Half Moon Bay on my Bucket List

One of my California bucket list items has always been Half Moon Bay, but the way the roads are in northern California, it’s easy to bypass this coastal town on your way to San Francisco. Each time we’ve travelled up to Carmel or the surround area, Half Moon Bay has been on my wish list. So I was excited when I got offered a house sitting gig in a residential town just a couple of miles north of Half Moon Bay.

One of the closest spots was Montara Beach, which looked gorgeous when the sun shined, but a little moody when the fog rolled in, which was pretty often.

Montara State Beach

I spent 10 days looking after two adorable dogs, and the surrounding area was perfect for long walks on the beach, in the woods and along hiking trails along the coastal bluffs. The dogs didn’t seem to mind where we walked, they just loved racing about with the wind in their hair.

Montara is a great expanse of state beach that was more of less deserted each time we visited.

Here’s the same beach a couple of days later. The fog rolled in but it was still really warm despite the fog. I spoke to some locals and they confirmed that this is what their summer usually looked like.

It’s only about 20 miles south of San Francisco, and I know that city can get really foggy, but I hadn’t anticipated this part of the coastline would get impacted as well. Doesn’t matter whether you have four legs or two, digging in the sands is a favourite beach past-time.I soon learnt that the smart wardrobe tip was to always dress in layers, because you can never anticipate how the weather is going to be in the next 1/2 hour or so. You could leave the house and be surrounded by fog, and then within an hour be walking in blazing sunshine wishing you hadn’t worn jeans.

It’s easy to forget how beautiful the pacific coastline is, but I had 10 days to remind me of the natural beauty nestled in the northern end of the state.

Location/Directions

On the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, approx. 20 miles south of San Francisco. The beach is located eight miles north of Half Moon Bay on Highway One.

There are two beach access points from the bluff area. One access is across from Second Street, immediately south of the Outrigger restaurant. The second access is located about a half-mile north on the ocean side of Highway 1. The paths down to the beach are steep.

Seasons/Climate/Recommended clothing
The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended.

Information from the State Website about Montara Beach