The rugged California coast is a dramatic and breathtaking setting, and the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel offers a relaxing retreat for travelers of any age. Enjoy a unique vacation experience at a spectacular lighthouse location, perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, just 25 miles south of San Francisco.
 
Originally established in 1875 as a fog signal station after several ships ran ashore in the late 1860s, this historic lighthouse is still an operating aid-to-navigation maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. The hostel has been in operation since 1980 through a partnership with California State Parks.

Guests are accommodated in both shared and private rooms in former Coast Guard quarters and the historic fog signal building. Enjoy cozy lounges, a secluded beach cove with tide pools, and landscaped native plant gardens. Amenities include DSL Internet and free WiFi, on-site laundry, free parking, and an espresso bar. In addition, you can rest assured that your travel footprint will be minimized, as the hostel is a certified green business.

The coastside location of the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel offers convenient access to several beaches for swimming, surfing, kayaking, windsurfing, and horseback riding. The hostel is also the perfect base for exploring the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Pillar Point Harbor and Marsh, Mount Montara, and the quaint coastal town of Half Moon Bay.

Reserve your stay at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel today, and treat yourself--and your budget--to the peaceful, restorative beauty of this unique Pacific Coast destination.
 

For More Information and Reservations
Reserve by phone
Please call during office hours, 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. daily.
Phone: (650) 728-7177
National HI-USA reservation line at (888) 464-4872
 
History
Point Montara Lighthouse was established in February 1875. It originally had a kerosene lantern, but was upgraded in 1912 to a fourth order Fresnel lens. The current tower was first erected in 1881 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts as the Mayo Beach Lighthouse. In 1925, the cast iron tower from the discontinued Mayo Beach Light was disassembled and moved to Yerba Buena. It was moved and rebuilt as the Point Montara Light station in 1928, where it stands today. The lens was transferred to the San Mateo Historical Society when the lighthouse was automated in 1970, and is currently on display at the library at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California. In 2001 the lighthouse, specifically the hostel, was used in the film Bandits starring Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett and Billy Bob Thornton.