Located just 15 minutes from San Francisco, the beautiful beachfront town of Pacifica is the perfect destination for an outdoor-oriented, three-day getaway. Visitors are advised to come for a mid-week visit during the summer months, but spring, fall and winter are quieter and still lovely. Here is a sampling of things to do during three perfect days in Pacifica.

© VisitPacifica.com

Day One

Check into one of seven hotels, depending on your personal taste and budget. The largest hotel, with 97 rooms, is Lighthouse Hotel, a full-service hotel situated on Rockaway Beach. The newest is the 88-room Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites San Francisco Pacifica, opened this month, also on Rockaway Beach. Situated across from Linda Mar Beach is another full-service hotel called Pacifica Beach Hotel, offering ocean views and the Peruvian restaurant Puerto 27. Enjoy a seaside lunch at Nick’s Rockaway, with menu items including the signature grilled crab sandwich or one of the hand-cut steaks. Stroll the shops at Rockaway Beach and visit the Pacifica Coastside Museum at 1910 Little Brown Church. Have a pre-dinner glass of wine at A Grape in the Fog, and get a table with sunset views and dinner at the beachfront Moonraker Restaurant.

Day Two

Get up early and head to Pacifica Pier with fishing gear, tackle and bait. As a public pier, no fishing license is required, and fishing is free. Have breakfast at Ash’s Vallemar Station, then walk the gentle Devils Slide Trail, with stunning views of the Pacific. Lunch can be at Humble Sea Brewing Co., before a short walk to Linda Mar State Beach to watch surfers at one of the best surfing spots in Northern California. Dinner can be at Puerto 27 Peruvian Kitchen and Pisco Bar, with its variety of tapas-style menu items, as well as its signature Pisco Sour.

© VisitPacifica.com

Day Three

After breakfast at Breakers in Rockaway Beach (outdoor seating is available), visit one of the nearby Golden Gate National Recreation Areas. Mori Hike takes you right along the 18-hole Sharp Park Golf Course on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other. The view from the top of Mori Point is spectacular. Milagra Ridge offers nice views of the coastal bluffs of Pacifica and the ocean. For more experienced walkers, consider hiking Sweeney Ridge to reach the ridgetop where, in 1769, a scouting party led by Gaspar de Portola became the first Europeans to see San Francisco Bay from this ridgetop.