Things to do and see in California

California is the western state of the United States, stretching along the west coast of the Pacific Ocean from the Mexican border. California is home to some of nature’s most beautiful spots, as well as some of the most spectacular cities in the United States. There is so much to see in California. The beautiful beaches and cliffs, the huge redwood forests, as well as the fame and elegance of its cities, all make it one of the world’s top destinations.

It’s one of the most iconic states in the country, home to Hollywood, the mecca of the film industry. It also boasts eternal sunshine, warm weather and beautiful scenery, making your California experience an unforgettable trip. No matter how you look at it, California is a unique destination that has many places you must discover, at least once in a lifetime.

What are the best things to do in California?

1. Yosemite National Park, a must-see in California

Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places in California and in the United States. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it boasts impressive granite cliffs, waterfalls, and a great diversity of flora and fauna. Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada 320 km east of San Francisco, covers an area of 3081 km2. The park was created in 1890 as the first national park enacted by the US government, and currently attracts 4 million visitors each year.

The park is traversed by the Tuolumne and Merced rivers, which flow through canyons up to 1,200 metres deep, forming waterfalls and feeding hundreds of lakes. The geological activity of this park has created curious and striking rock formations, such as the Lost Arrow and Washington Column. But, the one that stands out among them all is the rock formation of “El Capitan”, one of the national rock climbing sanctuaries.

2. Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon

Close to Yosemite is Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, another of California’s must-see natural attractions. Here you’ll enter a land of giants, passing through sequoias that are almost 2,000 years old. Pay a visit to General Sherman, a sequoia that stands 84 metres tall and 11 metres in diameter. Also, take a stroll through the Giant Forest, which is a veritable museum of huge trees. You can also find more sequoias at Muir Woods National Monument, Redwood National & State Parks and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Organise your travel itinerary with Passporter, completely free to use, easy and practical. Get inspired by the experiences of other travellers and choose the places that interest you most by adding them to your route map.

3. San Bernardino Forest

San Bernardino Forest is a spectacular forest located right next to Los Angeles. If you are visiting California and want to experience nature in its purest form, San Bernardino is the ideal place. Here you will be able to do an endless amount of routes and activities in the middle of a colourful landscape of lush vegetation.

4. Death Valley

Death Valley is an impressive place, which offers an almost desolate image and is sure to amaze you. It is nature’s work of art that holds the record for being the hottest spot in the United States, where it has reached 57ºC. This is the lowest point in California, 86 metres below sea level at the Badwater location. This is a unique landscape, full of water-carved canyons, sand dunes and a vast plain of pure salt.

5. Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, located on the border between California and Nevada, is a natural gem in California. A cluster of sparkling blue water in the middle of nature, it offers a host of different activities whatever the time of year, with snow in winter and lush vegetation in spring. An ideal place if water activities are your thing, because a canoe ride along its banks will be like stepping into a real postcard. It is landscape of colours so intense that they seem to have been retouched.

6. Napa Valley and Sonoma

These are the quintessential wine regions of California, and arguably the entire United States. Located just an hour’s drive from San Francisco, it’s a place worth seeing in California if you’re a wine lover. There are more than 600 wineries, where you’ll find cabernet-sauvignon, the main variety in Napa’s vineyards, and zinfandel and syrah the main ones in Sonoma.

You might be interested in @pablolivares_photo‘s travel itinerary which has beautiful places and many travel tips such as budget, activities, transport etc.

Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.

Which beaches to visit in California?

California’s beaches have a reputation for being paradises. The southern coast of California has the best climate, as it is much milder and the summer season is much longer. On the other hand, on the north coast, the temperature is much cooler and the beach season is much shorter. However, they all have a unique charm that makes them so special. Here is a selection of some of the best known and most charming beaches in California.

1. Santa Monica

Next to Los Angeles you have two other places of interest that will do you some good if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Santa Monica Beach offers miles of sand for you to stroll along at your leisure, plus the famous Santa Monica Pier with its rides. It includes a roller coaster and Ferris wheel, which light up the coastline every night. If you walk a little further south you’ll come to Venice Beach, a much more relaxed and alternative beach. It has little to do with Santa Monica, but is a delight for those who love a slower pace.

Santa Monica Beach is world famous for the Pacific Park amusement park on its iconic pier, the Looff Racetrack, the aquarium, several restaurants and the Muscle Beach open-air gym.

2. Venice Beach, the must-see beach in California

No beach in the world is quite like Venice Beach as most don’t have a 3-ring urban street circus, complete with performers, singers, weightlifters, barefoot sand sculptors. All this frenetic activity happens on Ocean Front Walk, a 3-mile boardwalk that makes it one of the best beaches in California.

3. East Beach in Santa Barbara

East Beach stretches through the heart of Santa Barbara, at the eastern end of State Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. It stretches from the pier to the Andree Clark Bird Refuge and hosts volleyball championships and a variety of popular events. A great place for walking, biking and seabird watching, as well as sunbathing and swimming in Santa Barbara’s beach atmosphere.

4. Carpinteria Beach in Santa Barbara

Carpinteria Beach is located in the Santa Barbara area and is characterised by being one of the typical long beaches of the region. As it is surrounded by vegetation, dunes and green areas perfect for lying down for a while. This Californian beach is also home to a lot of wildlife, so if you visit Carpinteria Beach you’re likely to encounter sea lions and whales. If it’s whale watching season, you might even see a whale from the sand.

5. Zuma Beach in Malibu

Zuma Beach is easy to recognise. It’s been the setting for Beachwatch, Planet of the Apes and An Indecent Proposal. Its appeal lies in the long stretch of white sandy beach and crystal-clear waters, ideal for surfing. Despite having all the attractions of being one of the most crowded beaches in Malibu, it is not as crowded as other nearby California beaches.

6. El Matador Beach in Malibu

If you drive along Pacific Coast Highway in west Malibu, you’ll see the sign for El Matador Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in California. The views from the cliffs above are breathtaking, with huge boulders and deep, dark blue water with underwater kelp forests clearly visible. The beach is popular with sunbathers, surfers and swimmers and has a lifeguard all year round. At low tide you can walk to the northern end of the beach to see its large caves and rock arches at the base of the cliff.

7. Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach, one of the busiest beaches in California, is located in Orange County. This stunning scenery led to the creation of an artists’ colony in the early 20th century. Moreover, the bohemian past of the place is preserved in the downtown galleries, in the beautiful bungalows with touches of arts and crafts. The beach is also a great place for all kinds of water sports, including surfing.

8. Carmel Bay, the charming beach to see in California

This wonderful beach is located in Monterey, very close to San Francisco, and it is a white sandy beach with turquoise waters. It is not advisable to swim in this idyllic spot, as the sea currents on this shore are almost always very strong. However, it is still worth a trip to Carmel Bay for a day of relaxation and beautiful scenery.

California Itinerary and Route Map

Here is a California travel itinerary from our traveller @pablolivares_photo with places and useful travel tips such as budget, where to buy tickets, how to get around… etc, so you can organise your trip easily and quickly. You can also add important documents such as travel tickets, hotel reservations and even invite your friends to be part of the itinerary organisation. 

Using Passporter is free of charge and will help you travel in a more organised way. You can register on the website or download the app to keep everything in one place and in your pocket 🙂

What are the best routes to do on your trip through California?

1. Route through Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway

This route along California’s legendary coastline starts in San Francisco and ends in San Diego, passing through Los Angeles. To discover the best this state has to offer, follow the Pacific Coast Highway through California’s best coastal towns and cities. Away from crowded motorways, this Californian highway skirts cliffs and the Pacific’s most characterful coastal towns. As well as bohemian villages and glamorous cities. The Pacific Coast Highway connects California’s major cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, making it an unbeatable route to discover the best kept secrets of this fantastic state.

The legendary PCH was built in 1930 to link the various points along California’s 900-kilometre-long coastline. It is one of the most beautiful routes in the world, with scenery to admire at every turn. You’ll find waterfalls, cliffs, hidden beaches and surfing paradises, places to eat fresh fish and wooden piers where you can watch sunsets over the vastness of the Pacific Ocean.

2. Big Sur

The stretch known as the Big Sur is a region along the Pacific Coast Highway that connects the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Located on the central coast of California, it winds through the forests of the Santa Lucia Mountains, past cliffs and along the Pacific Ocean. This region stretches from Carmel-by-the-sea to Hearst Castle, an enigmatic place of great natural beauty.

Along the way, you’ll pass through beautiful natural areas such as Point Lobos, ideal for spotting marine wildlife, charming towns such as Carmel-by-the-Sea, bridges such as Bixby Creek and Piedras Blancas, a small beach where you’ll find a huge population of elephant seals. Big Sur is a region worth exploring in depth and captures the essence of California.

What are the cities you cannot miss in California?

1. San Francisco

San Francisco is a must-see city in California. It greets its visitors with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, offering a unique setting in the world. The islet of Alcatraz, the world’s most famous prison, also awaits you, as well as the colourful Victorian-era houses and the quaint neighbourhoods of Castro and Mission.

This Californian city also boasts a lively Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 with its sea lions and the curious Musée Mecanique. However, nothing is more charming in San Francisco than the Cable Car. This type of tramway is unique in the world and has therefore been declared a National Historic Landmark. It’s a California landmark and the starting point of the Pacific Coast Highway, making it a must-see on your trip to California.

2. Los Angeles and Hollywood

Los Angeles is a huge city and one of the main places to see in California. Also, Los Angeles is divided into four zones where we enter Donwtown. Here, you will find the most impressive skyscrapers, Santa Monica which is the liveliest area located by the sea. On the other side there’s Hollywood and the movie studios where you will have to stroll along the walk of fame. You can also discover the stars of your favourite artists.

Of course, this elegant city is an obligatory stop on your route through California. Here, you can’t miss a visit to the Griffith Observatory to admire the city of stars at your feet. In addition, the scandalous Beverly Hills neighbourhood where you can see the imposing mansions. If you want to know what else you can see in Los Angeles, visit our post: Things to see and do in Los Angeles.

3. San Diego

The city of San Diego is considered the best city to live in California. San Diego has a beautiful mid-19th century historic downtown and Balboa Park. You can also visit some of its museums, stroll through the Gaslamp Quarter, the cultural and commercial centre of the city. San Diego also has stunning beaches such as Imperial Beach, Coronado Beach and Mission Beach.

How to organise what to see in California?

If you don’t know where to start organising your trip, or what to see in California, download the Passporter App and we’ll help you.

• First, get inspiration from the experiences of other travellers.
• Then, create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
• Add the spots you are most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
• Organise your itinerary by days and according to their location (you can take inspiration from the routes presented in the post).
• Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
• Make the necessary modifications and you are ready for your trip.
• Finally, share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you have visited to the app so you can inspire other users.

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