Best Towns & Cities To See Near San Francisco
There's much more to see than just "The City"

The towns and cities near San Francisco Bay abound with treasure troves of natural wonders, especially along the coast lines and mountain tops. Therefore, many SF Bay area locals never even bother to go to "The City" except for an occasional visit. After all, why leave the good living next door :).

Below we've cherry picked out a few of the very best things to do near San Francisco. Also see our SF Bay area city & town maps for local highlights and current weather conditions.

North Bay - north of SF

• Sausalito - One of the best little seaside towns in the world is just an exciting 30 minute ferry boat ride away (or a longer bike ride via the Golden Gate Bridge). See the Sausalito-Tiburon map for exact locations.
• Marin Headlands - Stunning views and unique things to do just across Golden Gate bridge. Also see the Headlands map.
• Tiburon - Tiburon means "shark" in Spanish. It's a beautiful little town a few minutes north of Sausalito by car or ferry. See Sausalito-Tiburon map

Half Moon Bay Coast - just south of SF along the coast

• Best towns and sights to see while driving Cabrillo Hwy (Hwy1) down the coast south of San Francisco. From Montara to Santa Cruz is a superb stretch of coastal road for a Sunday drive; but, start reasonably early (e.g., 9:30-10 am) to avoid slow traffic. Also see coast map.
• Best Trails & Beaches along the Half Moon Bay Coast. Also see trails map.
• Montara - A relaxed hidden jewel with great weather and ocean views.
• Princeton-by-the-Sea - Good walks & a few good restaurants.
• Half Moon Bay - County's oldest settlement known as Spanishtown in the 1840s. Still the biggest little town.
• Pescadero - Little town to hang out in. Nice short coastal drive to get there.

San Mateo County - just south of SF along the Bay

• Skyline Ridge - Driving or biking Skyline is a treat most SF dwellers have never heard about. Also see Skyline map.
• Bicycle Sundays - Canada Road in Belmont provides a low-key biking adventure for adults and kids. See map. Nearby is also Sawyer Camp Trail, a very popular biking and hiking venue.
• San Mateo - A pleasant suburb between San Francisco & Palo Alto. See map.
• Foster City - It feels surprisingly like a resort on a lagoon yet is just off Hwy 101 & Hwy 92. A walk along the lagoon is a nice quick urban break; sometimes we walk clear around.  Redwood Shores, just south off Hwy 101, is similar but has newer homes and Oracle Corporation. Both towns have excellent family biking around their perimeters.

Silicon Valley - further south

• Stanford-Palo Alto - Home of Stanford and Hewlett-Packard, Inc. Lots of wealthy Stanford grads, doctors, and famous businessmen like Steve Jobs live around here for a reason; they like it. Also see Stanford-Palo Alto map.
• San Jose - Has a larger population than SF (948,000 vs 809,000) and is ranked among the top 10 most livable large cities in the US. Feels more like a giant suburb than a city. Has a few interesting gems to check out. Also see San Jose map.
• Los Gatos - This upscale little town is a great place to visit Sunday mornings. We like it better than Mill Valley in Marin. Also see Los Gatos map.

Santa Cruz & south

• Santa Cruz - Resort community with a famous old (1907) oceanfront amusement park with it's Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster. Home of UC Santa Cruz.
• Capitola - Historic little resort town. It has the nicest weather & beach around as well as an adjacent shopping area.
• Carmel by the Sea - Former artist haven with nifty main street shops, a unique little beach, and the famous 17 mile drive. Clint Eastwood was once the town mayor. But, it's a long round trip for one day. Also see Carmel map.

East Bay

• East Bay - The East Bay has some nearby gems such as the historic USS Hornet aircraft carrier in Alameda.

"The Big City" is obviously great. But so are the many other fabulous cities, towns, beaches & mountains near San Francisco Bay. Don't miss them!


Related Pages:
SF Bay area city & town maps

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