World's Greatest Coastal Drives

Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia


Following Victoria's coast, this grand highway stretches for several hundred kilometers, starting just southwest of Melbourne. Among its stunning sights are the "Twelve Apostles," the 20-million-year-old rocky remnants of limestone arches that rise up from the Southern Ocean. A commemorative statue was designed to mark the road's 75th anniversary—it depicts the WWI veterans who built the thoroughfare, with one of the sculpted men handing a drink bottle to another because, as Roger Grant, chairman of Great Ocean Road Marketing, said, "Building the road with pick and shovel would have been very hard work and it would have been thirsty work."



Highway 12, Outer Banks of North Carolina


"Road Trip USA" author Jamie Jensen recommends the road along the pristine beaches of North Carolina's coast. In addition to the pleasures of the maritime landscape, Jensen says, the route is enriched by historical sites like Kitty Hawk, of Wright Brothers fame, and Roanoke Island, site of England's first attempted colony in the New World. He thinks that the section along Cape Hatteras National Seashore is especially rich. "And if you can stretch your coverage, the route through Georgia combines the lush wilderness of the 'Low Country' with the delightful architecture and delicious food of historic cities like Charleston and Savannah."



Highway 12, Outer Banks of North Carolina


"Road Trip USA" author Jamie Jensen recommends the road along the pristine beaches of North Carolina's coast. In addition to the pleasures of the maritime landscape, Jensen says, the route is enriched by historical sites like Kitty Hawk, of Wright Brothers fame, and Roanoke Island, site of England's first attempted colony in the New World. He thinks that the section along Cape Hatteras National Seashore is especially rich. "And if you can stretch your coverage, the route through Georgia combines the lush wilderness of the 'Low Country' with the delightful architecture and delicious food of historic cities like Charleston and Savannah."


Great River Road, Mississippi 


The Great River Road is one of 126 "distinct and diverse roads" designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as "National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads." The route incorporates riverside roads in six of the ten states that border the Mississippi: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin, offering a tour of the area's natural and cultural treasures. Jensen favors the sections between St. Paul and St. Louis, which pass "across the surprisingly rugged uplands of 'coastal' Iowa, and nifty little cities like La Crosse, Wisconsin, Galena, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri (home of Huck Finn!)"



Applecross Peninsula, Scotland


Convertible Car Magazine editor Stephen Ashdown says Scotland offers "many miles of empty roads far from civilization and some of the most breathtaking views of anywhere in the world. Among the many great drives, the Applecross Peninsula is one of the most enjoyable. Taken in a northerly direction, the entertaining, mostly single-track road gives views across the sea to the Isle of Skye and the Torridon Mountains inland. Motorists are warned by signs, however, that this challenging road is inadvisable to learner drivers."


Highway 13, Apostle Islands, Wisconsin


Stretching from Amnicon Falls State Park to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, this route fronts the spectacular shore of Lake Superior, whose charms include lighthouses and sea caves. The National Park Service explains: "Nature has carved delicate arches, vaulted chambers and honeycombed passageways into cliffs on the north shore of Devils Island, Swallow Point on Sand Island, and along the mainland near the Lakeshore's western boundary." Jensen recommends combining the Hwy-13 drive with a trip along US-61 north from Duluth, Minn.


Prince Edward Island, Canada 


The roads on Canada's smallest maritime province can be rough at times (especially around spring thaw), but for every pothole there's a spectacular vista that more than compensates for the bumpy ride. The island's three major coastal routes are dotted with lighthouses, sandstone cliffs, golf courses and pristine sandy beaches. The Points East Coastal Route traverses wharfs, a winery and panoramas of the Nova Scotia mainland.


Highways 11 and 19, Hawaii 


Jensen says the "magical loop" around the Big Island of Hawaii includes "beautiful green forests rising out of deep blues waters, waterfalls cascading down black lava cliffs, with truly majestic snow-capped mountain rising high above it all. Whales leap offshore; there are gecko lizards, brilliantly colored birds, tropical fish swimming along coral reefs—and mai-tai cocktails to be savored at sunset. Heaven."


Chuckanut Drive, Washington


Route 11 from Bellingham to Skagit Valley in Washington State is a 21-mile stretch of scenic byway that overlooks Chuckanut Bay and the San Juan Islands as it winds through the mountainous northwest coast. A leisurely pace is best for this route—allow for stops at the picturesque seaside towns, where you can sample fresh local berries and seafood or hike in the lush hills for even more sweeping views.



Highway 1, California 


The hundreds of miles of Pacific Coast Highway in California are among the world's most iconic seaside routes. For a lesser-known entrée to PCH, Porsche Club of America's Kurt Fischer recommends starting in nearby Healdsburg and winding through rolling vineyards, redwood forests and across covered bridges along Stewarts Point-Skaggs Creek road before heading south on Hwy 1 toward the charming coastal enclave of Bodega Bay.