TIBURON MAP SAN FRANCISCO

For a more-adventurous Tiburon Peninsula grand loop taking in the entire land mass on a run of 13 miles do the Tiburon Peninsula loop, only do not turn left on Trestle Glen. Continue on Paradise Drive. You’ll curve above the water for another 1.5 miles, passing Paradise Cay, and then drop to sea level. Ride the straightaway for another mile, and then turn left, or south, on Koch Road, which is straight ahead through the traffic signal at Paradise. Take this frontage road, all the way to the top, where it ends at a cul-de-sac next to condos. Then comes the adventurous part. You need to go through an unsigned Marin County Open Space gate, jog left, and push your bike up .25-mile of steep trail. At the top, continue straight, south, down a steep unpaved road that takes you to Central Drive. Roll down to Tiburon Boulevard. Cross, go left about a mile, and turn right on Greenwood Beach Road, which takes you to Blackies.

What’s Best: Tourists from around the world are drawn to these quaint streets and dockside nooks, alongside a glamorous view of San Francisco and the bay.

Parking: From Hwy. 101 take Tiburon-E. Blithedale exit and go east on

Tiburon Blvd. Drive about 2 ml. and park in lots or on street near Mar West Street.

Lyford House, Tiburon Uplands Preserve

Corinthian Yacht Harbor

Ferry: Blue & Gold Fleet from Ferry Building in San Francisco and Fishermans Wharf. Agency: Town of Tiburon; Marin County Department of Parks

Shoreline Park and Main Street (.75 ml.); Main Street to Walk’ Belvedere Island (2.25 ml.); Paradise Beach Park (up to .5 ml.)

Punta de Tiburon Shark Point was among the first sites named by the Spanish in the late 1700s, but the town itself was Marin’s last to be incorporated. Now an exclusive residential community and tourist attraction, Tiburon’s roots are as a raucous railroad hub and seaport. In 1884 Colonel Peter Donahue brought in trains of the Northern Pacific Railroad from San Rafael, which connected with big ferryboats to booming San Francisco. Main Street was developed as a business hub for the rail service, featuring bawdy hotels and bootleg bars that thrived during prohibition.

For the Shoreline Park stroll, head to the water at the corner of Main Street and Tiburon Boulevard. You’ll pass the Blue & Gold Fleet dock and then walk left on a paved waterside path that has several benches. You’ll come to the Tiburon Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum, standing alone, which is opened spring through early autumn by the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society. At the end of Shoreline Park is Elephant Rock, slightly offshore down a steel walkway. From the rock’s viewing perch is a water-level look across Raccoon Strait to Angel Island.

Double back on the path and take a walk down Main Street, with its shops, galleries, and restaurants, a dozen of which are catalogued by the Landmarks Society. One alley close to Tiburon Boulevard leads to the Angel Island Ferry dock. As you stroll, be sure to poke in a restaurant or two to take advantage of back decks on the water. As Main Street makes a right turn at the end of the block, you can turn left down an alley for a look at seagoing life at the Corinthian Yacht Club, which dates from 1886.