Built in 1874, the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse guided ships into the San Simeon Harbor, once a bustling port for commerce. Today’s visitors can enjoy a tour of the facility to discover its intriguing past. The Pieddras Blancas Lighthouse is 20 minutes north of Cambria and is a wonderful side trip. Photographically, my eye was drawn to the successive jutting rocks and rocky points leading to the lighthouse, silhouetted by mauve-colored clouds and the sky’s golden hues.