Located four miles north of Half Moon Bay, Pillar Point Harbor is used by both pleasure and commercial fishing boats—and on occasion the Lady Washington, a large wooded tall ship, that allows visitors to come aboard and explore the ship of yesteryear.

The Harbor has 369 berths and an inner and outer breakwater—making it one of the safest harbors in the United States. It is surrounded by a number of small businesses that include restaurants, fish markets, bait and tackle, an RV Park, and a surf outfitter. It is also home to Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. where you can rent kayaks, paddle boards and bikes.

Throughout the year, Pillar Point Harbor hosts many public events including the annual Mavericks surfing competition, and a lighted boat contest during the Christmas holiday season.

The beaches just south of the harbor (Pillar Point Beach,  Surfer’s Beach, El Granada Beach, Mirada and Miramar Beaches) are just a short distance away and are some of the better beaches for families with smaller children. Please note that although they are some of the more calm beaches, they can still be very dangerous. Always pay close attention to your children because high tides and waves crashing against the beaches can be unforgiving and extremely dangerous.

Major rating websites rate Pillar Point Harbor 4.5 to 4.6 stars out of 5. Because of the variety of things to do, we rate it a solid 4.5 stars.

Address: 1 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Phone: (650) 726-4382
Website: https://www.smharbor.com/pillar-point-harbor