San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.
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.
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.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.
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.
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 recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.
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.
Standing on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Santa Barbara is an attractive resort with a historic downtown, sandy beaches, a mission, and good museums.
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