Gilroy
Gilroy is in the southern part of Santa Clara County south of San Jose in California. It is in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Understand
It is also known as the "Garlic Capital of the World."
Get in
Map of Gilroy (California)
By plane
Gilroy is located about 35 mi (56 km) south of San Jose International Airport (SJC IATA).
Get around
See
- 1 Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy, ☏ +1 408 840-7100. Open from mid-spring to mid-fall. A theme park whose theme is plants, agriculture, and local history. Best for people interested in gardens, and for families with younger children. Like Legoland, the rides here do not cater to teenagers or older.
- Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park. An interesting little park where the Ohlone people lived for several thousand years. It's not a destination by itself, but if you're in the area.
Do
- 1 Gilroy Garlic Festival. Held each July, the country's largest festival devoted to everything garlic. Garlic plushies, garlic ice cream, garlic weavings, garlic wine, garlic-till-you're-sick. The last full weekend of July.
Buy
- Gilroy Premium Outlets, 681 Leavesly Rd. The 145 outlet stores draw people from near and far. If you're in the mood for shopping, the outlets are easy to see just off 101.
Eat
- Black Bear Diner, 393 Leavesley Rd (West of 101 Exit, next to Forest Park Inn), ☏ +1 408-842-9901. American comfort food, bear-shaped paraphernalia
- Mama Mia's, 1360 1st St # B, ☏ +1 408-847-8808. Tuscan style.
- Claddagh, 1300 S. 1st St (West end of 1st, just before it heads into the hills), ☏ +1 408-848-5050. Irish pub & restaurant. Soccer on the telly when available.
- The Longhouse, 8195 Monterey Highway, ☏ +1 408-842-7664. American food. Friendly waitstaff.
- Pho Ho An II, 890 Renz Lane #152 (Next to the Best Buy). Vietnamese. Note, there's an ATM on site but they don't take debit or credit cards.
- Scotty's Restaurant at Gilroy Bowl, 7554 Monterey St., ☏ +1 408-842-5100. Yes they're attached to a bowling alley, but the service is great and they have good Hawaiian and Japanese food (loco moco, spam musubi, donburi, etc.) along with standard diner fare.
- Victoria's Mexican Restaurant, 757 1st St, ☏ +1 408-848-1052. What it says on the tin.
- O.D.'s Kitchen, 28 Martin St, ☏ +1 408 847-3818. Breakfasts. Plentiful food, low prices, popular hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint. Their "Kitchen Sink" entree is huge, you may want to share it. cheap.
Drink
The Gilroy area is home to several wineries.
Sleep
- Motel 6, 6110 Monterey Highway, ☏ +1 408 842-6061, fax: +1 408 842-6020.
- Hilton Garden Inn, 6070 Monterey St, ☏ +1 408 840-7000, fax: +1 408 840-7022.
- Best Western Forest Park Inn, 375 Leavesley Rd (West of Leavesley Road exit on 101), ☏ +1 408-848-5144.
Go next
| Routes through Gilroy |
| San Jose ← Morgan Hill ← | N  S |
→ San Juan Bautista → San Luis Obispo |
Ends at  ← Watsonville ← |
W  E |
→ Jct W  → Los Banos |