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A Day Trip to Bodega Bay: Best Restaurants, Beaches and Chowder
Here's how to spend a perfect day on the Sonoma coast.
Approaching from the south on Highway 1, make a pit stop in Valley Ford for coffee (or a tasty breakfast burrito) at the Estero Cafe. And for the road, grab a brown paper bag of the homemade teriyaki beef jerky next door at the Valley Ford Market — it’s kind of famous in these parts. (Estero Cafe)
Eggs Benedict at the Estero Cafe in Valley Ford. (Estero Cafe)
Coming out of a steep ravine as you roll into Bodega Bay, turn left on Doran Beach Road and wind down to the 2-mile spit that stretches into Doran Beach at Doran Regional Park ($7 fee). It’s a great place to picnic, explore the beach, and watch surfers and fishing boats come and go through the harbor. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Back on Highway 1, as you enter town, Sonoma Coast Vineyards (limited production Pinot and Chardonnay) is on the left. On a sunny day, the back patio is a cheese-plate picnic perch for watching snowy egrets that like to roost in trees along the eastern edge of the bay. (Sonoma Coast Vineyards)
Less than a half-mile down on the left is the Tides Wharf and Restaurant, where Tippi Hedren, in a long fur coat no less, rented a skiff in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror film “The Birds.” It’s a tourist trap today, but still a fun spot from which to watch workers unload fresh salmon filets at the wharf. And if you barely poke your head in the front door, you can see a massive set of shark jaws on the wall and a photo showing the more than 17-foot great white shark caught near Bodega Bay in 1984. (Naeblys/Shutterstock.com)
Back on the main drag, blow past the saltwater taffy shops and windsock peddlers, and turn left on Eastshore Road where Terrapin Creek is tucked away in a row of shops like a secret culinary hideaway. Owners Andrew Truong and Liya Lin serve up a briny seasonal menu of scallops, Marin miyagi oysters, Monterey sardines, charred octopus salad, and pan-roasted sea bass, all freshly sourced from the sea. (Chris Hardy / Sonoma Magazine)
Down the way, past abandoned boats with names like Jezebel and Deliverance, Eastshore Road dead-ends at Porto Bodega Marina where Gourmet Au Bay and Ginochio's Kitchen sit side-by-side, topped with low-slung roofs like twin trailer-park mobile homes or converted storage containers. Don’t be afraid, Gourmet Au Bay boasts an eclectic wine cellar and owner Brian Roth invented (and trademarked) “wine surfing” — so when you order a flight it arrives on a mini surfboard. And Ginochio’s breakfast hash is loaded with 14-hour slow-cooked Texas brisket. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Smoked clam flatbread and mussels at Gourmet Au Bay in Bodega Bay. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
Crab cakes at Gourmet Au Bay in Bodega Bay. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
Buttery Dungeness crab sandwich from Ginochio's Restaurant in Bodega Bay. (Heather Irwin / Sonoma Magazine)
From Eastshore, take Bay Flat Road west as it turns into Westshore Road and you’ll smell the steaming pots in front of Spud Point Crab Company across from Spud Point Marina. Carol and Tony Anello’s fish shack is home to a renowned clam chowder that has won the annual Chowder Day in Bodega Bay contest more than any other competitor. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Further down the road on the right, the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory offers public tours. The first story docent Roger Patton likes to tell is how PG&E once tried to build a nuclear plant in the 1960s at nearby Bodega Head. After that, you get to check out the aquariums, walk outside and see Horseshoe Cove, and touch purple urchins in model tide pools. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
At the end of Westshore Road is the climb to Bodega Head, a windblown, dead-end vista overlooking the majestic, white-capped Pacific. A popular spot for tourists, it’s a great excuse for a hike and one of the best whale watching vistas along the coast. In March and April, docents from Stewards of the Redwoods are stationed along the cliffs to help spot mothers and their young calves migrating from Mexico back to Alaska. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
Whale Watch volunteer Larry Tiller, of Healdsburg, watches the horizon for spouts from Bodega Head. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Also in Bodega Bay...Pinnacle Gulch Trail: This is one of the best hikes to a secluded beach in all of Sonoma County and totally unknown to most visitors. Just before rolling into Bodega Bay, turn left on South Harbor Way, then make a quick left on Heron Drive. Cruise through the Bodega Harbour subdivision, past “Golf Cart Crossing” signs. Turn left on Mockingbird Lane and a few hundred feet on your left is the Pinnacle Gulch parking lot. From there, hike about a mile down a ravine to a beautiful beach sanctuary. Check tide charts before you go. At low tide, hike south down the beach to pick up Shorttail Gulch trail and make it a 2-mile loop back to your car.
Also in Bodega Bay...Salmon Creek Beach: One of the best places to watch surfers around Bodega Bay is at Salmon Creek State Beach, along Highway 1 north of town. The parking lot at the end of Bean Avenue (on your right off Highway 1) often fills up on busy days. About a quarter mile up the road, you can park in another lot along the bluffs overlooking the ocean, and take the stairs down to the beach and lagoon where tiny Salmon Creek trickles into the Pacific. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
On the way...Bodega: Approaching Bodega Bay from the south on Highway 1, turn right on Bodega Highway to visit the charming town of Bodega, where you can see the Saint Teresa of Avila Church and the Potter Schoolhouse — both featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror film “The Birds.” And don’t miss two screenings of “The Birds” on March 23 at the 7th annual Hitchcock Film Festival at the Grange Hall, 1370 Bodega Ave. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Foggy morning at Bodega Bay via Pacific Coast Highway in Sonoma County. (Shutterstock)
