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San Francisco's setting on the Bay only adds to its allure. When you have water on three sides, it not only makes for a temperate climate but when you factor in the city's hilly streets, you have lots of opportunities to view the blue waters as a backdrop to the city's considerable architecture. As a rule, just head up hill and look for low buildings and you'll be rewarded with some spectacular scenery. Leave a Comment
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Baker Beach is one of the most popular beaches in San Francisco. Unlike windy Ocean Beach, Baker Beach is more protected. The beach is best known for its small nude sunbathing area at the far end. However, nudists tend to stay in their own private area for the most part.
Small and scenic, Baker Beach is one of the most cherished beaches in San Francisco. Baker Beach's location protects it from the winds found at Ocean Beach and also makes it one of the cleanest beaches in the bay, free of kelp and floating debris of any kind. Baker Beach has acquired a bit of a reputation over the years--the now infamous Burning Man festival was conceived here before moving out to the austere Nevada desert.
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Urban folklore says that the Sutro Baths and tunnel beside them are the notorious resting spots of people who have been sacrificed there, and their ghosts will throw candles lit by visitors into the rocky waters below (Iwill tell it to Jamey Heidenman and Adam Savage of the Mythbusters, who lives in east bay). Running the entire west side of San Francisco, ocean beach is the city's largest beach. One can walk unimpeded all the way to San Mateo County to Daly City and Pacifica.
The water at Ocean Beach is noteworthy for its strong currents and fierce waves, which makes it popular among many serious surfers. The rapid rip currents and cold water make the ocean dangerous for casual swimmers or even for those who simply want to set foot in it, and many swimmers have been swept away and drowned as a result. Ocean Beach runs from the famous Cliff House restaurant to Fort Funston at the southern border of the city and the Great Highway Bisects it. It's part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Phone: (415) 355-3700Directions: Take Geary Blvd west until it curves left and downhill onto Great Highwayvia car or take Muni Bus 23.Website: www2.sfenvironment.org/aboutus/openspaces/ocean_beach/index.htm
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Baker beach is to me the best of SF's beaches. It not a good place to swim because of the strong currents but if you tried to swim in the Pacific Ocean around San Francisco you'll know the water is too cold for swimming anyway. But you can sunbathe and fish and walk along the beach looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the beach there are tables and grills for barbequing. Leave a Comment
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The San Francisco Bay is the largest 'bay' on the Californian Coast, and it stretches about 60 miles in length and up to 12 miles in width.
Into the bay flows the Sacramento and Joaquim Rivers, passing under the Golden Gate bridge and out to sea.
It is however, very shallow only being approximately 6-10 feet in depth at low tide. Leave a Comment
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One of the favorite things that my students and adults alike like to do is to park by the Pacific Ocean just south of the Cliff House and walk the beach if the weather is good. Lots of sand dollars are always on the beach and it is also a neat thing to do at sunset.
Bring some napkins, a towel or some paper towels to wipe your feet off. You will want to roll up your pants and walk in the water a little. There are also sand artists that are often there raking designs in the sand.
The website below gives you directions to the Cliff House if you would like to see it on a map. Leave a Comment Directions: Take Geary Blvd. from most anywhere in the city and get to it with no problem. It turns into Ocean Beach at the Cliff House. There is plenty of parking up and down the beach. Golden Gate park is also very near.Website: http://www.cliffhouse.com/info/mapinfo.htm
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Drive up Lincoln Boulevard and you will see the signs for Baker beach. You will get the best views of the Golden Gate bridge from the Baker beach; it is a perfect place to take photographs or just chill out by the ocean. It might be a litlle chilly though.. And when you hear the word "beach" in SF, don't think that it is the kind of beach where you put on your shorts, get a nice sun tan and jump in the water whenever you get too hot. Being from the Mediterranian, it is like a joke for me but if you stay in the water too long in SF you can get hypothermia. So the appeal of the beach is just being by the Ocean and the views. Leave a Comment
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Friends took us to Montara beach just 20 minutes away from SF. It was a welcome trip cuz we needed to get out of the city...
The drive to the Beach was beautiful and scenic, despite of the fog.
Going to the beach in Northern California means: don't forget to bring your jacket. Leave a Comment Directions: Take the Pacific Highway and enjoy the scenery...
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If you continue to follow the ocean North (east) from Ocean Beach you will soon hit Lincoln Park and eventually China beach (in the Sea Cliff neighborhood), and eventually the Presidio. All part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
I want to say this is an old Navy turret post, where big cannons once stood. Now it is a park where flowers grow. Typical San Francisco. Leave a Comment Directions: North East of Ocean Beach.
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O.K., so maybe I live my life from coffee shop to coffee shop... but who cares when they're this cool!
Java Beach Cafe is at the end of Judah on the Great Highway, a perfect place to stop in and warm up to a chai when you're checking out the sure-to-be-chilly Ocean beach side of the city. I like to come here to take a break from my classes at nearby SFSU. There is no better place to stop for coffee this side of town, so DO stop in, and forget the Cliffhouse. Check out the website (link below) for a better description than I can write, with pics and all.
Whether sitting inside at the bar, a table, or bench, or sitting outside in the sun (or fog!) you will get a taste of the local Sunset district culture: lots of dog owners, yuppies, cold-blooded surfers, students, and the like, mostly reading the paper, chatting, or surfing the (free) internet. The beans here are mostly fair trade and organic, of course. Lots of tasty treats from perogis to scones. Also beer and wine and salads.
Getting here is easy: it's a couple blocks south of Golden Gate Park as close to the beach as you can get. The streets don't actually dump out onto the Great Highway but with the tiny parallel street, La Playa. So you'll have to turn off the Highway either at Sloat and go north to Judah or at Lincoln and go south to Judah. The streets parallel to Judah run alphabetically south, if that helps.
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- Clift - A Morgans Hotel
495 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA - Steinhart Hotel
952 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA - Laurel Inn
444 Presidio Ave, San Francisco, CA - Hilton Garden Inn Sfo Aprt N
670 Gateway Boulevard, San Francisco, CA - The Huntington Hotel
1075 California Street, San Francisco, CA - Radisson San Francisco
5000 Sierra Point Parkway, San Francisco, CA - Amsterdam Hostel
749 Taylor Street, San Francisco, CA - Cathedral Hill Hotel
1101 Van Ness Avenue Corner of Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA - Americas Best Inns Sanfrancisc
2707 Lombard Street (formerly America's Best Inn San Francisco (Presidio), San Francisco, CA - Radisson Miyako Hotel San Francisco
1625 Post St (formerly Miyako Hotel San Francisco), San Francisco, CA - Powell Hotel
28 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA - Orchard Hotel
665 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA - Oasis Inn
900 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA - Edwardian San Francisco Hotel
1668 Market Street, San Francisco, CA - The Monaco Hotel - a Kimpton Boutique Hotel
501 Geary St, San Francisco, CA
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