MARIN COUNTY
The great outdoors, just minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge
HIKE, BIKE, EXPLORE IDYLLIC MARIN VISIT MARIN Visitmarin.org
With majestic Mount Tamalpais overlooking Marin County, from its Pacific Ocean shores to San Francisco Bay inlets, small towns nestled into hillsides and a lively culinary and cultural scene, there’s no question that Marin is one of the most idyllic places in California.
Start with Tiburon, the county’s southernmost town that looks as though it were plucked from the Mediterranean coast with its waterfront restaurants, shops and cafés. Views of San Francisco are the backdrop for sailboats that help Tiburon retain its salty flavor as a historic shipbuilding center.
To the west are a string of Pacific coast beach hamlets—muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Bolinas—where writers, poets and artists whet their creativity and have long made their home. One of California’s prime protected havens of old-growth redwoods lies nearby at Muir Woods National Monument (reservations required, see gomuirwoods.com).
West Marin: Nature Lovers’ Paradise
Further west is West Marin, a paradise for nature lovers. Point Reyes National Seashore offers secluded beaches dotted with sea lions and elephant seals, lush forests and a picture-perfect lighthouse clinging to the rocky coast. In winter, Point Reyes is one of California’s top spots to view gray whales on their annual migration.
Nearby are the blink-and-you’ll-missthem towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema,
Inverness and Marshall, known for serving locally-made cheese and fresh oysters from the glistening waters of Tomales Bay.
Hikers and mountain bikers make a beeline for the trails of Mount Tamalpais, known locally as Mt. Tam, where mountain biking was born. A diverse terrain of redwood forests, rolling hills, cascading waterfalls and high trails and roads afford breathtaking, top-of-the-world views of the Bay Area. It’s an unforgettable experience for visitors, who, if short on time, can take it all in by car.
Marin’s Small-town Charm
In central Marin County lie more than a dozen towns—waterfront Tiburon, lush Mill Valley and sweet San Anselmo and Fairfax, among them—to enjoy with acclaimed restaurants, boutiques and a vibe that is quintessentially northern Californian laid-back.
The sprawling Thursday and Sunday farmers’ market at Marin Civic Center, in the shadow of the county’s landmark Frank Lloyd Wright-designed complex, is a onestop shop for local cheese, bread, fruit and other beloved Marin foodie delights.
San Rafael, the county seat, is a thriving cultural hub, home of the Smith Rafael Film Center, art galleries, gift shops and the lovingly preserved mission church—san Rafael Arcángel—that dates from 1817.
A stroll along San Rafael’s lively downtown hub is one more memorable experience of Marin County, a place that seems to, simply, have it all.