Mendocino

Mendocino is a small coastal town in Northern California perched on cliffs above the Pacific. Victorian houses, art galleries, and dramatic ocean views. The weather is cool and foggy even in summer. It’s quiet and romantic and feels remote. A weekend is perfect for relaxing. The town is tiny so you see everything in a few hours walking around.

Mendocino Town and Headlands

The town has wooden Victorian buildings from the 1800s when it was a logging port. Many are now bed and breakfasts, galleries, and restaurants. The Main Street has shops selling art and crafts. Mendocino Headlands State Park surrounds the town with clifftop trails. You walk along the bluffs with views of sea stacks and crashing waves. Whales pass by during migration seasons. The sunsets over the ocean are beautiful. The town is small enough that you never need a car once you’re there.

Mendocino Coast and Beaches

The coastline near Mendocino has rugged cliffs and hidden beaches. Big River Beach is right at the edge of town. The river mouth meets the ocean with driftwood everywhere. Russian Gulch State Park north has a waterfall and sea cave. The Devil’s Punchbowl is a collapsed sea cave. Glass Beach in Fort Bragg has smooth glass pieces from old garbage that the ocean polished. People used to dump trash in the ocean and now it’s sea glass. The beaches are rocky and the water is cold.

Mendocino Redwood Forests Nearby

The giant redwood trees grow inland from Mendocino coast. Hendy Woods State Park has groves you can walk through. The trees are massive and quiet and ancient. Montgomery Woods has some of the tallest redwoods anywhere. The forest floor is dark and covered in ferns. Navarro River runs through the area. Highway 128 through the Anderson Valley has wineries. The drive is beautiful through rolling hills.

Food is fresh seafood, local wine, farm to table restaurants, organic everything.