Holiday rentals and lettings in California

California is dominated by its world-class coastal cities of San Francisco in the north and Los Angeles in the south. The former offers its visitors the iconic cable car, culturally eclectic neighbourhoods and the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, with the latter bringing us the famous hot spots such as Hollywood, Venice Beach and theme parks such as Disneyland. The southern city of San Diego is another popular destination, with warm weather year-round, endless stretches of surf-friendly beaches and the best Mexican food in the USA.

California is home to the most popular national parks in the US, including, in the north of the state, Sequoia National Park, with its epochal towering redwoods, and Point Reyes national seashore, with its headlands and sea cliffs that provide a sanctuary for wildlife. In the east of the state visit Yosemite, with its formidable natural landscapes, and in the south Devils Postpile national monument, with its whimsical rocky landscapes.

California is a custom-made destination for family travel. Theme parks, celebrity hot spots, the great outdoors – its all there. Universal Studios Hollywood, Legoland California Resort and Disneyland Park are world-class theme parks like no other. Monterey Bay Aquarium, San Diego Zoo and Seymour Marine Discovery Center take you on an educational and fascinating journey around the natural world. Santa Barbara County and Orange County are home to the million-dollar sands of unmatched beaches. Yosemite National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park provide an epic slice of the great Californian outdoors for you and your family.

California is a hiker's Arcadia, with a vast diversity of landscapes. The majestic glacier-carved valley of Yosemite, the hair-raising mountainous coastline of Big Sur, the placidly barren Mojave Desert, the imperial snow-capped Mount Shasta, and the jagged, untamed hinterland of Solstice Canyon are all exceptional destinations unlike anywhere else in the world. Head to Mountain Whitney for the highest summit in the continental United States. For inner city hiking, Runyon Canyon Park is a hidden gem right in the centre of Los Angeles, a locals’ favourite unknown by most tourists. The park offers several trails, all with fantastic views of the rugged landscape and the Los Angeles cityscape.

The only manually operated cable car left in the world, no experience is more uniquely San Francisco. For the most scenic route, start at Powell and Market and continue to the Fisherman's Wharf area.

Home to what was America’s most notorious prison, which held the likes of Scarface Al Capone. This is far more than just a ‘prison tour’; it is one of the stand-out highlights in the entire state of California. Get there via a short boat ride from the San Francisco harbour.

As the Ewoks well know, the Redwood trees are some of the oldest in the US, and the tallest in the entire planet. Take a relaxed walk, crane up and try to spot the top of these magnificent faunal specimens, then pay a visit to one of the enduring trademarks of American roadside kitsch – the drive-through tree.

Amazing, remarkable, mind-boggling … try as you might, you will struggle to find the words that will do justice to the beauty of Lake Tahoe. Visitors are drawn to the steep granite cliffs and imposing mountaintops, and its crystal-clear waters.

One of LA’s most beloved free attractions, it is the epicentre of Old Hollywood history, with 2,500 stars and counting, and lots to see and do. Stretching between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street, it is a mile long and is home to both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. An obligatory pilgrimage for movie lovers!