Unlock the Sonoma Coast.
Sonoma County’s coastline, with its rugged beauty and dramatic Pacific views, now offers new experiences for travellers looking to experience an alternative side to a Californian destination best-known for its valley and vineyards. The opening of the 547-acre Estero Americano Coast Preserve allows access to a section of the coastline for the first time in a century, while the recently opened Madeira House boutique hotel shines the spotlight on the small coastal community of Jenner.
Estero Americano Coast Preserve
The January opening of the Estero Americano Coast Preserve allows hikers and nature lovers access to the coastal area where Sonoma County meets Marin County, just 1.5 hours north of San Francisco on California’s famous Highway 1. The privately-owned ranch was acquired in 2015 by The Wetlands Conservancy - a collaborative effort between state partners and conservation groups - who’ve spent the last ten years creating trails and restoring habitats so the land can be safely opened to the public. The reserve offers an ecologically-rich landscape dominated by coastal prairie and rolling grasslands, with tidal marshes, eelgrass beds and mudflats along the estuary that contribute to a wildlife corridor linking protected areas along the coast. Five miles of hiking trails meander through seasonal displays of wild iris and poppies, and the mile of shoreline hides a secluded beach that provides excellent opportunities for land-based whale watching and seeing migratory birds passing along the Pacific Flyway. Admission is free and the Preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Madeira House, Jenner
Just 30 minutes further north along Highway 1 is the small community of Jenner - recently put on the map by the opening of Madeira House in July 2025. Sitting above the mouth of the Russian River, the boutique hotel’s 11 rooms and suites are inspired by California homesteads and are set across three buildings. The Madeira Suite, which sleeps 4, is ideal for longer stays with a kitchen, dining area and waterfront balcony, while the cosy Hummingbird Room (sleeping 2) has a deck with sunloungers that are ideal for watching the sun set over the Pacific or stargazing.
In Jenner itself, guests can stop by Café Aquatica to enjoy waterfront dining before heading out to explore the estuary by kayak with native American descendent Suki Waters. Her company WaterTreks EcoTours guides visitors on morning, sunset, full moon or nighttime bioluminescent plankton tours. On foot, the 15-mile round trip alone the ‘Sea to Sky Trail’ in the Jenner Headlands Preserve rewards with views from the 2,204ft peak of Pole Mountain. A 20-minute drive, or hour-long cycle, inland is the small town of Guerneville, a diverse dining hub surrounded by Redwoods in the heart of the winelands.
These openings strengthen Sonoma County’s reputation as a premier destination for year-round nature-focused travel, and showcase a coastline dotted with luxurious bolt-holes and some of the best land-based whale watching in the USA. In 2025 the independently-owned The Lodge at Bodega Bay was voted number one hotel in the world in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for the second year in a row.