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Tiburon is a small historic town in California's Marin County, located across the bay from San Francisco. Tiburon's Main Street has been preserved as it was when the town was a Gold Rush train town and lumber yard. The scenic "Ark Row" shops are actually housed in turn of the century boat houses that were converted into homes and shops when the lagoon between the Tiburon peninsula and the neighboring island of Belvedere was filled in.

Get in
To get from the airport in San Francisco to your hotel without renting a car, take public transit to one of the ferry ports.

By boat
Tiburon is served by two ferry companies:

Blue and Gold Fleet, 415-705-5555. Offers ferry service between Tiburon and San Francisco. Most ferries go to Pier 41 in Fisherman's Wharf, but a few will go to the Ferry Building in the Financial District. Adults $9 one-way, children $5 one-way.

Angel Island - Tiburon Ferry, 415-435-2131. Offers service to/from Angel Island State Park. Adults $13.50 round-trip, seniors $13.50 round-trip, children $11.50 round-trip, small children (ages 3 - 5) $3.50 round-trip.

By car
Take Highway 101 from San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. The 'Tiburon' exit is about 10 minutes from the bridge. Turn right onto Tiburon Blvd. and follow it all the way to the end of the peninsula (about 15 minutes).

By bus
The number 19 bus runs from Marin City, further south in Marin, to downtown Tiburon, but not very often (hourly, until about 7:30 in the evening).

Get around
Downtown Tiburon is great for walking and biking, so leave your car at the hotel when exploring locally. Parking is available at the Bank of America lot at the stoplight before main street ($5/day), at the Ark Row Parking lot at the end of Main Street ($2/hour), and along Tiburon Blvd.

See
Along with nearby San Francisco, there are a number of more local attractions convenient to your hotel.

Old St. Hilary's Church. Built in 1888, this Roman Catholic Mission Church sits on a hill above downtown Tiburon. The surrounding land is part of the Tiburon Open Land Preserve. There are several types of flower, including the Tiburon Paintbrush, that grow only on this hill. A number of small paths and trails lead up the surrounding hills to an amazing 360 view of the Bay Area and San Francisco. The Church is open 1PM-4PM Sunday, Wednesday, April-October.

China Cabin. Victorian style salon taken off the passenger and cargo ship S.S. China. Now restored as a maritime museum by the Tiburon Landmarks Society. Open 1PM-4PM, Sunday, Wednesday, April-October. On Beach Rd about a 5 minute walk along the water past Ark Row.

Train and Ferry Terminal. built in 1884, located on the Waterfront Park.
Main St. Tiburon's main street is a long block of historical buildings from the late 1800s to the 1920s.

Ark Row. Ark Row is the second block of Main St. Many of the buildings on Ark Row were converted from 1890s-era houseboats.

Waterfront Park. A quarter-mile of waterfront grass and walking/bike paths with amazing views of San Francisco, Angel Island, and boats on the bay.

Angel Island State Park

Do
A selection of reasons to get out of the hotel and do something active.

Bike-riding. The Tiburon Bike Path runs from downtown Tiburon, along Richardson Bay to Blackie's Pasture, near Highway 101. The path is wide and paved with a running path to one side. There are several parks and sights along the way.

Shop. There are many cute boutiques on Main Street and Ark Row. These include Citrus, a shoe and purse store, as well as a dog store.

Buy
Main St. shops have souvenirs, T-shirts, etc

Ark Row has a number of art shops and boutiques

Eat
No need to be limited to whatever your hotel offers. Tiburon has a good selection of restaurants.

Sam's Anchor Cafe. Sam's is as much a historic site as a popular tourist restaurant & bar. Opened in 1920, Sam's is a Bay Area landmark serving favorites such as fish & chips, steaks, salads and sandwiches on a pier overlooking San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. $5-$20.

Guaymas On the same pier as the ferries, this Mexican restaurant serves fantastic fresh seafood, vegetables, and meat dishes all with a California flavor.

Excellent view. $7-$20 for most main courses.

Servino's. California-style Italian dining, specializing in fresh local seafood. Great views, wines, deserts, atmosphere. Reservations recommended on the weekends. $10-$25 for most main courses.

Paradise Cafe & Ice Cream. Casual place for a burger, fries, and a shake. Salads and veggie options as well. $5-$7.

Rooney's Truly excellent food in a historic old building. No water view, so the food has to be better.

Carrerra's. Italian in a more casual mode. This new restaurant serves some delightful dishes and has a splendid wine cellar.

Manana. Brand new Mexican hole-in-the-wall on Ark row. This is an outreach from a very successful restaurant in San Rafael. Good cheap eats.

Drink
Sam's Bar. The traditional watering hole. Waterfront dock out back makes for great people-watching. Full bar & free popcorn. Located in Sam's Anchor Cafe.

Guyamas. Excellent margaritas.

Sleep
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Source Wikitravel 2008