Tomales combines a distinctive local history with nearby natural attractions. If you’re looking for a hotel in Tomales, these themes can help you decide whether to focus on the town’s history or on coastal landscapes and a circular hike.
Local History Through Exhibits and a Walking Tour
The Tomales Regional History Center is housed in the distinctive auditorium of Tomales High School, built in 1921. It presents the region’s history through archives, collections, exhibits, and historical interpretation. The exhibit “The Story of Tomales” traces the town’s history from 1850 to the present and also provides an overview of its simple, well-preserved architecture. The passage of time and the history of the buildings thus come together in the same exhibit.
A self-guided walking tour through the village of Tomales covers four blocks and 50 historic sites, with information about each one. The four blocks and 50 sites give the tour a clearly defined geographical and thematic scope.
The difference also lies in the format: At the center, archives, collections, and exhibits introduce the region’s history; the walking tour turns individual historic sites in the village into stops along the way.
Tomales began with a harbor that was the center of the community for nearly twenty years. The Tomales Town Hall was built by early settlers in 1874 and is one of California’s oldest continuously used community buildings. A church in Tomales today was completed in 1868, after its original 1865 building was destroyed by fire soon afterward. The harbor, Town Hall, and church trace different periods in the town’s history.
Farm Visit and Cheese
Toluma Farms offers public tours on the first Sunday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. They include a guided walk around the farm, animal visits, an explanation of cheesemaking, and a cheese tasting. The two-hour time slot can be taken into account when planning. As schedules and booking requirements can change, check the dates and booking details in advance.
Tomales Farmstead Creamery produces artisan farmstead cheese from goat’s and sheep’s milk, including eight seasonal varieties. The cheese experience thus includes both an explanation of cheesemaking and a tasting during the farm tour, as well as the production of different cheeses.
Coastal Landscapes and Nearby Hikes
The surrounding area offers beaches and a circular hike, each providing a different way to experience the landscape. Tomales Bay State Park has several gently sloping beaches with little surf, sheltered from the wind by Inverness Ridge. The Tomales Point Trail is a 9.7-mile loop along the ridge of a narrow peninsula, with views of Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, and the coast of the Point Reyes Peninsula. The difference is clear: sheltered beaches define the landscape at the state park, while the trail centers on the loop hike and views of these coastal areas.
Discover more destinations: Corte Madera, San Geronimo, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Larkspur, Sausalito, Fairfax, Novato.
For the broader travel overview: Marin.
