Self-Guided Pacific Coast Audio Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Maria

Key facts

What's included

Itinerary

1. Stop 1 Pass by

   The product of a merger between Loyola College and Marymount College, the school is institutionally committed to Roman Catholicism.

2. Stop 2 Pass by

   If you love boats, this is the ideal spot for some boatwatching. Developed in the 1950’s, the marina has become North America’s largest man-made small-craft harbor.

3. Stop 3 Pass by

   Welcome to the Los Angeles neighborhood of Venice, home of Venice Beach and the Venice Canals!

4. Stop 4 Pass by

   You’ll be passing by a couple of pretty spectacular beaches. The Will-Rogers State Beach and the famous Santa Monica Beach.

5. Stop 5 Pass by

   If you’re into Italian villas filled with ancient Greek and-Roman artifacts, the Getty Villa Museum is a must-see attraction! We'll also tell you about the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.

6. Stop 6 Pass by

   A couple of amazing parks and home to hiking-trails through native forests complete with stunning views of the coastline and beaches.

7. Stop 7 Pass by

   There's a lot-to-do in Malibu!! Long hailed as the city of sun, surf and sand, Malibu City spans 21 miles of beautiful California beach.

8. Stop 8 Pass by

   A fantastic 30 mile-long stretch of land running from the coast inland in what's known as a Mediterranean climate ecosystem.

9. Stop 9 Pass by

   The City of Malibu, which we’ll be driving through, has a long and storied past. The historical Adamson-House is a great example, and a must-see for history-buffs.

10. Stop 10 Pass by

    We'll introduce you to the famous Zuma Beach with its broad and sandy beach and the popular filming location, Point Dume.

11. Stop 11 Pass by

    Just one of Malibu's beaches, the El Matador is studded with massive, unique rock-formations.

12. Stop 12 Pass by

    Hear about the Chumash people who lived here almost 8,000 years ago and had an extensive trading system throughout California.

13. Stop 13 Pass by

    Just off the coast, the reef is one of Malibu’s coastal scuba-diving sites offering a wonderland of things to see. We'll tell you all about it.

14. Stop 14 Pass by

    You'll be driving by inland-bluffs, which are actually the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountain range.

15. Stop 15 Pass by

    Here you'll find miles of hiking-trails, canyons and great views of one of the highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains, Boney Mountain.

16. Stop 16 Pass by

    If you visit the park, you’ll see all kinds of missiles like the Polaris, the first U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missile.

17. Stop 17 Pass by

    As the name suggests, there is a port on the shores of the city. In fact, it's the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

18. Stop 18 Pass by

    California supplies over 85 percent of US strawberries, with a third of that coming from right here in the Oxnard valley.

19. Stop 19 Pass by

    At 84 miles long and draining several mountain watersheds, the Santa Clara is the largest natural river system in Southern California.

20. Stop 20 Pass by

    The county you'll be driving through, is home to roughly 825,000 Californians, most of whom live within the coastal plains at the foot of the Topatopa Mountains. We'll tell you why it's so popular.

21. Stop 21 Pass by

    Located in the heart of downtown Ventura, we'll give you some of history of this still active Catholic parish, museum and tourist-attraction.

22. Stop 22 Pass by

    This section of the Pacific Coast Highway takes us right past a couple more scenic beaches in Solimar & Emma Wood-state-beaches.

23. Stop 23 Pass by

    We'll tell you a bit about earthquakes and how the point was created.

24. Stop 24 Pass by

    You'll hear the interesting story behind a very small island connected by a very long pier. That’s Rincon Island and the Richfield Pier!

25. Stop 25 Pass by

    The locals are very protective of these bluffs. So far they have raised $6.9 million in trust to create the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature-Preserve.

26. Stop 26 Pass by

    The coastal City of Carpinteria may be small, but there’s plenty to do here. We'll tell just a few of them!

27. Stop 27 Pass by

    Take a break at Vista Point which offers a fantastic view of the ocean and if clear, Santa Rosa Island.

28. Stop 28 Pass by

    At almost 250,000 acres, the park was created to protect both marine and island wildlife, as well as a number of archeological sites found on the islands.

29. Stop 29 Pass by

    You'll see where Navy Seals are trained to withstand some of the worst conditions nature can throw at them.

30. Stop 30 Pass by

    Hear about Santa Barbara's origins which can be traced back to centuries before Europeans arrived, when the Chumash flourished here.

31. Stop 31 Pass by

    A popular destination for both road-trippers and cruise-ships, Santa Barbara sees over 7 million tourists annually.

32. Stop 32 Pass by

    The shoreline boasts nature preserves, a quiet beach and a Monarch Butterfly Grove.

33. Stop 33 Pass by

    We'll tell you about the mountain range you’ve been paralleling, part of the Transverse Ranges.

34. Stop 34 Pass by

    Known as a top research university it has award-winning faculty that includes six Nobel-Prize winners. In fact it’s a global leader in the sciences.

35. Stop 35 Pass by

    Hear how this protected forestland, covering over two million acres of coastal mountains, protects one of its endanged species.

36. Stop 36 Pass by

    Barnacles, starfish, sea anemone, crabs, and sea-sponges become trapped in these rocky pools when the tide pulls out, exposing these tiny sea-creatures for all to see.

37. Stop 37 Pass by

    Learn about the environmental tragedy along this beautiful beach in 2015.

38. Stop 38 Pass by

    The rugged coastline that surrounds the beach is also rather infamous as a drop off point for some nefarious activities. We'll tell you what.

39. Stop 39 Pass by

    Unlike most waterfalls, which gradually erode upstream, the Nojoqui Falls have built outward from the cliff over time. We'll tell you why.

40. Stop 40 Pass by

    This small city's claim to fame is being the home of split-pea soup!

41. Stop 41 Pass by

    All 2000 acres of La Purisima have been restored to its peak period in the 1820s, when it was the seat of mission government.

42. Stop 42 Pass by

    One of the city's top attractions are their murals in alley ways and on the sides of buildings..

43. Stop 43 Pass by

    Vandenberg is part of the new branch of the US Armed Forces, the Space Force, solely to space.

44. Stop 44 Pass by

    These hills were a perfect hideout for the bandit Salomon Pico. We'll tell you about him and why he was famous.

45. Stop 45 Pass by

    Welcome to the Santa Maria Valley, home of the second oldest American Viticultural Area and famous for their California grown and bottled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.

46. Stop 46 Pass by

    Hear about The Hurricane Deck Trail which runs along the ridge of a mountain offering spectacular views.

47. Stop 47 Pass by

    Founded in 1875, settlers began arriving to taking advantage of the offer of free land, rich soil and the cooler Mediterranean climate.

48. Stop 48 Pass by

    Winery in Santa Maria.

49. Stop 49 Pass by

    Conservatory Theatre in Santa Maria.

50. Stop 50 Pass by

    Interesting and beautiful winery.

51. Stop 51 Pass by

    Rural park south of Santa Maria.

52. Stop 52 Pass by

    Popular trail nearby.

53. Stop 53 Pass by

    Incredible lookout.

54. Stop 54 Pass by

    Incredible beach.

55. Stop 55 Pass by

    Picturesque roadside canyon.

56. Stop 56 Pass by

    Awesome beach.

57. Stop 57 Pass by

    Sandy beach.

58. Stop 58 Pass by

    Nice park by the shore.

59. Stop 59 Pass by

    Incredible views.

60. Stop 60 Pass by

    Beach with ocean.

61. Stop 61 Pass by

    Unique park.

62. Stop 62 Pass by

    Point over the ocean.

63. Stop 63 Pass by

    Another beach.

64. Stop 64 Pass by

    Nice spot for a sleepover.

65. Stop 65 Pass by

    Wicked cool beach.

66. Stop 66 Pass by

    Awesome local park.

67. Stop 67 Pass by

    Another wicked cool beach.

68. Stop 68 Pass by

    The best knoll of them all.

69. Stop 69 Pass by

    Like the hotel, but a beach.

70. Stop 70 Pass by

    The best beach in Oxnard.

71. Stop 71 Pass by

    Park with a side of beach.

72. Stop 72 Pass by

    A rock of ages.

73. Stop 73 Pass by

    Combo number 5.

74. Stop 74 Pass by

    Leo's beach.

75. Stop 75 Pass by

    Nick's beach.

76. Stop 76 Pass by

    Here beachy beachy beachy.

77. Stop 77 Pass by

    Another beach.

78. Stop 78 Pass by

    A nice point.

79. Stop 79 Pass by

    Beach and park and preserve.

80. Stop 80 Pass by

    Malibu's beach.

81. Stop 81 Pass by

    What a beach.

82. Stop 82 Pass by

    Life's a beach.

83. Stop 83 Pass by

    Yet another California beach.

84. Stop 84 Pass by

    When the sun goes down..

85. Stop 85 Pass by

    The beach Monica built.

86. Stop 86 Pass by

    Incredible oceanside pier.

87. Stop 87 Pass by

    Park on the pier.

88. Stop 88 Pass by

    Oceanside city.

89. Stop 89 Pass by

    Incredible beach.

90. Stop 90 Pass by

    Beach with a view.

Meeting point & pickup

Meet at the starting point

The tour starts or stops at either Los Angeles or Santa Maria, although you can start anywhere along the route.
The specific point for Los Angeles is the Pacific Coast Highway #1, at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Cancellation & confirmation