Central Coast California Holidays from £573

Central Coast California Holiday Packages

When people dream of West Coast driving holidays along the Pacific Ocean, this is the region of their dreams.

Travel the famed State Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway along California’s Central Coast past rugged cliffs, quiet beaches and splendid California views. This area between San FranciscoOpens in a new window and Los AngelesOpens in a new window features famous locations and small towns celebrated by writers and artists.

The coastal drive north from Los Angeles is one of the nation’s most scenic highways. Stop in VenturaOpens in a new window and walk along the promenade and pier built in 1872. Chat with locals fishing or watching glorious sunsets over the ocean. Here in the 1700s Father Junipero Serra established San Buenaventura Mission, one of California’s first Franciscan churches.

Santa BarbaraOpens in a new window has golf, wineries, boutique shopping and the Santa Barbara Zoo. Walk along the waterfront or climb atop Santa Barbara County CourthouseOpens in a new window to overlook the town’s red-roofed buildings. Visit vast gardens in Ganna Walska Lotusland in Montecito.

Follow the Santa Barbara Vintners Wine Trail to the Santa Ynez ValleyOpens in a new window. Make a short side trip to the distinctive windmill at Solvang, California’s Danish town. Hike along the cliffs of San Luis ObispoOpens in a new window and surf or watch surfers at Pismo BeachOpens in a new window.

Visit San SimeonOpens in a new window. Here media magnate William Randolph Hearst spent over 30 years building the impressive Hearst Castle, where he hosted glamorous Hollywood celebrities in luxury. Look back over Bixby Bridge at the cliffs of Big Sur, an iconic Central Coast view.

MontereyOpens in a new window still features the fishing neighbourhood that John Steinbeck described in Cannery Row. Stop at the Monterey Bay AquariumOpens in a new window or follow 17-Mile Drive to famous Pebble Beach and Cypress Point golf courses. See spectacular local art on a walking tour of Carmel-by-the-SeaOpens in a new window.

Enjoy views from West Cliff Drive in Santa CruzOpens in a new window and visit the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park in operation for more than 100 years.

Throughout California’s Central Coast region, enjoy views of cliffs or rolling hills meeting Pacific Ocean waves. Find your favourite beach for a quiet escape or surf adventure. Explore coastal towns for unique souvenirs and watch an impressive sunset every evening.