California Coastal Getaways

With more travelers sticking closer to home this summer, it’s a great time to visit some of the West Coast treasures from Baja up the California coast to Mendocino, with key stops along the way to explore new finds and old favorites with an ocean breeze not far away.

Baja California

While Todos Santos and La Paz have gained popularity in recent years, Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos are still perennial favorites and the development boom with top brand hotels continues. 

With over $900 million in new hotel investments and more than 900 upscale rooms set to open by 2027, including brands like Soho House, St. Regis and Park Hyatt, the Cabo area boom is not slowing down anytime soon. Rosewood Residences Old Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula is under construction and another high-end luxury hotel and residences will debut in Mexico with the opening of Raffles Estera East Cape Resort & Residences, slated for 2029, marking the brand’s first resort in North America with seven restaurant offerings.

Finally getting its due, the culinary scene is also gaining acclaim following its recent Michelin Guide debut, featuring one Michelin Star to Cocina de Autor at Grand Velas, multiple Green Stars, including Acre by master chef Arturo Rivero and Flora’s Field Kitchen by Rebecca Weitzman, along with dozens of Bib Gourmand nods for other eateries.

Old favorites like Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort are still top of the game with 12 Signature Beach Villas and the 28,000-square-foot Ty Warner Mansion, plus the Michelin Guide-recommended Árbol. La Botica is a new speakeasy-style, Cuban-inspired craft cocktail destination voted one of the “50 Best” in the world with the ambiance of a vintage apothecary accompanied by live entertainment. Recent collaborations include Mi Golondrina, with beautiful Mexican hand-embroidered clothing made by Mexican artisans, and the summer-long “Best of Baja” initiative featuring talent from destinations such as Todos Santos, La Paz and Valle de Guadalupe, highlighting chefs, artists, winemakers and emerging fashion labels from the region.

San José del Cabo has a new market, Sabores San José, which is similar to the Art Walk on Thursdays. Every Tuesday evening, from 5 to 9 p.m., the historic center transforms into a pedestrian-only zone featuring a walking food experience from local producers and restaurants. The event also includes live traditional music and folkloric dance. While you are in the Arts District area, check out Michelin Guide-recommended NAO and its signature fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Coronado

Once you arrive in San Diego, all eyes are on Coronado Island this summer with the iconic Hotel del Coronado in the final stages of a six-year, $550 million revamp, which came to fruition with the Veranda beachfront Victorian building and Nobu del Coronado, which opened in May. Other reasons for a revisit include private beach bonfires and the leash-free Coronado Dog Beach, personalized surf lessons, and a culinary and historical walking tour of the island. 

Carlsbad

If you missed the flower fields this spring and the new butterfly encounter, not to worry. The summer programming has just begun with strawberry picking to “secret garden spa parties” at the newly revamped Omni La Costa that includes yoga and sound healing. Several new Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants by Eric Bost (formerly of Auburn in Hollywood) include Jeune et Jolie, Campfire, and his two latest—Wildland for excellent all-day fare (including a genius pizza sandwich)—and Lilo for an intimate counter tasting experience. The best part is you can take the train from Union Station in L.A., which drops you off right in the heart of charming Carlsbad, where restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques await. 

Also new and within walking distance to the ocean, Little Victory Wine Bar is a natural wine and seasonal cooking spot from the team behind Encinitas’ cult-favorite Little Victory Wine Market—led by husband-and-wife duo Jeremy Simpson (Bestia) and Kirsten Potenza. Together with chefs Kelly and Elliott Townsend (Long Story Short), they were inspired by the cave à manger of Paris and Copenhagen and offer in-house cured “tinned fish” and skin-contact wines by the glass.

Newport Beach

Since the devastating Palisades fires, many residents have relocated to this area for a beachside retreat. The Pendry hotel holds the new Elwood Club for live music, wine tasting, art, fashion, wellness and sporting events. And its former private Italian-Riviera-inspired restaurant, Viamara, is also now open to the public. The sun-drenched décor will make you want to linger for a long lunch with branzino and a Negroni.

Catalina

After a 17-year absence, Catalina Island is offering horseback riding again. Most rides take 45 to 90 minutes and include hills, valleys, clifftops with ocean views and potential encounters with deer and island foxes. Catalina Horseback Adventures is reviving a tradition that goes back to the 1930s, when Catalina’s owners, the Wrigley family, set up a ranch known as El Rancho Escondido, which grew into an Arabian horse-breeding operation. The working ranch continues, 12 miles outside Avalon and is open for Saturday tours. For more touring, Catalina Island’s custom-guided golf cart tours are now available to explore Avalon. In a little over two hours, you will learn about the history of the location and the lifestyle of its residents. 

After your ride or tour, Catalina Brewhouse offers the only craft beer on the island, brewing six small-batch brews by Danny Gutierrez. For the newest waterfront restaurant, Pier 24 is located where the original Antonio’s Pizza was, paying homage to the original Steamer Pier, once home to William Wrigley’s cross-channel vessels, the S.S. Avalon and Catalina. Large picture windows look out onto the harbor for amazing views, along with two patios. 

Long Beach 

When catching the Catalina Express out to the island, Long Beach is a great port destination before or after your excursion. The refurbished 185-room Fairmont Breakers Long Beach is the area’s only luxury hotel with Queen Mary harbor views, a jazz club dating back to the 1920s (when it was a haven for stars of the era), a rooftop bar-lounge, several dining options and the area’s first luxury spa, with treatments that include lipstick readings. This is a grand hotel with Art Deco-inspired interiors and five culinary destinations, including coastal Italian fare at Nettuno on the ground floor and the notable return of the Sky Room, where you can start your meal with a Champagne-caviar cart, end with a Bananas Foster cart and enjoy a beef Wellington for two in between. Head upstairs to Halo after dinner for a nightcap or sunset views, as it’s the only rooftop bar in Long Beach. 

Rancho Palos Verdes

With plenty of walking trails with sweeping ocean views along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Terranea Resort’s Sound Series at Nelson’s returns this summer for live music and dancing under the stars. This year’s series features 27 nights of oceanfront performances with the South Bay’s best local bands, ranging from reggae and country to pop and rock classics, taking place most Friday and Saturday nights through Aug. 30. Another reason to revisit this resort is its refurbished $4.5 million oceanfront spa with treatments that include a Harmonic Aura Awakening with healing Himalayan singing bowls and a HydraFacial. 

Santa Monica 

The hospitality boom continues in Santa Monica for its 150th anniversary on July 24 of this year. For the first time in its history, the Shore Hotel’s ground-floor restaurant is open to the public, along with a new indoor-outdoor poolside bar. Order a full seafood platter with jumbo black tiger shrimp, or the lobster roll with avocado and sriracha aioli, along with craft cocktails. Also on Ocean Avenue, a trio of San Francisco imports has opened, including Fitoor for upscale Indian fare, Ghirardelli chocolates, and Pacific Catch for daily Pacific Rim seafood specials, hearty cocktails, fish and chips, salmon burgers and sea bass brochettes. They also offer an “Aloha hour” from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Channel Islands

With Oxnard Shores and Ventura Harbor also becoming beachside havens since the Malibu fires, a Channel Islands boat ride is not far away. The five remote islands to tour are referred to as “The American Galapagos,” and the new Channel Islands National Park mobile app makes it easy to schedule ahead. The free app includes self-guided hiking tours and interactive maps with points of interest, and the Island Packers provides the boat rides and chartered cruises for spotting whales and other sea life. 

Montecito 

Adjacent to the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge, the Post Montecito is a new outdoor lifestyle collection of shops and restaurants from Los Angeles-based developer Runyon, who is also behind the Platform in Culver City.  Retail offerings range from accessories by celebrity favorite Janessa Leoné, swimwear by Colombian designer Maygel Coronel and menswear by The Optimist. Italian restaurant Ospi Montecito (which also has locations in Brentwood and Venice), as well as Bogavante, a seafood-focused eatery that’s the sibling to Loreto in L.A., and a courtyard coffee cart, Little King from the popular Buellton cafe— are all centered around a playful mixed-media ceramic fountain, “It’s Raining,” by late Santa Barbara artist Marge Dunlap. 

Down on Coast Village Road, Bar Lou is a new brasserie from the owners of Little Dom’s in Los Feliz, located in a French Riviera-inspired bungalow with ample patio space for ordering oysters to sea urchin spaghetti, steak au poivre or fried zucchini blossoms with anchoiade sauce. During Friday lunch, they offer a Creole spin with Gumbo Ya-Ya, festive cocktails and Cajun music. Just across the street, the new Lion’s Tale, located inside the Montecito Inn, is perfect for martinis and bites of Koji-cultured butter with oat sourdough, smoked trout dip, and Oscietra caviar. And you’ve heard of the Urban Wine Trail, but now there is one for bivalve pursuits. The Oyster Trail is a new outing that starts at Clark’s Oyster Bar (from Aspen) on Coast Village Road.

Nearby Rosewood Miramar Beach has a new outdoor semi-private dining experience at the Michelin Star and Michelin Green Star restaurant. FronteMare by Caruso’s offers an interactive dinner for up to 12 guests. Each dish is created live by chef Massimo Falsini using the bounty from his onsite herb garden, Santa Barbara’s farmers markets and the ocean. And, speaking of, you can now take a surf lesson at the new club curated by local pro legend Adam Lambert. If you continue your journey up the coast, stop at The Barn at The Hilt Estate in Sta. Rita Hills (the closest Santa Ynez Valley winery to the ocean) for a tasting of its Estate Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. 

Pismo

You might have viewed Pismo Beach as a seaside pit stop on your way to San Luis Obispo or Paso Robles for wine tasting, but the tiny town has a resort hotel and restaurant worthy of its own visit. Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach sits along the city’s Central California Coast boardwalk and offers guests access to a canine-friendly beach with ocean views and stargazing with in-room telescopes in the evening after dinner at the Somerset Grill. 

Pequin Coastal Cocina at the resort just announced the return of its Winemaker Dinner Series for 2025. Sustainable purveyors include Motley Crew Marketplace & Ranch, Sunrise Organic Farm, Tootie Fruity and Foxen Vineyard & Winery. The winemaker dinners will run from June to September, ending with Fess Parker Vineyard and Winery from Santa Barbara.

Big Sur

As the hillsides of Big Sur bloom back to life, 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean, with panoramic sea views, Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn reopens its doors with a fresh take on seasonal dining: the Spring Chapter menu, which includes zero-proof garden cocktails. This new culinary event celebrates the spirit of renewal with a mix of ingredients from the onsite chef’s garden. Standouts are the chef’s garden salad with local greens and herbs, finished with cured lemon vinaigrette and egg yolks from onsite hens; and the California squab with smoked beets, endives, pickled cherries and port jus. In addition, the restaurant walls now hold an exhibition of underwater photography by Chuck Davis, showcasing Monterey Bay and Big Sur’s marine life.

Carmel

Perfect for a romantic escape, girls trip or solo getaway, Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach is tucked along the iconic 17-Mile Drive and steps from Carmel-by-the-Sea. This intimate Mediterranean-inspired hideaway was recently renovated with 24 luxe rooms and suites with cozy fireplaces, deep-soaking tubs and private terraces. Start the day with a spa treatment or sip fresh juice poolside, then enjoy a curated picnic in a Lexus (the house car) along the coast, and wind down with a complimentary happy hour in the cozy Living Room. Guests also enjoy access to Pebble Beach’s exclusive Beach & Tennis Club and a scenic 9-hole course at The Hay.

Half Moon Bay

Designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates, The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay recently completed a multimillion-dollar refresh that included the guest rooms, suites, spa, and signature restaurants Navio and The Conservatory. In addition, the resort has a new partnership with luxury women’s apparel brand Foray Golf, resulting in a package that celebrates the growing numbers of women in the sport with an 18-hole round of golf per night’s stay at Half Moon Bay Golf Links and an essential Foray Bag with golf accessories and apparel. In another exclusive partnership, Sazerac will create a custom whiskey blend for the property that you can sip at Ocean Terrace’s famous fire pits.

Mendocino County

Stretching out on 90 miles of prime Pacific coastline with close to 100 wines and 12 diverse American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), 24 state and national parklands, including “The Redwood Corridor,” and 450 unique accommodations, plus a wealth of local farm products from honey to hard cider and even cannabis, make this region a top Northern California getaway. If you do not want to drive, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Sonoma County airports are all good options. 

Start at Pennyroyal Farm with a morning tour of the award-winning farmstead creamery to meet the dairy goats and sheep and learn about the integrative methods behind both the estate wines and cheeses, with a final tasting including the signature Sauvignon Blanc.

Earthspoke Farms has expansive fields of more than 5,000 dahlia plants and hundreds of colorful annuals and perennials with U-Pick Flower Field Days and a DIY Bouquet Bar. For the local version of the Basque spice Piment d’Espelette, dried chiles are produced at Boonville Barn Collective, a woman-owned operation from seed to jar, along with olive oil, sea salt and a variety of heirloom beans. Tours are by appointment only and do stop for a wine tasting nearby at Lichen Estate.

Other pursuits include a tour of Schnaubelt Distillery, opened in 2023 in Noyo Harbor, offering Smoked Salmon Vodka and Candy Cap Mushroom Bourbon, or you can visit an apple grove near a 130-year-old Red Gravenstein apple tree for Gowan’s world-class ciders, made onsite for six generations, with organic heirloom apples.  Set in Anderson Valley, one of Mendocino’s top wine-growing regions, this new 2.5-acre lavender farm shares space with Foursight Winery, a small family-owned operation crafting premium Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The 15-acre estate marking the entrance to Boonville is a perfect prelude to a day of play with 25 wineries dotting the 15-mile stretch to the sea. Peak bloom season is June through August, so you have the whole summer to explore.