Visit Sausalito and its Houseboats Community

Visit Sausalito and its Houseboats Community – A Mediterranean-Style Coastal Town

Sausalito is a charming Mediterranean-style coastal town, filled with history, culture, and beautiful waterfront shops.    

Among top rated attractions and things to see in Sausalito include the ferry ride from Sausalito to San Francisco, Sausalito Visitors Center, the Plaza Viña del Mar Fountain and Park, Fort Baker National Park and Bay Area Discovery Museum, San Francisco Bay/Delta Model, shopping and waterfront restaurants, and Sausalito Art Festival.

For magnificent views of San Francisco, Alcatraz, and Angles Island, take a stroll from the center of town along Bridgeway – this scenic pathway features old shops boutiques, old-fashioned streetlamps, wine tasting rooms, antiques stores, candy stores and seafood restaurants. This waterfront pathway runs through Sausalito downtown regardless of where you drive from or to.

Sausalito houseboat community

While Sausalito is known as an upscale quaint and charming coastal town dotted with hillside luxury mansions, Sausalito I s also home to a houseboat community which consists of more than 400 houseboats. They were first perceived as a “hippie houseboat community and funky style floating houseboats. Today, Sausalito houseboats are still home to communities of artists and they are respected.

The of the waterfront near the houseboats provides inspiration to painters, photographers, and sculptors.

Many of the houseboats are colorful and stylish , they feature whimsical exterior decor, with potted plants and artwork displayed on the decks. The two most interesting houseboat communities are the  Galilee Harbor and Waldo Point Harbor. 

It was in a houseboat at Waldo Point here where the singer Otis Redding wrote his famous “Dock of the Bay” song in 1967: ” I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay – Watching the ships roll in…the tide rolls away – I left my home in Georgia – Headed for the ‘Frisco bay – Just to make this dock my home.”  This peaceful houseboat community is inspiring for all artists.

Brief History: The houseboats have been part of Sausalito’s waterfront since the 1880s, when they were used as warm-weather recreational boats and then pulled ashore during winter. 

After WWII and during the era of peace and love in the 1960s, the houseboats began to attract a free-spirited bohemian crowd, and became a vibrant community for artists and writers. 

Other attractions and things to do in Sausalito

The Sausalito boardwalk is a beautiful stretch of this coastal charming town featuring several locally owned, Art galleries, shops and restaurants. There are also amazing views of the San Francisco city skyline from Sausalito. Sausalito gets very busy during the summer, but it’s well worth a visit.

Take a ferry ride across the San Francisco Bay: There are 2 main ferry companies that provide bay cruises and day excursion services in the San Francisco Bay as well as ferry services to Angel Island, Tiburon, and Sausalito. The ferry rides to and from San Francisco to Sausalito last approximately between a half and one full hour. You can book your tickets in advance online. You can also buy the ferry tickets at Pier 41 or on the Sausalito side of the bay. A one-way fare is $12.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors, and $7.50 for children between 5 and 12 years old. The ferry is free for children below 5 years of age.

Consider taking a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco to Sausalito, visit Muir Woods, visit Tiburon, Fort Baker, the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Marine Mammal Center,  Napa Valley or the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands,

Top Restaurants and Dinning Options in Sausalito

Scoma’s Of Sausalito

  • Bar Bocce
  • Poggio Trattoria
  • Salito’s Crab House & Prime Rib
  • Seafood Peddler
  • Angelino Restaurant
  • The Spinnaker
  • Le Garage
  • Fish and Chips Sausalito
  • Sushi Ran
  • Napa Valley Burger Company
  • Venice Gourmet
  • Lappert’s Ice Cream
  • Fred’s Coffee Shopchalan 
  • Lappert’s Ice Cream
  • Sausalito Bakery & Café
  • Lighthouse Breakfast & Lunch
  • Hamburgers
  • Salsalito Taco Shop
  • Copita Tequileria y Comida
  • Fish Restaurant
  • Saylor’s Restaurant & Bar
  • Barrel House Tavern
  • Avatar’s
  • Taste of Rome
  • Farley Bar
  • Aurora Ristorante Italiano
  • Bayside Cafe
  • Murray Circle
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