Gualala is being discovered by people who seek a peaceful getaway in an unsurpassed natural setting with a casual atmosphere...

Edges, places where different land structures meet - forest to marsh, marsh to sea - usually have more life and vitality than unvaried terrain.  Perhaps that explains why Gualala, where Sonoma County and Mendocino County come together, is such a vibrant, lively town.  The town sits at a dramatic convergence of coastal hills, the Pacific Ocean and the Gualala River and is the southern coastal gateway to Mendocino County.

Gualala is pronounced "Wallala", which is a Spanish version of the Pomo Indian word, "Walali", which means "where the waters meet," or "water coming down place."

Gualala and Anchor Bay, four miles to the north, are in the coastal "banana belt," a region that is warmer and fog-free compared to other parts of the coast.

Just south of town is Gualala Point Regional Park, which offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails, picnicking and camping areas.  The park is an excellent site to watch the migration of California gray whales, go horseback riding, beachcombing, bird watching, or just enjoy the dramatic coastline.

For those who want to paddle on the Gualala River, Adventure Rents in Gualala offers guided kayak and canoe trips, moonlight trips and beach barbecues.

Gualala was a bustling redwood lumber center up until the 1960s and visitors today still can see some of the remains of the chutes and landings where early-day schooners loaded cargoes of lumber bound for San Francisco.

Now the town boasts an active arts community and many painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, musicians and performers call Gualala their home.  An "Arts in the Redwoods" festival is scheduled for August 14 and 15 in 2004.  The festival has attracted exhibits and visitors from all over the state for 41 years and is a major event in Northern California and is sponsored by Gualala Arts, Inc., a non-profit arts organization featuring art exhibits, concerts, classes and lectures.  It is housed in a new 15,000 square foot building on 11 acres in the redwoods.

Gualala also supplies an ever-increasing number of visitors with whatever services they might require.  The town is a growing commercial and business center and features fine inns, supermarkets, pharmacies, gift shops, taverns, clothing stores, restaurants, banks, galleries, delis, a medical clinic, the historic Gualala Hotel and an abundance of friendly residents.

Gualala is being discovered by people who seek a peaceful getaway in an unsurpassed natural setting with a casual atmosphere.  But the active arts community, great food and general bustle of this growing community also give visitors a reason to get out of the hot tub and rub elbows with the locals.

About 16 miles north of Gualala is the village of Point Arena, one of California's tiniest incorporated cities.  What was once primarily a lumber and fishing economy has shifted its emphasis to visitor service and local retailing.

Much of the town's energy still focuses on the sea, and a major local effort was organized to replace the 100-year-old city wharf that was destroyed in a spectacular 1983 winter storm.  It was replaced in 1990 by the Point Arena Public Fishing Pier.  The $2.2 million structure stretches 330 feet into the cove and 25 feet above the water.  It provides public fishing facilities with no license required and serves as a major commercial fish landing.  Small craft launching facilities for offshore sport fishing and whale watching are available.

Adjacent to the pier is the Arena Cove commercial center, which includes lodging, restaurants, and gift shops which feature many locally made items.  Travelers can enjoy meals or cocktails with an ocean view and on sunny days outside seating is available.

Offshore, scuba divers can enjoy the Arena Rock Underwater Preserve, an area of abundant marine flora and fauna, as well as the sunken wreck of a freighter.  When the swell is up, a good number of surfers use the harbor as a base for some of the best surfing in Northern California.

The old lighthouse just north of town, rebuilt after the 1906 San Francisco quake, still shines a warning to keep ships off the dangerous rocks and shoals.  The light is now automated, and the old Coast Guard facilities have been turned into a maritime museum and several guest cottages run by a local non-profit organization.  Visitors may climb the light tower and view the broad agricultural terraces that run down to the sea or admire the ancient Fresnel lens that remains in place in the light room at the top.