Santa Clara

Introduction

Santa Clara sits in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, in Santa Clara County, California. Its origins trace to the Spanish founding of Mission Santa Clara de Asís in 1777 under the leadership of Junípero Serra, and that mission heritage remains the city's historical anchor.

Today it is one of the Bay Area's larger cities, with a population that has grown steadily into the hundreds of thousands. Use it as a base for exploring the southern Bay Area, with the mission site as your starting point for understanding how the city came to be.

Three days in Santa Clara

Day one: Start your visit in Santa Clara itself, getting your bearings in this California city at the heart of the Bay Area. Begin with Mission Santa Clara, founded by Junípero Serra and named for Asís, and let its Spanish colonial story set the tone for the days ahead. Use the rest of the day to settle in and explore the surrounding streets of Santa Clara at an easy pace.

Day two: Use Santa Clara as your base for a wider look at Santa Clara County and the Bay Area beyond. Today is about range rather than rushing: move between the city and its neighbours, taking in how the county's towns sit together within the wider region. Keep the evening free to return to Santa Clara and eat locally.

Day three: Head north to San Francisco to round off the trip, spending your final day in the city at the centre of the Bay Area. Its steep streets and waterfront give a contrast to the flatter, more suburban feel of Santa Clara, and the journey back south closes the loop on your three days in California.