🌿 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
Day 1 — Seacliff State Beach
🚗 2 hr 51 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
San Francisco, CA → Seacliff State Beach
1 hr 52 min
Seacliff State Beach
★ Reviews →Versatile state beach offers a variety of outdoor activities such as camping & hiking.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria
★ Reviews →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.
~30 min📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Seacliff State Beach → Testarossa Winery
30 min
Testarossa Winery
★ Reviews →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.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Testarossa Winery → Shadowbrook Restaurant
29 min
🍽️ Dinner~1 hr
Shadowbrook Restaurant
Dine by candlelight in a romantic riverside cottage accessible only by a funicular railway descent into Capitola's enchanting canyon.
2 options · tap to switch
🛏️
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
Day 2 — Refuge
🚗 1 hr 9 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Seacliff State Beach → Refuge
55 min
Refuge
★ Reviews →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.
~1 hr📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch~30 min
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 options · tap to switch
☀️
Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Refuge → Folktale Winery & Vineyards
4 min
Folktale Winery & Vineyards
★ Reviews →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.
~1.5 hrs📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Folktale Winery & Vineyards → Mission Ranch Restaurant
10 min
🍽️ Dinner~1 hr
Mission Ranch Restaurant
Enjoy farm-to-table comfort food with panoramic Carmel Valley views while watching horses graze on the surrounding ranch land.
4 options · tap to switch
🛏️
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 →← All San Francisco trips
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