When to visit California 

The lowdown: Just 65 kilometres south of big city Los Angeles, surf-obsessed Huntington Beach is the place in California to catch waves (its nickname is ‘Surf City USA’). Every summer, the US Open of Surfing competition brings pro surfers and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Huntington for nine days of sun, sea, sand… and world-class shredding.

Stay at: You can’t beat staying on the beachfront at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa.

Fly to: Los Angeles

The lowdown: Move over Napa, neighbouring county Sonoma is winning over wine lovers with its laid-back, hipster vibe. Plus, one of California’s hottest restaurants, Single Thread recently opened, helmed by a chef who previously worked at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck. Explore all Sonoma’s farms and vineyards have to offer at the annual Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, held over the last gasp of summer (Labor Day).

Stay at: Healdsburg is the centre of Sonoma cool, and where you’ll find the romantic Farmhouse Inn.

Fly to: San Francisco or Oakland and hire a car.>

The lowdown: You can’t go to California in autumn without visiting a pumpkin patch. But at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, around 25 miles from state capital Sacramento, October also means unveiling their Guinness World Record-holding corn maze. Open solely for the season, the maze changes every year and is notoriously difficult, covering about 40 acres of tricky turns and dead-ends.

Stay at: The Sheraton Grand Sacramento has a prime location in Downtown.

Fly to: San Francisco or Oakland and hire a car.

The lowdown: Because of its exceptional beauty, they call autumn the ‘Golden Season’ at Yosemite National Park, when the flaming colours of autumn trees burn across Yosemite Valley. It’s also less crowded than summer, so you might snag some hiking trails to yourself. The Merced River’s Mist Trail is especially scenic this time of year, as colourful forests and granite cliffs are reflected in the mirror-still water.

Stay at: Tenaya Lodge makes a great base for exploring the area, surrounded by Sierra National Forest.

Fly to: San Jose.

The lowdown: Surfie, studenty Santa Cruz is a seaside town on California’s Central Coast that’s best known for its beach boardwalk, stuffed with retro fun: think arcade games, carousels and rattly rollercoasters (the Giant Dipper was built in 1924). In October, The Boardwalk’s Annual Chilli Cook-Off brings the community together for more old-fashioned shenanigans as they compete to cook the best chilli con carne. Bring an appetite… and lots of water.

Stay at: Only 10 minutes from The Boardwalk and with lovely redwood views, the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley is a winner.

Fly to: San Jose.

The lowdown: The Golden State might be known for sunshine, but come winter, its Sierra Nevada mountains get plenty of snow. And while that can make a trip to Yosemite tricky (eastern access road the Tioga Pass often closes), it’s playtime for snow bunnies in alpine Lake Tahoe, where there are nine top-class ski resorts across 22,000 powdery acres.

Stay at: Northstar California is a popular resort that offers more than just skiing, with snowboarding, ice skating, snow tubing and snowshoeing available too.

Fly to: San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose.

The lowdown: For one of California’s more unexpected sights, head to San Luis Obispo, in between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Six miles of coastline around Point Piedras Blancas have been claimed by a colony of elephant seals, which come to birth and breed here in winter. Non-profit organisation Friends of the Elephant Seal provides free viewing areas.

Stay at: There’s plenty more to see in San Luis Obispo, from wine country in Paso Robles to miles of sand at Pismo Beach. Base yourself at Sea Crest Oceanfront Hotel Pismo for a prime spot on the shore.

Fly to: San Jose or Los Angeles and hire a car.

The lowdown: Coachella is to the USA what Glastonbury is to the UK – only more glamorous, and minus the predictably rainy weather. Celebrity spectators and the world’s biggest acts converge in Coachella Valley for two weekends every April, the rumoured line-up for 2018 includes Eminem, Beyoncé and The Weeknd.

Stay at: Coachella is only 40 kilometres from retro party town Palm Springs, where the Ace Hotel has its super-cool, mid-century modern desert inn.

Fly to: San Diego or Los Angeles.

The lowdown: Foggy San Francisco enjoys its clearest days in spring, helping you get the best views of this gorgeous, hilly city by the bay. Head to Baker Beach for a picnic with a perfect vantage of the Golden Gate Bridge, and cruise over to Alcatraz to see the city as its prisoners did. Japantown hosts its annual Cherry Blossom Festival in April, too.

Stay at: For yet another incredible view, book a room at the Loews Regency and enjoy sunset drinks on its 40th-floor terrace.

Fly to: San Francisco or Oakland