🌿 RelaxedWeekend · from San Francisco, CA

Seaside Cliffs & Quiet Refuge

Escape the city to discover windswept coastal cliffs and serene wildlife sanctuaries where nature's beauty unfolds at your own peaceful pace.

Day 1 — Seacliff State BeachDay 2 — Refuge

Day 1 — Seacliff State Beach

🚗 2 hr 51 min driving📍 5 stops

🌅

Morning

🚗

Drive

San Francisco, CA → Seacliff State Beach

1 hr 52 min8:00 AM → 9:52 AM

Seacliff State Beach

★ 4.6

Versatile state beach offers a variety of outdoor activities such as camping & hiking.

9:52 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria

★ 4.6

A Capitola legend since 1978 — extraordinary pastries, rotisserie chicken, and a prepared foods counter that makes it impossible to leave empty-handed. One of the best bakeries in California.

10:52 AM📍 See location

☀️

Afternoon

🚗

Drive

Seacliff State Beach → Testarossa Winery

30 min12:00 PM → 12:30 PM

Testarossa Winery

★ 4.5

Taste small-batch Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in a historic stone building surrounded by oak-studded hills. Stroll the estate grounds while sipping wine and taking in views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

12:30 PM📍 See location

🌙

Evening

🚗

Drive

Testarossa Winery → Shadowbrook Restaurant

29 min5:00 PM → 5:29 PM

🍽️ Dinner5:29 PM

Shadowbrook Restaurant

Dine by candlelight in a romantic riverside cottage accessible only by a funicular railway descent into Capitola's enchanting canyon.

★ 4.6$$$American Restaurant📍 Maps →

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Pajaro Dunes Resort

Privately owned beach houses and condos on the Monterey Bay shoreline at Pajaro Dunes — windswept dunes, direct beach access, and a quieter stretch of the California coast than Carmel or Santa Cruz. The kind of place families rent for a week and return to every year.

Day 2 — Refuge

🚗 1 hr 9 min driving📍 5 stops

🌅

Morning

🚗

Drive

Seacliff State Beach → Refuge

55 min8:00 AM → 8:55 AM

Refuge

★ 4.5

Unwind with wood-fired cuisine and natural wines in a serene Carmel Valley setting designed to reconnect you with simple pleasures — stone soaking pools, eucalyptus-scented saunas, and long unhurried meals in the garden.

8:55 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

🍽️ Lunch9:55 AM

Alta Bakery and Cafe

A Santa Cruz bakery with an exceptional sourdough program and café menu that draws a devoted morning and lunch crowd. The pastries are worth an early start.

★ 4.6Bakery📍 Maps →

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☀️

Afternoon

🚗

Drive

Refuge → Folktale Winery & Vineyards

4 min12:00 PM → 12:04 PM

Folktale Winery & Vineyards

★ 4.5

Sample estate wines on a sun-soaked terrace overlooking Carmel Valley vineyards, then explore the on-site gardens and sculptures. Enjoy live music and local food while watching the golden light shift across the rolling vines.

12:04 PM📍 See location

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Evening

🚗

Drive

Folktale Winery & Vineyards → Mission Ranch Restaurant

10 min5:00 PM → 5:10 PM

🍽️ Dinner5:10 PM

Mission Ranch Restaurant

Enjoy farm-to-table comfort food with panoramic Carmel Valley views while watching horses graze on the surrounding ranch land.

★ 4.6American Restaurant📍 Maps →

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Consider staying overnight

The drive back to San Francisco, CA is 2h 41m — consider booking a night near Refuge and heading home in the morning.

🔍 Search hotels near Refuge →

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