Escape to Point Reyes
A drive out of the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge takes you to a completely different landscape. Rugged cliffs, beautiful grassy meadows and a diversity of wildlife: welcome to Point Reyes National Seashore, a park filled with countless biking and hiking trails and a 130-kilometre-long coastline for enjoying fresh sea breezes. And all of this at only a stone’s throw from the city.
Lighthouse in the fog
Point Reyes is known as one of the foggiest places in the United States of America. During the summer, the fog can become so thick that visibility is no more than a few metres – hence the lighthouse . For more than a century, the lighthouse cast its light over the ocean waves, but was replaced by automated light in 1975. The old lighthouse is now one of the top attractions at Point Reyes. A 310-step stairway takes you down to the rocky outcrop that is the most western point of the park. During the months of April, May and June, it’s the perfect place to spot whales migrating north along the coast.
Rare elk
A unique section of the park is the Tule Elk Preserve at Tomales Point, where a large herd of rare tule elk roam. This species was more or less extinct by the end of the 19th century. In 1978, a small herd was released at Tomales Point, after which the elk multiplied rapidly. There are now 450 living at Point Reyes National Seashore. July, August and September are the mating months, when volunteers inform curious visitors about the elk and their habits.
Waterfalls and tide pools
With ever-present wind and water temperatures that rarely rise above 10 degrees Celsius, sunbathing is not particularly recommended here. You’re better off focusing on the nature, as the coastline offers breathtakingly beautiful landscapes. Every beach has its own highlights. At Wildcat Beach, for instance, 2 waterfalls crash from the cliff face directly into the ocean and, at Palomarin Beach, there are lots of tide pools to explore during low tide, filled with colourful starfish. A stroll on the beach has never been so varied!
Related articles
Culinary
San Francisco is famous for its burritos. Surprised? The Mexican burrito is a popular lunch or dinner item around the world, but this classic dish has been given a unique twist in San Francisco, called the Mission-style burrito. Make it your mission to try at least one during your visit to the City by the Bay.
Nature
With 2 museums, a variety of gardens and endless miles of greenery, Golden Gate Park is perhaps best described as the playground of San Francisco. Originally home to massive sand dunes, construction began in 1871 to create a park that would be bigger than Central Park in New York. The green oasis now attracts 13 million visitors each year.
*The displayed prices are for one adult. All amounts are in RUB. Taxes and surcharges are included. No booking fee is applicable. Prices shown may vary depending on fare availability.
The weather forecast information is provided by World Weather Online. Air France-KLM is not responsible for the reliability of this data.