San Simeon

Hamlet in San Luis Obispo County, west-central California. Situated on the Pacific Ocean, 58 km/36 mi northwest of San Luis Obispo, it is famous as the site of the huge estate of the early newspaper and publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst.

In the 19th century, San Simeon was a largely Portuguese fishing and whaling port. In the 1890s, George Hearst, who had made his fortune in mining, acquired property covering an area of 990 sq km/382 sq mi and stretching for 80 km/50 mi along the coast. Here, on top of La Cuesta Encantada (Enchanted Hill; height 490 m/1,600 ft), 5 km/3 mi inland from the port, Hearst's son William Randolph had architect Julia Morgan build ‘La Casa Grande’, an immense Spanish-style structure also known as the Hearst Castle, where he entertained lavishly. In 1958, a portion of the estate, including the castle, became the Hearst–San Simeon State Historical Monument, now one of the leading tourist attractions on the West Coast.