Miramar, El Granada, CA

Miramar sits at the southern edge of El Granada, a flat strip of homes and sand where the hillside gives way to bluff and surf. It feels like its own small place, with a short row of oceanfront buildings instead of a village center, and the long beaches of Half Moon Bay begin just south. Homes are beach cottages, small older houses and newer builds set close to the bluff edge, with ice plant and dune grass filling the gaps. Streets are short and the houses sit close together, which gives the strip a snug, beachside feel. Salt air is hard on paint and wood, and the owners who keep up with it make the difference obvious from the street. The Coastside Trail runs along the shoreline here, flat and open, and heading north it reaches Pillar Point Harbor in about a mile. Mirada Surf, Vallejo Beach and Surfers Beach are all within reach of the path, and surfers fill the water whenever the swell lines up. Sunset is a regular evening outing along the bluff, with dogs, strollers, runners and cyclists all sharing the path. Miramar Beach Restaurant is the name everyone gives for a meal, a seafood spot on the sand that seats guests first come, first served and keeps weekday hours from noon. Sam's Chowder House, under a mile up the highway, is the oceanfront stop for lobster rolls and chowder. For coffee, the cafe people favor is The Press, up the hill in El Granada. Errands mean leaving. Spangler's Market, up the hill, covers the basics, and a full grocery run goes into Half Moon Bay. Highway 1 is the only through road, so the beach path is the closest thing to a walkable route. Wind and fog show up most afternoons, and weekend visitors fill the shoreline parking. Still, an ocean you can walk to from your own street is the whole point of living in Miramar.