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Intro San Francisco: The perfect bay

HIStorICAL notES

bmovingGetting around San Francisco

bsan francisco

SHoWS

EAtInG

SAn frAnCISCo’S ArEAS

bhappyMain Festivals

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he United States, the most influential country in the world, has three cities that are quite different to its other

large urban areas. New York, New Orleans and San Francisco. Partly because of this, their importance – both geographic and metaphoric – is seen as a changing mo-saic of cultures and styles within a world of contradictions that enhance the attraction of their importance. An essential point of reference for America’s counter-culture, San Francisco looks over the Pacific like a beacon of art and technology, acting as a welcoming point for Asian, Latin American and European immigrants. Its classic sym-bols – the Golden Gate, the suspension bridge par excellence, Alcatraz prison, the steep streets and cable cars – merge per-fectly with the Victorian houses of Alamo Square and what remains of the old fishing port, Fisherman’s Warf. “The Perfect Bay”, as Robert Stevenson defined it, stretches over gentle hills. It is famed for its refined

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San Francisco:The perfect bay

A practical guideThe information provided below does not pretend to cover the whole city; rather, it focuses on the more interesting areas for visitors. You should bear in mind that San Francisco offers a wide variety of attractions, some of which are located in surrounding areas – such as Sausalito, Berkeley, Oakland and 49 Mile Scenic Drive, an interesting scenic route signposted by a seagull icon. Here, we look at some of the better-known attractions in the city as well as some of the areas that may go unnoticed but which enable the visitor to capture the essence of the city and feel its everyday pulse.

and tolerant appearance as well as for being a very clean city. A mecca for the beat generations in the 50s, for the hippies in the 60s and later for the gay community,

the city has always drawn those who find it hard to share the American way of life. Welcome to one of the most enchanting and picturesque cities of North America.

Historicalnotesertain Native American tribes – the

miwok, wintum, yokut and ohlone

Indians – lived here for centuries

before the first European settlers arrived.

Explorers like the Portuguese João Ca-

brilho and the English Francis Drake plied

the Californian coast in the 16th century,

though none of them found the bay that

was hidden behind the straits of the Gol-

den Gate. The first Spanish military post

was not established until 1776, with a

Franciscan mission being built alongside it

whose purpose was to convert the native

population to Christianity. The settlement

was founded on 29 June of that year, with

the celebration of a Mass. After Mexico

gained independence from Spain in 1821,

the Mexican government secularised the

missions and granted part of their lands

to the Indians, who would later lose them

to landowners. Imported diseases, such

as measles and smallpox did the rest – so

that, what was once an incipient town

turned into a virtually abandoned run-down

village. Whalers, merchants, adventurers,

pirates and sailors put in at San Francisco,

drowning their sorrows at the old mission,

which by then had been turned into a ta-

vern. Who could have thought that in just

two years that small port surrounded by

barely 30 houses would go from 500 to

20,000 inhabitants?

Gold - rush feverWhen, in 1848 carpenter James W. Mars-

hall discovered the first gold nugget while

inspecting a water channel, nobody could

have imagined the tremendous impact

it would have. Published in the papers,

the news spread around the country and

around the whole world in just a few wee-

ks. The following year, 100,000 fortune-

hunters arrived in California – known since

then as the 49ers. Thousands of poor

people on the east coast made the big

trip across the American Mid-West or took

boat trips via the Panama isthmus to the

Pacific coast. San Francisco’s multicultu-

ral, avant-garde, fun and rebellious spirit

started in that crazy era, which effectively

meant the complete re-establishment of

the city.

As the population grew, the network of

streets extended westwards until it oc-

cupied the whole peninsula. In 1850,

California became the 31st state of the

Union and within four years, the flourishing

San Francisco had 500 taverns and 20

theatres. In 1859, when it seemed that the

underground riches were running out, a

second wave of hunters arrived, this time

drawn by the greatest seam of silver in

history. This increased the prosperity of

the city, turning it into the financial capital

of the west coast. At the end of the 19th

century, the city had established itself as a

highly important port and a major stop on

the transcontinental railway. By then, its

population was close to 300,000.

Devastating earthequakeBut San Francisco’s history has not

always been a bed of roses. As well as

the violence, gambling, prostitution and

racism towards Chinese immigrants in

the gold-rush years, we must add one of

the worst natural disasters ever to strike

an American city. the Big One, the ear-

thquake of 18 April 1906, which destroyed

hundreds of buildings and set off fires that

devastated the centre leaving 250,000

people homeless. Ten intense years were

needed to complete the reconstruction.

The Great Depression that followed the

1929 stock market crash battered the city.

The city used major construction projects

to build itself out of the situation – such

as the Golden Gate Bridge that links San

Francisco with Oakland. During the Se-

cond World War, the city prospered as a

centre for American military operations

in the Pacific and from the 1950s, many

of those deprived by the system were

received by the city along with bohemian

types disenchanted with conformism, led

by Ginsberg, Kerouac and co. Part of the

population suffered from the effects of

AIDS and begging in subsequent years as

well as a new quake in 1989.

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Who could have thought that in just two years that small port surrounded by barely 30 houses would go from 500 to 20,000 inhabitants?

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Getting around San Francisco

n few cities in the world is travelling about part of the charm of a visit as much as it is in San Francisco. Tra-

velling about the city is a pleasure in itself, an additional reason for exploring each of the places around the bay. You should first bear in mind that the United States has several time zones. The time in San Francisco is GMT – 8 hours. The climate is coastal and similar to the Mediterranean with moderate temperatures throughout the year. Ocean breezes mean gentle summers and winters without extremes of temperature. It is advisable, howe-ver, always to carry an overcoat as the cold wind can blow at any time of year. Comfortable shoes are also recommended for walking. The fog is another frequent visitor to the city and is especially magical when it surrounds the Golden Gate. The humid winds of the Pacific meet the cold bay currents on the hills of San Francisco, causing condensation and banks of fog – particularly in the afternoons and summer nights. They can cause the temperatures to drop as low as 10ºC. September and October are the sunniest months of the year and the mercury generally stays at around 18ºC throughout the year. The wet season tends to be from November to March, sometimes with rain for several days at a time. The driest season is from May to September.

San Francisco is a fairly compact metro-polis, which makes moving around easy. In addition, many of the places of interest are close to each other. Added to this is a

extensive, reliable and easy-to-use trans-port system, which extends far beyond the well-known cable car system. Therefore it is best to forget using a private car. It is not normally easy to get a taxi on the street, so it is advisable to call one from a hotel or restaurant. Rush hour is 7 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday. At these times, it is worth walking as this is always the best way to explore the city. The slo-pes can make things difficult but the fan-tastic views from the hills make the effort worthwhile. Cycling is becoming more popular as is obvious from the network of bike lanes.

The San Francisco Municipal Railway (www.sfmta.com), better known as “Muni”, is the city’s public transport system mana-gement body. It operates 80 bus and tram routes providing a service to all districts and many tourist places of interest. This body, established in 1912, is one of the oldest in the United States and handles more than 200 million passenger journeys a year. Buses, the most practical means of transport, make stops every two or three blocks. Cable cars are a good alternative for visitors. They operate both above and below ground in the centre. In the outlying areas, they operate only at street level. It is worth buying a pass, the Muni Passport, which is valid on all lines including the ca-ble cars. The lines most used by tourists are the 15, 30, 39, 45 and 47 and the historic Market and Wharves line. The most exciting cable car descent is the final stretch of the Powell-Hyde line; it is also

the most popular as it offers great views of Chinatown. Braver travellers hang on to a rail while standing on the car’s outside platform. The San Francisco peninsular and the east of the bay are reached by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), a system that covers a 165 km network with a fleet of high-speed trains with disabled access. Ferries, which were essential before the Golden Gate and Bay bridges were cons-tructed, connect numerous points in the bay such as the island of Alcatraz, Sausa-lito, Tiburón and Vallejo. They offer a very pleasant way of viewing the coast.

As regards safety, San Francisco is not a dangerous city although you should watch out for pickpockets in the centre and in busy areas. At night, it is worth avoiding certain areas such as Tenderloin near Union Square Western Addition to the west of the Civic Center and south of Japantown, and Mission District. Do not forget that San Francisco is on the San Andreas fault, right in the middle of the seismic region. If you feel an earthquake, you should stand in a doorway or get un-der a table, and keep away from windows. If outdoors, it is advisable to move away from buildings, trees and electricity cables.

Most business open from 9 am to 5pm weekdays. Tipping is not obligatory, though it is normal to leave 15% in res-taurants, taxis and hairdressers. Hotel bellboys and porters expect to be given a dollar or so for their services.

Useful advice

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bmovingooking here is closely connected to the ocean and the city’s docks, where seafood is the main attraction.

Seafood soup, for example, is served more or less creamy sometimes in a bread roll, known as sourdough bread. The moistu-re and temperature conditions required to give this bread its crustiness and sour taste are so exclusive to the area that they have not been produced elsewhere. Like its peoples, the restaurant menus in San Francisco offer a mix of all kinds of flavours and smells – from beef Wellington, with its layer of foie gras and eaten with a California wine; Mexican tacos; as well as dim sum, a typical Chinese lunch dish based on small

steamed or fried dumplings filled with fish, meat or vegetables. A typical thing to do is to go to one of the docks, especially Pier 39, and try different specialities, especially swordfish, lobster, clam, salmon, trout, sole and tuna. Italian, Chinese and Mexican influences are obvious at the table, and the wines from Napa and Sonoma in the north of the city must be sampled. Among the recommended reds are Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. For whites, the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc stand out. Most Californian wines are made from classic European grape varieties. However, unlike wines from the Old Continent, they are identified by type of grape rather than

C by where they originate. Beer, coffee and Napa Valley mineral water are also popu-lar. Italian cuisine is especially found in the North Beach area, whereas Latin American food is concentrated mostly in the Mission District. In Chinatown, Asian restaurants abound: Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese and, of course, Chinese. The numerous taco restaurants offer some of the che-apest, most filling and fastest meals in San Francisco. Another meal is the Dungeness crab which is prepared in a variety of very different ways: it may be in pasta dishes or in spring rolls. Dairy and goat’s cheeses are also excellent. The same is true for chocolate.

Eating

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Seafood and good wine

bhappyChinese New YearThe date of this festival varies but it is usually between the end of January and the start of February. Street parades are held, led by giant colourful dragons with fireworks being let off in Chinatown and the Financial District. Miss Chinatown USA is also chosen.

St Patrick’s DayHomage is paid to the patron saint of Ire-land on the Sunday closest to 17 March, with street parades down Market Street. The atmosphere in the bars is unbeatable.

Cherry Blossom FestivalBetween the middle and end of April, pa-rades and food, musical and artisan exhi-bitions are organised during this Japanese fair which takes place in the Japan Centre.

Mexican Cultural FestivalActivities include parades and artisan, food and traditional music exhibitions, held in the Civic Center and Mission District to com-memorate the Mexican victory in Puebla.

CarnivalThis is a festival that has a marked Latin American flavour to it, held in the last week of May. The salsa and reggae bands liven things up in the Mission District, where a big parade assembles.

Bay to Breakers RaceThis mix of athletic trial and fancy-dress

parade revolutionises the city at the end of May. Around 80,000 people run the 12.5 kilometres between the Ferry Building and Ocean Beach.

North Beach FestivalArt, music and crafts come out into the streets of this Italian district in the middle of June.

Gay PrideSan Francisco’s most important event – and largest of its kind in the United States - takes place on the last Sunday of June, with more than 300,000 people taking part in the parade that goes through the Castro district and down Market Street to the Civic Center.

4th of July FireworksThese can be enjoyed from Crissy Field as part of the commemoration of the country’s independence.

MarathonAt the end of July or beginning of August, around 3500 brave souls leave the Golden Gate Bridge to complete the 42 kilometre run through the city.

Blues FestivalThe last weekend of September provides the opportunity to enjoy this outdoor music festival at Fort Mason and Justin Herman Plaza.

Castro Street FairOne of the most important and deeply-rooted festivals in the city is held on the first Sunday of October in the areas around Castro and Market Streets.

Columbus Day ParadeGoes along Columbus Avenue and ends up at Fisherman’s Wharf, on the Sunday closest to 12 October.

HalloweenOn 31October, thousands of people dress up and take to Market and Castro Streets. This is an important event for the gay com-munity, which excels with outlandish outfits on this autumn night.

Jazz FestivalThis is held in various halls at the end of October or beginning of November.

All Souls’ DayMexican celebration with an evening pa-rade and other events in Mission District. Takes place on 2 November.

Fisherman’s Wharf: the old fis-hing port

Although the docks hardly resemble those of long ago, which lived largely from the fish, it is worth strolling along the prome-nades to take in the views of the bay, be enraptured by the outline of the Golden Gate and sound out the city atmosphere. This neighbourhood has been overly com-mercialised with dozens of restaurants and souvenir shops but offers ideal entertain-ment for children in the many attractions installed along the wharf, especially on Pier 39. Among the more unusual attractions is a visit to the Second World War submarine USS Pampanito as well as some of the museums. The Italian seafood restaurants and the brightly painted boats – some still working – are other draws in this area, which is also the starting point for cruise boats that put in at Alcatraz.

The pavement artists perform among the crowds at all hours, so it is worth taking a break now and again and go into the Wax Museum for example, where 300 life-size wax representations of personalities from the past and present are on display - from sportspeople to presidents, and stars of the silver screen such as Marilyn Monroe and Leonardo DiCaprio. Here is also the Museum of the City of San Francisco which explores the city’s past. The extension of the sea wall began in 1853 when Henry Meiggs constructed a half -kilometre dock before embezzling a fortune and fleeing to South America where he made a fortune from the construction of a railway line.

The heart of Fishermans Wharf is where Taylor and Jefferson streets meet, where

the terraces of the seafood restaurants offer the best views of the fishing fleet is moored in the docks, a vestige of the Genoese and Sicilian boats that worked in these waters from the middle of the 19th century. The fishing arts contrast with the rhythm of life of a modern metropolis like San Francisco. To enjoy another view of the past, also related to the sea, head for the Hyde Street dock where you can admire the five sailing boats that form part of the San Francisco Maritime Historical Park. These include the excellent Balclu-tha, constructed in Scotland in 1886 - this three-mast, 100-metre boat used to trans-port coal and whisky from Europe, retur-ning to the Old Continent with wheat. Also in this neighbourhood is the old Ghirardelli chocolate factory, which was converted in 1964 into restaurants and shops, and fi-nished off with a picturesque Clock Tower, inspired by a French chateau.

North Beach: Little Italy in Cali-fornia

This district, one of the most popular among San Franciscans, is a kind of Little Italy, with its pizzerias, ice cream shops, café with terraces and restaurants. The love of food, devotion to wine and the joy of good company can be appreciated on every table, all in an almost Mediterranean setting. Chilean, Peruvian and Italian immi-grants of the 20th century and members of the beat generation who lived in this area in the 1950s have left their mark among the seafood restaurants and bohemia. Nevertheless, the weight of Italian tradition gives way to all things Parisian in aspects such as the layout of the streets and the appearance of the buildings. A visit to the

City Lights book shop, owned by the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, is almost obligatory. It specialises in books on the city and the work of the beatniks, who used to meet in the adjacent Vesuvio, a café that still main-tains a certain flavour. The side street that separates the shop and the café is called – what else? – Jack Kerouac. Racial and sexual freedom, pillars of the beat philo-sophy, reaches its maximum expression in the area around Broadway, known as The Strip due to the proliferation of nudist bars and adult bookshops, vestiges of the old, rabble San Francisco of dives and bro-thels from the gold-rush days. Washington Square Park, the green heart and lungs of North Beach, is flanked by historic buil-dings as well as the neo-gothic church of Saints Peter and Paul. The beauty of this church - known as the Italian cathedral - really comes into its own when lit at night.

Telegraph Hill: ridges and viewing posts

North Beach climbs in the direction of this 90-metre-high headland from where the whole bay can be taken in. This wealthy neighbourhood of pastel-coloured wooden houses, crowned by Coit Tower takes the name of the telegraph installed on its sum-mit in 1850 to alert merchants of boats arriving from Golden Gate. Some of the slopes in the eastern part of this district emerge via staircases, such as Greenwich and Filbert, both surrounded by rhododen-drons, bougainvillaea, ferns, grapevines and blackberry bushes. The enchantment of the Victorian houses is completed with narrow streets such as Napier Lane, woo-den boardwalks and houses that are pre-served almost intact from the 19th century.

San francisco’s:Areas

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Another of the nerve centres of this area is Levi’s square, designed in 1982 in honour of the jeans manufacturer, Levi Strauss. These highly resistance trousers started to be manufactured for the first time in San Francisco at the height of the gold rush. The square reminds us of the history of this Californian company, the first to use metal rivets to strengthen the seams of the garments.

Russian Hill: the world’s most winding roadThis family neighbourhood complete with views of the maritime coast attracts tourists from all round the world, for one main reason: it has the world’s most win-ding street, Lombard Street, which has eight curves and can only be travelled downwards. With inclines of up to 30%, it is not difficult to understand why few people lived here until the arrival of the tram in 1880.

Nob Hill: luxury and dreams views

This is a highly exclusive residential area full of luxury houses and hotels such as the Huntington, the Fairmont, the Stanford Court and the Mark Hopkins. It extends over a hill from which it dominates a large part of the city and is known particularly for its trams.

Chinatown: the world of the Orient

The famous Chinese district, the city landscape of so many unforgettable films and one of the best-known in the world, accommodates a wide selection of orien-tal businesses: magnificent restaurants, shops selling Asian products, herbalist’s shops, palm readers and astrologists… a stroll through its streets will virtually transport visitors to China. It is worth getting up early and nosing around the fish and seafood market or the Clement Street market, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Undoubtedly, the best way of exploring this corner of the metropolis, its most densely populated, is on foot. Or by tram - a means of transport that forms part of the hectic atmosphere of the city with buildings replete with Chinese characters and faces. The locals normally gather at Portsmouth Square to chat or play cards. Meanwhile Grant Avenue is the main tourist and commercial axis with its red Chinese lanterns, decorative dragons and pagodas with raised roof-eaves to chase away evil spirits. This avenue is distinguis-hed for being the first in Yerba Buena, the town that preceded San Francisco. The Tin How temple should not be missed, the oldest in the United States – built in 1852

– and the side streets between Grant Ave-nue and Stockton Street with the colourful overlooking balconies and traditional res-taurants. The gate into Chinatown, which is the most photographed access point in the district, opens on to Union Square and separates two almost-opposite worlds.

Financial District: in the shade of skyscrapers

Located right on Powell Street, Union Square is a large square that is flanked by some notable buildings such as Westin St Francis Hotel, which dates from 1904. This establishment, the second oldest in San Francisco, has welcomed many well-known personalities. Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, takes place in its rooms as does the film of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart. The lobby and restaurant are impressive. But the financial centre of the city has other astonishing buildings including Transamerica Pyramid – the pointed skyscraper that competes with the Golden Gate Bridge as a symbol of the bay. The head offices of the main banks and lawyers’ offices that dominate the city skyline are found in this area: Bank of America, Union Bank of California, First In-terstate Center… An urban programme in recent decades breathed new life into the steel and glass. This is the Embarcadero Center, made up of four office towers of offices connected together with walkway bridges including the impressive 17-storey lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Civic Center and SoMa: the administrative centre

This area contains the best set of meaux arts buildings in the country such the City Hall, constructed in 1915 to replace the building that had been levelled by the huge earthquake of 1906; the Public Library; the War Memorial Opera House – housing San Francisco’s Ballet and Opera centre; and the Veteran’s Building, where the founding charter of the United Nations was signed in 1945. The arts also play a fundamen-tal role in this district, which includes the Asian Art Museum, displaying 15,000 objects covering 6000 years of history, as well as the Yerba Buena Gardens. This lat-ter city space began with the construction of the Moscone Center, San Francisco’s largest congress centre, complete with gardens, homes, hotels and art galleries. We cannot forget a leading space such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts (SFMOMA). The city’s cultural landmarks are completed in the SoMA (South of Mar-ket) area where the Cartoon Art Museum is located – essential for cartoon lovers – as well as the Adams Center for Photography. To round off any tour around this district,

the most-photographed row of Victorian houses is not to be missed. It occupies the east side of Alamo Square, a garden squa-re that offers fantastic panoramic views of the City Hall and the skyscrapers of the Financial District in the background.

Mission: the Hispanic district

Located south of Market Street and far from the tourist hubbub is the Latin Quar-ter. The area takes its name from the Misión Dolores, founded here by Brother Junípero Serra. You can visit the building and eat tacos and Salvadoran specialities around the junction of Valencia and 16th streets. This is one of the city blocks where those large protest walls that proliferate in San Francisco are given shape, which gives it a picturesque and neglected air.

Castro: the gay district

Delimited by Market, Noe, 20th, Diamond and 17th Streets, this looks like any other well-to-do district, but with the difference that it is the heart of the gay community. Colour pervades everywhere, especially in Castro Street, the commercial axis of the district, where the 1970s hedonism rea-ched its maximum expression. The historic Castro Theater is not to be missed.

Haight Ashbury: Victorian houses

Here in the western edge of the city, at the end of Market Street, is where the hippy revolution of the 1970s erupted. The ma-jority of the properties in this district are Victorian style and there are still numerous bars, tea shops and cafés reminiscent of that golden period. Today, it is one of the liveliest areas of San Francisco thanks to its independent bookshops and restau-rants such as Cha Cha Cha, which serves South American food. San Francisco’s largest park, more than 400 hectares, is at one end of Haight Ashbury. It offers plea-sant walking around the lakes, gardens, hills and groves. On sunny days, San Franciscans head for this green space and take part in all kinds of open-air activities. Fun attractions offered at this oasis on the outskirts of the metropolis include the Japanese Tea Garden, Botanical Gardens and Conservatory of Flowers (a tropical species greenhouse) as well as museums.

Pacific Heights: the most exclu-sive panoramic views

This is the elite neighbourhood par exce-llence, with its mansions with views over the bay and its wide avenues. Like Rus-sian Hill, the area started to develop with the arrival of the funicular tram in 1870.

Its air of exclusivity intensified after the earthquake and fires of 1906, when the wealthy families who had lost their homes in Nob Hill moved to this other hill. The Japanese-American community resides in the area known as Japantown, south of Pacific Heights. This neighbourhood was deserted during the Second World War, as its Japanese residents were locked up in internment camps. In the 1960s, several blocks of Victorian houses were knocked down to make way for the Japan Center,

a cultural and commercial focal point in a marked oriental style.

Presidio: at the foot of the Golden Gate

Lovers of open spaces will not want to miss this corner of San Francisco, with its incomparable views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the straits of the bay. Located in the far north-east and founded as a mili-tary detachment, in 1994 it was transferred

to the United States National Park Service. It has grass areas, woods, vestiges of the military, crags and Baker Beach, the best beach in the city, surrounded by pine trees and cypresses. Beware though, the cold water and strong currents of the Pacific are not for swimming in. With more than 400 historic buildings, the Presidio area is also an open-air museum of architecture from the last century, with the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and the Palace of Fine Arts being its finest examples.

The Golden Gate BridgeThis is the true symbol of the city and is considered one of the largest suspension bridges in the world and a landmark in the history of engineering. It extends 2.74 km over the bay of San Francisco, connecting the metropolis with Marin County. It has six lanes for traffic and two paths for pe-destrians. Its red structure, always on the horizon, contrasts with the green of the adjacent hills and the blue of the ocean water, lined with boats and, on occasion, whales. The fog, very common here, give it a magic halo creating a scene normally associated with a surrealist painting. The bridge can appear to be suspended in the air with its twin towers emerging through

the fog. This elegant silhouette is built to withstand strong currents, surges and gales of up to 160 km per hour as well as earthquakes such as the 1989 Loma Prie-ta which destroyed other infrastructures like the Oaklands Cypress freeway.

The bridge was constructed between 1933 and 1937 under the direction of engineer Joseph Strauss, and created thousands of jobs during the Great De-pression. The budget of 35 million dollars was adhered to. Divers were recruited to dynamite the floor of the bay, where 30-metre-deep foundations were needed for the towers. To appreciate the full extent of this engineering masterpiece, the bridge

should be crossed on foot, though this is not recommended for people who suffer from vertigo. A jacket as protection against the wind is essential. Sunday mornings are a good time to give the walk a go, becau-se at other times the high levels of traffic spoil the enjoyment of the trip. Around 120,000 vehicles use this stretch of toll motorway. There are a number of alter-natives for viewing the bridge from other angles: from Vista Point, on the Marin side, the best views of the Golden Gate and San Francisco can be had. Meanwhile at the other end at Fort Point, some views from below are on offer.www.goldengatebridge.org

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Alcatraz PrisonThe trip to this old fort and prison is a re-gular lure thanks to the magnificent views from the ferry and the myth surrounding this small uninhabited island, whipped by cold currents and strong winds – the night-mare of some of the most famous convicts in the world, including Al Capone. Those who can sail can rent a six-person sai-ling boat in Sausalito. Between1934 and 1963 it was a maximum-security federal prison, known colloquially as “The Rock”. Any convict attempting to escape from this prison would risk getting tangled up in the barbed wire, shot at by the guards posted in the look-out towers or die from hyperthermia in the 5-kilometre swim to San Francisco. By of way of anecdote, it is worth remembering that the Spanish swimmer David Meca managed to swim the distance with shackles on his feet in 37 minutes. Today, the compound is pre-served for tourism and forms part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Spanish sailor Juan Manuel de Ayala was the first European to spot this rock in 1775. Its strategic position close to the mouth of the bay made it the ideal location to build a fortress in 1854 and in the following year, the first lighthouse on the Pacific coast was erected. It was then converted into a military prison and eventually a prison for the worst criminals, accommodating up to 1545. The famous attempts to escape have been seen in memorable films such as Escape from Al-catraz, starring Clint Eastwood. It was the high cost of transferring staff and goods to the penitentiary that finally led to its closure in 1963. The island, with its pronounced cliffs, has a bird sanctuary which is closed during nesting seasons.www.nps.gov/alcatraz

Pier 39Few loading docks have given as much as this one, originating from 1905 and since remodelled to look like a small fishing vi-llage. With its souvenir shops, restaurants and attractions, it is all designed mainly for family tourists. It constitutes one of the main shopping areas of the city and at-tracts a million visitors a year, partly thanks to its location, right in the middle of Fisher-mans Wharf, the old fishing district from the end of the 19th century. Among its many lures is the colony of sea lions that started settling here on wooden platforms in 1990. Children will also enjoy the street artists, and the merry-go-round with its horses and reproductions of San Francisco neighbourhoods. Also, the aquarium, whe-re marine animals from the bay like sharks and skate can be admired. Around this dock several ferries set sail including those heading for Alcatraz, Sausalito, Tiburon and Vallejo.www.pier39.com499 Jefferson Street

Coit TowerTogether with the Golden Gate, this is one of the most visible points of reference in the city as it rises up from Pioneer Park, on the top of Telegraph Hill. This 63-metre high concrete tower built in 1933 has a viewing point, reached by lift, that everyo-ne will enjoy. The full panoramic view from the north of the bay and the centre of San Francisco makes it well worth visiting the tower. The lobby of the building is decora-ted with murals reproducing scenes from life in California in the 1930s. This is the work of a score of painters who were part of a government programme to employ ar-tists in the middle of the Great Depression.Telegraph Hill Boulevard415/362-0808Open every day 10am to 7pm (in sum-mer, until 7.30pm)

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)The most dynamic of the city’s art institu-tions is based in a building that in itself is a sculpture thanks to Swiss architect Mario Botta who used basic geometric forms. A windowless brick facade, topped with a cylindrical skylight finished off with bands of black and silver-grey granite contain a distinguished wealth of paintings, sculp-ture and photography, especially from the last century. Works by Picasso, Cezánne, Brancusi, Matisse, Klee and Rothko are included in the collection, which also fea-tures work from the abstract expressionist North American school, California art and Mexican paintings including by Rivera and Tamayo. On the third floor, part of the museum’s nearly 10,000 snapshots are on display, in an overview that begins in the 1840s right up to the present day. Multimedia arte and design also have their exhibition space. The institution dates from 1935 although it did not move to its cu-rrent location until 1995.www.sfmoma.org151 Third Street, between Mission and Howard Streets415/357-4000Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Satur-day and Sunday from 11am to 5.45pm. Wednesday closed and Thursday open 11am to 8.45pm. Opens at 10am in summer.

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

Japan CenterA large leisure and shopping centre that offers much more than exotic foods, oriental art and cinemas. It was built in the 1960s as part of an ambitious project to revitalise the Fillmore District. A 22-metre, five-floor concrete pagoda is the crown of the complex, which itself is the epicentre of the Japanese community, especially during the Cherry Blossom Festival in AprilGeary Boulevard, between Fillmore and Laguna Streets922-6776

Fort MasonThis area houses San Francisco’s military history as the more than one million sol-diers who departed from this based during the Second World War could testify. Its use for battle began with the Spanish who installed five cannons in 1797 as protec-tion against invaders. The central office of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area occupies the former military hospital, while the stores and docks where the troops and supplies headed off for the Pacific has been turned into the Fort Mason Center. This is a culture complex that houses non-profit organisations, art galleries, mu-seums, theatres and a valuable collection of books on naval history as well as boat plans.www.fortmason.org

Old St. Mary’s ChurchThe first Catholic church in the city was erected in 1854 built from brick from New England. It welcomed an Irish con-gregation. It was soon surrounded by a sordid world of gold-hunters, most of them opium-smokers and regular brothel-visitors. For this reason, the following is inscribed on the church tower: “Son, observe the time and fly from evil”. The new cathedral was built in 1891, in a less sinful place, and the original cathedral was turned into the Old St. Mary’s Church The earthquake and subsequent fires of 1906 ravaged the inside of the church, although the walls and bell-tower were saved.660 California Street

Grace CathedralWork began on San Francisco’s first Epis-copal temple (the third in the country) in 1928, taking inspiration from the Notre-Dame in Paris. It was not completed until almost forty years later. The inside is full of marble and stained-glass windows and contains a 13th century crucifix and 16th century silk and gold tapestry. The tower has 44 bells made in England in 1938. It is 100 metres long and instead of being made of stone, reinforced concrete was used in order to withstand earthquakes.www.gracecathedral.org1100 California Street415/749-6300

Cable Car MuseumUnique in the world, it also contains the central electric cable car system, which includes the engines and machinery that roll up the cables via a collection of under-ground pulleys spread around the city. It is hard to believe, but the steel cables in this brick building, which opened in 1909, pull all the cable cars in the city. Also inside is the repair workshop for these vehicles, the depots and the only coach that has been preserved from the first Clay Street Hill Railroad line (1873). Before this date, horses pulled the coaches along the steep slopes of the city, with the consequent danger that this involved. Three cable car lines totalling 17 kilometres in length sur-vive to today, in spite of competition from their electric equivalents and buses.www.cablecarmuseum.org1201 Mason Street415/474-1887

Transamerica PyramidIn the Financial District, a spectacular buil-ding stands out, rising 256 metres above sea level and shaped at the top in a point. The city’s highest skyscraper, supported by a concrete slab and test-designed to withstand earthquakes, occupies the plot where the Montgomery Block was erected, the tallest building to the west of the Mis-sissippi in the middle of the 19th century. Although it is closed to the public, this steel, concrete and quartz panel building is worth a close-up look from all angles.600 Montgomery Street

Mission DoloresThe oldest building in the city, symbol of the religious roots of the first Spanish colony, has been preserved intact since it was constructed in 1791. Proof of this are the paintings on the ceiling, work by local settlers in these lands, who used vegetable inks in their work. Inside is a baroque altar-piece imported from Mexico in 1780. The cemetery has graves of San Francisco’s famous personalities from the pioneer era. The statue that marks a common grave of 5000 Indians, who died mostly during the great measles epidemics of 1804 and 1826, was removed and the only thing that remained is a pedestal where it is written: “In solemn memory of our loyal Indians”.16th Street and Dolores Street621-8203Open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 12pm and 1pm to 5pm; Saturdays from 10am to 3pm; and Sundays from 9am to 3pm.

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INFORMATIONSan Francisco Visitor Information Center900 Market Street, under Hallidie Plaza415/391-2000Open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 3pm.www.sfvisitor.org

SHOWSLike all major US cities, the choice of shows in San Francisco is almost endless and is capable of satisfying all tastes. Sport, opera, concerts… All are found in this city, the cultural capital of the west coast and one of the liveliest anywhere in the world. The choice of theatres is less extensive than for cinemas, despite inclu-ding touring shows from Broadway and other local companies.

TheatresAmerican Conservatory Theater (ACT), Geary Theater415 Geary Street415/749-2228www.act-sf.orgBuilt in 1909, thought to be the oldest theatre in the city and the home of ACT, a company with bases across the country. In the 1906 earthquake, San Francisco was left without its eight theatres. The revival of the city did not leave the theatres behind and the theatre flourished. Nature again vented its anger on this historic buil-ding in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The reconstruction works financed by hundreds of individuals, companies and

foundations, concluded in 1996. The sea-son extends from October to May, with performances that range from Shakes-peare to Tennessee Williams, including the most up-to-date premiers.

Curran Theater445 Geary Street415/551-2000www.bestofbroadway-sf.comwww.curran-theater.comIn this elegant building which dates from 1922, grand Broadway musicals are put on.

Lorraine Hansberry Theater620 Sutter Street415/474-8800www.lorrainehansberrytheatre.comIn this theatre, Afro-American works are performed ranging from the classics to experimental.

Fort Masonwww.fortmason.orgA culture complex that houses non-profit organisations, art galleries, museums, theatres and a valuable collection of books on naval history as well as boat plans. This is the headquarters of the Magic Theater (www.magictheater.org), a company re-nowned in the United States for its works by American playwrights.

SportsSan Franciscans are major fans of Ame-rican football and baseball. The leading team in the first of these sports is the San

Francisco 49ers, which play at the 3Com Park (+1 415/656-4900). In baseball, the Giants stand out, who play at the SBC Park Stadium (+1 510/762-2255).

OperaHas enjoyed popularity in the bay since way before 1932, when the first municipal opera hall in the country was built. The San Francisco Opera programmes specta-cular productions between September and December and has achieved international renown, as it is considered one of the best stages in the world. The theatre is in the Civic Center (+1 415/864-3330, www.sfopera.com).

CinemaWatching a film at the Castro Theater is a priceless luxury that is, nevertheless, within reach for all visitors to San Francisco. The cinema is in the district of the same name neighbourhood, where the gay revolution started. This cinema dates from 1922 and its décor is pompous and magnificent. It shows classic films several evenings a week – sometimes silent movies, livened up by a pianist – as in the old days.

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