Pescadero.

Why I Love It

• Proximity to San Francisco + Oakland: without traffic, it takes about ~1hr+15minutes to get there, and the drive down is breathtaking. On the way to Pescadero, take Highway 1 to catch views of Northern California’s quintessential beauty...words or pictures don’t do it justice. It’s a quick escape. After a long week at work, this trip is just what you’ll need to chill out.

  • Pro-tip: during the weekend, you’ll want to leave early because traffic does get heavy on a nice weekend day.

• Food: even though Pescadero is a tiny little town and there aren’t too many food options (it’s literally one block of shops + restaurants), the options that are there are all pretty incredible. I listed my favorite spots below, but I will tell you that if you did not get the artichoke bread from Arcangeli’s, you didn’t do Pescadero right :)

• Nature: again, it’s somethin’ else out there. The drive itself makes it worth taking the trip. We hop from state beach to state beach, and take walks along the cliffs — you’ll almost think you’re in Scotland or Ireland. You can also hike at Butano State Park (listed below).

E A T

• Arcangeli’s Grocery Co. — established deli + grocery market

  • Food + Drink: famous for their artichoke bread (omg…). Get it and thank me later. They bake new loaves of bread every few minutes, so you can eat it right out of the oven. Pair it with some wine and/or cheese, and you’re in heaven. The deli at the back of the shop has some bomb sandwiches, potato/pasta salads. 

  • Ambiance: eat outside in the garden behind Arcangeli’s, by the little creek

  • Pro-tip: if you’re staying overnight, good place to pick up food + wine for the rest of the weekend

• Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos — Mexican food

  • Food + Drink: known for their fish / carnitas tacos. Horchata was excellent. 5 out of 5 stars.

  • Ambiance: it’s inside a gas station. Take it to go and enjoy it somewhere else, like at the  beautiful beach down the street. 

• Downtown Local — coffee shop

  • Food + Drink: I’m not picky with my coffee but this is a good spot. They have oat milk.

  • Ambiance: cute + filled with vintage motorcycle-themed items since there’s a cool, Northern California hippie motorcyle scene there. Right now, the inside is closed, but they have a little counter where you can order from. We usually just pick up some coffee and walk around or head to the beach. 

• Duarte’s Tavern — won the James Beard award, established in 1934

  • Food + drink: famous for their cream of artichoke + green chili soup, and crab melt. The real ones know that you order the soup 1/2 chili, 1/2 cream of artichoke…it’s heavenly.

  • Ambiance: simple, old NorCal restaurant. It’s nostalgic, which is why I like it.

Famous artichoke bread from Arcangeli (pic from normsmarket.com)

Duarte’s Cavern, back in the day. (from duartestavern.com)

N A T U R E

A few state beaches to drive and take walks on + a hike!

• Pescadero State Beach: tide pools, cliffs, right along highway 1. 

• Pigeon Point Light Station: also on highway 1

• Bean Hollow State Beach: more tide pools :)

• Butano State Park: check out the redwood trees and banana slugs on the Little Butano Creek Trail, the “must do” trail there. 

S T A Y

Costanoa: probably one of my favorite places in Northern California.

• Ambiance: completely surrounded by nature. Basically on the beach by the hills, and surrounded by gardens & a path to the ocean. There’s a restaurant & bar, a small general store, casual dining outside (beer garden vibes), deck & view overlooking the ocean. The town of Pescadero, beaches, and hikes are only a few minutes away driving.

• Accommodations: what makes this place cool is that there are different types accommodations. Pricing varies depending on how fancy you want to get. We recently stayed in the glamping tents and it was better than I expected.

  • Camping

  • Glamping

  • Lodging

• Food + Drink:

  • Restaurant

  • Outdoor Brewery/Bar

  • Mini market in lobby

• COVID-19 Safety Precautions: check out the Costanoa COVID-19 Update

Wake up to this light and take a nice shower outside

Enjoy some nice vino by the fire

Views of the beach on the grounds, and easy access to the beach

Blissed out lol. Simple, well-decorated / well-lit glamping tent.