Route 1: California Coast, San Francisco to San Diego

Open the interactive map

The concept

One map for the whole coast drive, north to south. It has 25 numbered stops in three colors: 8 landmarks, 7 coast and nature stops, and 10 restaurants people in each town actually point you to (fish markets, a taqueria, a burger stand, a tavern known for pie). A dashed line connects the stops in driving order. It is a stop-to-stop sketch, not turn-by-turn directions, and Highway 1 is not continuous the whole way, so expect to hop onto US-101 and I-5 in places.

Who it is for

Anyone planning a multi-day drive down the coast who wants one picture of how the stops are spaced. The Big Sur stretch is slow and the fuel and food are sparse, so the map helps you decide where to eat before it gets remote.

How to use it

Click a numbered marker or a row in the side list for the photo, a short note, a tip, a website link and a Google Maps directions link. Tap a thumbnail for the photo gallery. Use the colored chips to hide a category.

Top stops

• Bixby Creek Bridge and McWay Falls are the two Big Sur images everyone has seen; both are quick pull-offs.
• Elephant Seal Vista Point costs nothing and puts you a few yards from hundreds of seals.
• Nepenthe is the Big Sur meal with a view. Swan Oyster Depot and La Super-Rica Taqueria are the small counters with the lines.
• Hearst Castle needs a booked tour; Monterey Bay Aquarium often needs a booked ticket.
• Hotel del Coronado is the finish, across the bridge from downtown San Diego.

Verify before you go

Highway 1 through Big Sur is closed by slides from time to time, so check Caltrans first. Hours, tour availability, parking fees and restaurant menus change; confirm on the official sites linked in each popup. Some stops are seasonal (elephant seal activity, tide pools, whale watching). A few restaurant photos are of the nearby area, and the popups say so.