Fisherman's Wharf

Italian fishermen worked out of this harbour from the late 1800s and a small Dungeness crab fleet still lands here, cooked in steaming pots on the sidewalk in season. Pier 39's K-Dock is where sea lions began hauling out in numbers shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake; the boat owners were moved off and the animals stayed, with numbers fluctuating from a handful to several hundred depending on herring runs. The San Francisco Maritime park at the western end keeps historic vessels including the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha, and USS Pampanito, a Second World War submarine, and the Liberty ship Jeremiah O'Brien are moored nearby. Alcatraz ferries leave from Pier 33 just east.

What to look for

• A small working crab fleet - Dungeness cooked on the sidewalk in season.
• Sea lions on K-Dock - since shortly after the 1989 earthquake.
• Historic vessels - the Balclutha, a submarine and a Liberty ship.
• Alcatraz ferries - leaving from the pier just east.

When to go

Year round; crab season runs roughly November to June. Half a day.

Things to know

It is the most touristed part of the city and priced accordingly. Sea lion numbers vary wildly and can be near zero. Summer fog is heavy on this shore. Alcatraz tickets sell out weeks ahead.

Nearby

Alcatraz is offshore; North Beach and Chinatown are inland.

Key facts