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Bolinas, United States

Stay in Stinson Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Stinson Beach

Watch this spot We email you when Bolinas is worth the trip.

Bolinas Beach (2006)
Bolinas. Photo: philosophygeek from San Francisco, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Bolinas

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces S (185°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (5°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 2.4 km out (1 in 238). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 12°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Stinson Beach, 3.6 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), direct.

    See flights MDW → SFO · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Bolinas.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Stinson BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Stinson Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Stinson Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Bolinas on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Bolinas does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct133 ft9 ssoft143kJ16°C
Mon 19Oct174 ft9 ssoft239kJ14°C
Tue 20Oct386 ft10 ssoft613kJ15°C
Wed 21Oct184 ft8 smushy146kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct122 ft11 ssoft109kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct215 ft6 smushy156kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct225 ft6 smushy225kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct134 ft7 smushy140kJ14°C
Mon 26Oct153 ft8 ssoft150kJ12°C
Tue 27Oct123 ft8 ssoft84kJ14°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Stinson Beach

    Best 14:00 to 17:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 33 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 35 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to SFO, then 1h 05 by road. About 7h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Stinson Beach each day: Bolinas, Stinson Beach.

The trip from Stinson Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £975–£1,780 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to SFO, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£470
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£70–£120
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£975–£1,780

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Stinson Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.