4 California vacation ideas that embrace indoor/outdoor living

Whether you’re a California native or just wish you were, most people agree that the Golden State’s sunny skies, gorgeous beaches and laid-back culture all add up to the perfect setting for a vacation home.  Ocean lovers and desert sun seekers alike can take their pick of amazing vacation homes in California. Check out our California Carmel/Monterey  These neighboring Central California towns offer activities for everyone, whether you enjoy beachcombing, wine tasting, golfing, or simply enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Charming Carmel includes Carmel-by-the-Sea, a one-square-mile village with a fairytale feel and storybook cottages. Just north of the village you’ll find the iconic Pebble Beach golf course. From there, Laguna Beach If you dream of a sand-and-surf getaway, the artsy community of But Laguna Beach isn’t dull — the town’s diverse selection of quirky and unique boutiques, galleries, museums and restaurants means there’s always more to explore. (Fun fact: Laguna Beach has more people per capita employed as artists, designers and media professionals than 90% of the rest of the country.) Newport Beach and Corona del Mar are nearby for a change of pace. Lake Tahoe If you’re looking for California vacation homes with four-season appeal, Malibu White sand, blue water and dreamy retreats make Malibu a beach lover’s paradise. Close to downtown L.A., the town offers 27 miles of coastline to the west and stunning hills to the east. There’s something for everyone in this Palm Springs With classic, Mid-Century Modern homes and an air of old Hollywood glamor, While Palm Springs is popular with the snowbird set for its golf courses and constant sunshine, this desert town has also begun to Sonoma County With more than 425 wineries, miles of Pacific coastline and towering redwood forests, San Diego Venice For the relaxation of the beach with the electric (and eclectic) buzz of the city, look no further than As an L.A. neighborhood, Venice gives you easy access to all that the major metropolitan hub has to offer, including theme parks, entertainment and a major international airport, but its bohemian vibe gives it a down-to-earth, small-town feel. Bring your bikes, skateboards and rollerblades to take in the sights of this historic neighborhood.  More California gems To see more of what the Golden State has to offer, check out Pacaso’s full lineup of listings for

California luxury homes from wine country to coast From hillside vines to surf-lined harbors, California luxury homes put you close to the state’s most coveted experiences. Many buyers want the rhythm of wine country weekends and coastal escapes without the full burden of upkeep. Pacaso co-ownership offers that balance, giving you turnkey access to vacation homes in California in Napa, Sonoma, Carmel, and Newport Beach, with professionally designed spaces and thoughtful details that make every arrival effortless. Napa Valley, where cellar doors meet chef tables Napa is about depth — long tastings, long lunches and views that stretch across the valley floor. Set your base near Stags Leap or Coombsville and you are minutes from tasting rooms and Build your Napa routine with experiences that balance leisure and access, with Sonoma, heritage and harvest energy Sonoma blends historic vineyards with easygoing towns and a calendar of harvest traditions. In 2025, Sonoma Valley marked its 200th wine grape harvest, and the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival reached its 128th year, underscoring the region’s depth and appeal for owners who want a cultural layer to their stays. During harvest, events like the Harvest Wine Trail connect you to dozens of wineries across the valleys. When you want a quieter pace than Napa, Sonoma’s backroads deliver. Pick a home base near Healdsburg or Sonoma Plaza and enjoy farm-driven dining, tasting rooms and relaxed afternoons by the fire pit. Carmel, artful living along the Pacific Carmel is for ocean-forward days and design-minded evenings. Galleries, coastal trails and Pebble Beach tee times are all close, and evenings stretch out around outdoor fireplaces with Pacific views. See current Pacaso options in Newport Beach, yachting days and coastal nights In Newport Beach, days revolve around the water. Harborside lunches, Plan around harvests and coastal seasons If your calendar revolves around the best wine and weather, September’s California Wine Month brings tastings, tours and vineyard dinners across the state. California produces roughly 85 percent of U.S. wine, and Wine Month has been celebrated statewide since 2004, making this a prime time to anchor trips to Napa and Sonoma around immersive experiences. Recent reports noted a smaller statewide grape crush in 2024 compared to 2023, yet winemakers remain optimistic about quality. For owners, that means intimate release events and thoughtful tastings as you build your collection across visits. Why co-ownership fits California luxury homes Pacaso co-ownership aligns with how high-net-worth buyers actually use second homes. Own only the time you plan to enjoy, arrive to a professionally designed residence, and step into your lifestyle within minutes. For many, it is the practical path to California luxury homes across multiple destinations, with consistent quality every stay and the freedom to choose the setting that suits the season. Find your base in California Set your sights on California luxury homes that match how you live, from vineyard-view patios to bayside fire pits. Start your search in

Sun, sand and that endless summer feeling … what’s not to love about Southern California? If you’re dreaming about buying a vacation home in California, it’s hard to know where to begin. Whether you’re looking for a quiet getaway, a big social scene or a laid-back surfer feel, every beach town is a little different. Start your search here, with five great Southern California beach towns to own a second home.  Malibu  With rugged canyons directly east of the often-narrow beach, Santa Monica Newport Beach Laguna Beach La Jolla Find your SoCal second home with Pacaso Your beachside oasis could be within reach when you buy your California vacation home with Pacaso. As a co-owner of a

The United States is full of great While certain locations saw an uptick in Spoiler: The country has California top of mind. Favorite destinations for big-city dwellers Before diving into individual city findings, we’ve highlighted some key takeaways that represent the trends of second home seekers on a national scale. The data show where major city residents overwhelmingly desire to vacation or own a vacation home. All roads lead to California Turns out, the West The top California vacation destinations are: These five destinations garner nearly 73% of all second home interest nationally and make up half of the top 10 destinations.    Even city dwellers as far away as Chicago and New York City appear willing to travel across the country, as each has four California locations in their ranking of top vacation destinations.    Palm Springs is the #1 dream destination When it comes to the top vacation destinations, Palm Springs, California, reigns supreme for second home seekers.  Californians want to drive to their favorite destination An impressive 90% of the top 10 destinations for California cities can be reached within an eight-hour drive. Los Angeles residents appear to be the most willing to venture farther away, with two top destinations — Park City and Aspen — taking more than 10 hours to reach by car.  Denverites are the next most likely residents to want destinations within driving distance, with five cities being reachable in under eight hours. Miami follows closely behind, with four top destinations being reachable by car. All other surveyed cities had two or less of their top destinations within reasonable driving distance. Los Angeles residents They say you need to have a car to get around Los Angeles, and residents apparently feel the same about getting to their most desirable second home locations and top vacation destinations. Eight of Los Angeles residents’ top vacation destinations are within the state, and five of the destinations take just a couple of hours to get to by car.   The only two destinations outside the state — Unlike Los Angeles, New York City’s top vacation destinations for second homes are scattered across the country. New Yorkers showed interest in five different states, all far from home.   The top two rankings are held by cities in Florida, while cities in California hold the most rankings with four. The closest destinations to New York are Charleston and Chicago residents Chicago — conveniently located for travel to the East and West — has the greatest number of states in their top 10 list with six. Seven percent of respondents expressed interest in Palm Springs. While Chicago has snowfall of its own, its options for ski resorts are lacking. Nearly 13% of Chicagoans identified the popular ski hubs of Lake Tahoe, Park City and Aspen-Snowmass as areas of interest. Dallas residents Dallas residents appear to prioritize mountain getaways as their favorite vacation spots above all other traits. Five of the top 10 destinations are located in the mountains of California, Colorado and Utah. These five cities combine to make up 29% of all second home interest coming from Dallas.   San Francisco residents Nine of San Francisco’s top 10 favorite vacation spots remain in California. Unsurprisingly, the top two rankings are held by Park City, Utah — the lone outlier —  snuck in at number nine with around 3.2% of the interest. Along with Lake Tahoe, these are the only alpine destinations in the top 10 that San Franciscans identified. Miami residents Miamians keep their second home interests close to home, with their own city taking the top spot of their prospects. Even the second rank is held by their close neighbor to the north, Fort Lauderdale. Combined, they make up 24% of total responses coming from Miami.  Miami is the only city to show enough interest in the San Jose residents All 10 of San Jose’s dream vacation destinations are within California. The familiar favorite — Lake Tahoe — once again takes the top rank, receiving 15% of interest. Napa Valley garnered the second most interest, but still trailed by 5%.  Residents of San Jose have an affinity for keeping their second homes within easy driving distance — five of their top 10 favorite vacation spots are less than three hours away. Denver residents Four of Denver residents’ top 10 desired destinations are found in Colorado, making up 24% of total interest. Denver gives Denverites show a preference for alpine environments. All of the Colorado destinations are acclaimed for their ski mountains. Plus, Lake Tahoe and Park City — also included in the top 10 — are world-class ski destinations in their own right. Atlanta residents Atlanta upholds the trend of wanting second homes that are near rather than far. Four of the top five destinations are on the East Coast of the United States. These cities make up nearly 27% of Atlanta’s overall interest gathered from this study.  From there, eyes shift westward. California maintains heavy interest, with four of the top spots. These cities stretch from Seattle residents Seattle is the only major city outside of the state of California with the majority of their top vacation destinations within California. Seattle residents don’t seem put off by long distances to second homes, as their dream vacation spot — Palm Springs — received nearly 16% of interest. The next highest ranked city only had about half that amount The closest destination to Seattle to make the cut was Houston residents Houston residents want to take advantage of their centralized location and explore cities to the west, north and east. Their top 10 includes destinations in California, Colorado and Florida.  Their interest in each location remains relatively close — ranging from nearly 7% for Lake Tahoe to 4% for Oakland residents Rounding out our study, Oakland maintains the trend of California cities exhibiting a preference for California destinations. Park City is the only destination in the top 10 that’s located outside of the state. Even so, it only garnered just over 3% interest, barely beating out Destinations in Northern California are also decisive favorites. Lake Tahoe claims first place, receiving nearly 14% of interest. Napa Valley claims second place with 11% of interest. As a whole, results for Oakland closely mirror those from San Francisco. Comparing these trends from major cities across the country provide a greater perspective of the Our methodology The results of this survey were collected between January and October 2022 from a total of 29,791 respondents interested in buying a second home. Pacaso compiled data from destination preferences provided by website visitors, subscribers, social media audiences and other users engaging with the Pacaso brand across various channels.