Moss Beach, CA

Moss Beach is a small coastal town in northern San Mateo County, a few miles above Half Moon Bay. Highway 1 runs through it between bluffs on the ocean side and ranchland rising inland, and Montara and Pacifica are the next towns up the road. Two Houseberry neighborhoods share the city page. The northern part keeps the town's name and holds the marine reserve, the market and most of the cliffside homes. Princeton, to the south, wraps around the harbor, with the fishing fleet, the airport and the surf breaks off the point. Across both, houses are mostly single-family, from older cottages to newer homes with ocean views. Wood siding, hedges and wind-tolerant gardens suit the weather, and lots feel roomier than in most Bay Area coast towns. Walkers and tide-pool visitors have the best of it. The reserve protects a long stretch of rocky shore, the blufftop Coastal Trail strings together headlands, and the beaches of the harbor shore are close by. The harbor itself is a base for kayakers, boaters and anglers year round, and Pillar Point Bluff adds open headland above it for longer walks with a view. For a meal, Moss Beach Distillery perches over the cliff on Beach Way, serving lunch and dinner with an ocean backdrop. Barbara's Fishtrap has fried seafood by the harbor, and Pilot Light Cafe turns out breakfast among the planes at the Half Moon Bay Airport. Coastside Market covers groceries in town. Daily life is a drive. The highway connects every errand, Half Moon Bay holds the bigger stores, and public transit is limited. Coast roads slow to a crawl on sunny summer weekends, so locals learn which hours to avoid the highway. Distance from services is the cost. Fog can linger for days and the choices for dinner are few. Those who want the Pacific as a neighbor get it here without much fuss.