Coastal Beauty: The PCH & 17-Mile Self-Guided Audio Tour – Monterey, California

EXPERIENCE

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Start your gorgeous journey to Fisherman’s Wharf, full with marine life and cuisine. Cannery Row, John Steinbeck’s novel’s inspiration, is next. After Monterey Bay Aquarium, Lovers Point Park and Kissing Rock await.

Visit the Point Pinos Lighthouse and peaceful Asilomar State Beach. Catch coastal splendor at Spanish Bay, Point Joe, and China Rock on the renowned 17-mile trip. Seal Rock Creek Beach and Fanshell Overlook offer scenic vistas. Lone Cypress, a symbol of resilience, is reached from Cypress Point Lookout and The Crocker Cypress Grove. Explore Pescadero Point and Pebble Beach.

From Pacifica’s rough shoreline to Pedro Point’s breathtaking views, the route follows the Pacific Coast Highway. Visit Devil’s Slide Bunker and Gray Whale Cove State Beach. Admire Mavericks Beach’s surf and Half Moon Bay’s beauty. See Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Butano State Park. Discover Davenport’s art and Ano Nuevo State Reserve’s varied animals.

Watch Shark Fin Cove’s geology and Coast Dairies State Park’s scenery. Santa Cruz combines beach and boardwalk activities. Rio Del Mar and Sunset State Beach offer stunning coastal views. Marine life and birds thrive in Elkhorn Slough. Explore Big Sur’s gorgeous coastline, stopping at Carmel Beach, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Garrapata State Park, and the Bixby Creek Bridge.

After Point Sur State Historic Park’s rocky landscape, Andrew Molera State Park and the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge are stunning. Pfeiffer Beach has quiet sands and unusual rocks. Grimes Point and Seal Beach Overlook offer stunning coastal views. Explore Partington Cove and McWay Falls near the Waterfall House for hidden jewels.

Big Creek Bridge leads to Big Creek Cove Vista Point. Visit Limekiln State Park’s tranquil redwoods and waterfalls. Pitkins Curve Bridge, Jade Cove, and Nathaniel Owens Memorial Redwood Grove combine engineering and nature. Big Sur’s wilderness ends abruptly at Ragged Point.

Wildlife lovers should visit Piedras Blancas Light Station and Elephant Seal Vista Point. Explore beautiful coastal villages like Cayucos and Morro Bay. San Luis Obispo’s Bubblegum Alley and Irish Hills Natural Reserve are unique and peaceful. Visit Avila Beach and Dinosaur Caves Park.

The Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo Beach and Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve’s wilderness are stunning. Explore Lompoc’s Wine Ghetto murals. The route passes Jalama Beach, Refugio State Park and Beach, and Goleta’s Butterfly Grove before reaching Santa Barbara and Ventura’s beautiful beaches.

This self-guided tour of California’s most beautiful coastal landscapes blends nature, history, and culture for an amazing drive.

HIGHLIGHTS

Drive along the iconic 17-Mile Drive
Admire the Bixby Creek Bridge’s grandeur
Gaze at the enchanting McWay Falls
Savor the golfing paradise of Pebble Beach
Explore the natural wonders of Point Lobos Reserve

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