If you decide to cycle around San Francisco, I recommend following my route: breathtaking views of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, fashionable waterfront areas of Sausalito and Tiburon, almost “rural” surroundings, and finally a walk across the bay past Alcatraz on a ferry.
This is a very popular route. It is good not only for its beautiful views, but also because there are many more long and short descents than ascents (2-3 small hills do not count).
The route is not difficult and is suitable for anyone who knows how to ride a bike at least a little.
Read on to find out how to rent a bike in San Francisco Here.
You can ride around San Francisco not alone, but join a tour with a guide, which is what I did. The price of such a tour (with bike rental for a day) is $ 65 (price in December 2016). However, if you come with a flyer, which you can get at a hotel or hostel, then the whole pleasure will cost $ 35. The guide leads the tour, you can ask him anything. However, it is not difficult to just take a bike and ride along this route.
The rental will give you a ticket for the ferry (about 11 dollars). You can skip it or return it unused along with the bike.
We start at Ghirardelli Square, drive along the shore past Fort Mason, then turn left to see the Palace of Fine Arts.
We return to the shore and make a stop before the bridge for coffee and a souvenir shop and, of course, in the photo - the foot of the red giant, the skyscrapers of San Francisco in the distance... In the shop you can get free maps of the Golden Gate National Park, if, having crossed the bridge, you decide to walk along it, or you can buy maps - good, expensive and detailed.
The bike paths are marked. However, it is also impossible to get lost thanks to the crowds of tourists – everyone wants to get on the bridge!
The climb to the bridge is steep, but quite manageable on a good bike. From the starting point to the bridge is about 6 kilometers.
And here we are, finally, on the bridge! According to the signs, pedestrians should go on the right, cyclists on the left.
In fact, everyone gets mixed up, stops wherever they want, but you can drive through, especially if you honk.
After the bridge there is a long steep descent down to the Sausalito area – a pleasant place with small beautiful villas, shops, countless fish restaurants, from the windows of which there is a view of the bay and the center of San Francisco. From the starting point to Sausalito – 13.5 kilometers.
If you want to eat expensively and deliciously in a crowd of tourists - this is the place for you. If you want something quieter and cheaper - you need to drive along the marina forward. Further on, the houses become less pretentious, and the restaurants - more democratic.
For those who have already skied enough, there is an opportunity to take the ferry to Sausalito and return to San Francisco. At this point the guide parted with us. In total, the excursion took 3 hours. If you do not listen to the story and do not go into souvenir shops, but only take short photo breaks, an hour is enough.
So, our group broke up: some immediately decided to return to the city, others went to restaurants and shops, and I decided to continue riding. On the map that I was given at the bike rental, another ferry was marked - on the other side of the peninsula - in Tiburon. And a very inspiring path led to it.
Beyond Sausalito the houses became quite simple, and then the forest began. The road went along the bay. The markings were good, everything was clear. The main thing was to drive approximately along the shore (going around small bays) and then turn right onto road #8 (there is a big sign).
Soon the simple houses ended and very expensive villas began to peek out from the forest. The road leads along Hamilton Street, Strawberry Street and finally comes out onto the long Tiburon Boulevard.
Route #8 ends, continue on Route #10, soon signs for Tiburon Downtown and the ferry appear.
Tiburon is a nice town.
The bike path leads to the ferry. The whole journey at a very leisurely pace and with stops for photos took me about an hour and 40 minutes, although, of course, if you want, you can easily ride it in an hour. From Sausalito to the ferry in Tiburon is 17.5 kilometers, that is, the whole journey is about 31 kilometers.
San Francisco is visible from the shore.
The ferry is a small boat. There are a few seats with tables inside, and there are places on the open decks. There is a small dar on board, where they sell wine, stronger drinks and completely non-alcoholic drinks.
This route can be extended: after Sausalito, do not turn right, but go left, and go around the Golden Gate National Recreation Area - the paths are marked on the map. From Tiburon, the ferry goes first to Angel Island - a small island a few minutes away by boat. There is also a path around this island, along its shore. If you decide to ride there - write down the ferry schedule, they go about once every 2 hours, so that you have time to return.
You can also return to San Francisco by bike, but then you will face some gigantic and (from this side) downright unpleasant climbs.
On the way back, the ferry sails across the bay past the famous “prison” island of Alcatraz and docks at Pier 41.
Source: travel.ru