Getaways From San Francisco

The bountiful Central Coast is much more than just a scenic stretch of highway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"Big Little Lies"—HBO’s new star-studded show about murder and motherhood in a high-gloss town—is an addictive watch. If curiosity about the characters and their storylines doesn't hook you, then the stunning shots of Monterey Bay and the Pacific coastline will. Although the novel was meant to take place in a fictional Australian town, when developing the show for American audiences, producers said Monterey Bay had the feel of everything they were looking for. The town—which lies about 100 miles south of San Francisco—is home to a gorgeous coastline and many influential tech power players. Monterey Bay has both a mysterious and glamorous feel that makes it an ideal location for a show about an unknown murder where everybody in town is a suspect. Although we don’t know yet who was murdered (or how), we know the whereabouts. From the beautiful shots of the drives into school to the beaches where something fishy happened, here are some of the stunning locations around Monterey Bay featured in "Big Little Lies."

You don’t have to travel far for a nature fix in this town.

A blufftop getaway with a surprising arts scene.

Discover the oldest continually operating ski area in California.

Go beyond the city’s counter-culture past to explore this diverse neighborhood’s new haunts.