Today I am going to tell you about all the wonderful things to do in Pacifica, California because it is one of my most favorite coastal towns.
The biggest benefit of living in San Francisco Bay Area is being so close to the ocean. I truly believe that the ocean has a therapeutic effect on all of us: calming for some, energizing for others. There is no denial of its benefits to our mental and physical health. There are a lot of splendid seaside destination on the Pacific Coast of San Francisco Bay Area, with Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay taking the lead.
My favorite place on the local coast, however, is a cute small town of Pacifica. I have traveled up and down HW 1 from San Francisco to Santa Cruise and no other place has a stronger appeal for me than this charming town. Of course, it is all a matter of personal preference, one may argue. However, objectively, there are lots of things to do in Pacifica, California for any person’s taste, such as: hiking, fishing, surfing, wildflowers and wild life viewing. This family road trip itinerary I will take you down the coast from North to South, activity by activity, attraction by attraction, and I am sure you will find at least one sweet spot for yourself in Pacifica and may be more.
First, let’s start with an attraction on the West side of HW 1. My Northernmost favorite thing to do in Pacifica, California is visiting Pacifica Municipal Pier. This is where you can learn fishing or crabbing – all without a license required. If you are not ready to do it yourself yet you can stroll down the pier, talk to the fisherman and more often than not they are happy to show you their catch and share some tips. We only started fishing/crabbing a couple of years ago but already caught a couple of crabs and numerous surf perches. It is a great skill to teach kids.
Leading from the Pier South is the Coastal Trail. This portion of it runs along the municipal beach that ends with Mori Point. The trail is wide and good for bicycles and strollers (please, note that a portion of it is unpaved).
Mori Point is a name of a park that is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Mori Point itself is a bluff which provides scenic views both North and South along the coast. Hiking Mori point is one of the best things to do in Pacifica, California for several reasons.
During summer it is a great place to see the humpback whales and wildflowers and in winter – grey whales (if you have a good binocular you are guaranteed a spectacle but it is darn hard to photograph those whales if you don’t have special equipment – what you see below is our attempt at a tail fluke shot 🙂 )
Part of the Park is wetlands where, if you are lucky, you can see some beautiful coastal birds.
Would you like to take a virtual trip to Mori Point? – Check out my Things to Do in Pacifica YoutTube video:
On the Southern part of Mori Point there is a paved Rockaway Beach Trail, which is great for small kids on scooters and bicycles because it is short but provides enough excitement when it slopes down towards the ocean at one point. Riding Rockaway Beach Trail is definitely my kids’ favorite thing to do in Pacifica, California.
There is also a small but cute botanical garden at the North end of the trail called “Liberty Garden” planted by local residents to commemorate the victims of 9/11 which you can enjoy any time of year.
Rockaway Beach follows next if you continue driving or hiking South along HW 1. Beach hopping is a must thing to do in Pacifica, California because all of the beaches here are different. Rockaway Beach is small compared to its neighbors to the North and South but a good spot for scenic views. My most favorite part of this beach is a continuation of the Coastal Trail that goes up in a zig-zag fashion to the top of a bluff opposite Mori Point.
From the top of the bluff you can see the most famous beach in Pacifica, Pacifica State Beach, the beloved spot for surfing, picnicking and just good old-fashioned fun in the sun.
Pacifica is book-ended in the South by the Devil’s Slide and the trail that leads to it along the old portion of HW 1, which is now open only for foot traffic. If you love hiking then you should definitely put Devil’s Slide on your list of things to do in Pacifica, California – you can see really breathtaking views from the trail. Please, note, parking is extremely limited here.
If you shift your attention from the coast to the East side of HW 1, there are a couple of attractions I would like to recommend:
Shelldance Orchard Garden. This is a true hidden gem. Tucked away behind the trees in the hills of Pacifica this flower nursery/garden magically transports you into a tropical paradise. They have several greenhouses full of exotic plants: orchids, bromeliads, air plants, stone plants, etc. which you can visit FREE of charge. You can just walk around and enjoy, no one will force you to buy anything, but you can certainly purchase a plant or two if you like something (and I guarantee that you will like a lot of things – we went home with 2 air plants). If you like botanical gardens then exploring Shelldance will be one of the most memorable things to do in Pacifica, California.
As an added bonus, Sweeney Ridge Trail starts right next to the Shelldance Orchard Garden. It is not an easy trail, it goes quite steep up right from the start for about a mile but if you are experienced in hiking and have older kids you will be reward by fantastic views from the top of the Ridge on a clear day (but it does gets foggy up there in summer).
If you would like to choose an “off the beaten path” thing to do in Pacifica, California, I strongly recommend exploring San Pedro Valley Park. We love to hike Brooks Creek Trail as it leads you through an enchanted forest to a fabulous view of Linda Mar on top of the mountain. I have a cool video of that hike if you have an Instagram account: San Pedro Valley Hike IGTV. Since our last hike here I already created my YouTube Channel so there will be more videos of Pacific on the channel soon. Don’t forget to subscribe! 🙂
One thing to note is that Brooks Creek Trail in San Pedro Valley Park has lots of poison oak so, please, be careful when hiking.
Where to eat in Pacifica, California
When we go to Pacifica we usually like to take a picnic with us, however there are a couple of foodie places that I would recommend that we like to visit every now and then:
Colombo Delicatessen (fantastic sandwiches, expect long lines though)
Lovey’s Tea Shoppe (English high tea service in a cute spot)
Nick’s Rockaway Beach (seafood by the ocean, I strongly suggest booking a table in advance)
Cold Stone Creamery (ice cream in Linda Mar)
When to visit Pacifica, California
We like to visit Pacifica any time of year. It is cooler, windier and foggier than the valley right behind the mountains to the East so dress accordingly and better in layers. However, we like Pacifica just the way it is. In summer this climate provides a refreshing retreat from the heat of the valley.
Additional resources for your visit to Pacifica, California
If you found this information about things to do in Pacifica, California useful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂
