Situated in the Southwest on the Pacific Ocean, California is known as the ‘Golden State’ and is the state with the largest population. California offers a varied landscape with snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, lush forests and endless stretches of golden sandy beaches.

California’s coastline runs from Los Angeles in the south to San Francisco in the north, along the well-known Big Sur coastal highway, one of the most scenic drives in the USA.

Although Sacramento is the capital, Los Angeles is by far the largest in California, nicknamed the ‘City of Angels’ it is the number one entertainment capital of the world, with Hollywood and the stars in the leading role.

San Francisco and its Bay Area is the cosmopolitan city of California, with its famous Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars and cultural sites, including many art museums. Around the San Francisco area to the north lie the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, renowned for their excellent wines, along with those of the Santa Barbara and San Diego areas.

The northern part of California is an exceptional natural site, with giant sequoias, redwoods, waterfalls, forests, icy lakes and high mountain peaks. The Desert region by contrast offers a vast expanse of arid land, with Death Valley at 86 m below sea level, scattered with glittering resorts such as Las Vegas.

In California the summers are very warm with cool evenings, while spring and autumn are mild. Winter brings the rainy season, although temperatures remain mild. In the mountains there is snow in the winter, while in the desert the winters are very mild and summers extremely hot.