How to Visit Gilroy, California

As you drive toward Gilroy, you won’t need signs to inform you that you’re approaching the “Garlic Capital of the World.” Your nose will tell you. The scent of fresh garlic, as you pass field upon field of growing plants, is unmistakable. But there will also be other indicators that you’re nearing somewhere special. The roads into the city are dotted with fruit stands, selling berries picked that day, freshly baked pies, and produce — sometimes 10 avocados for $1 — that will make you wonder whether you’re dreaming. Although the city is famous for its association with the “stinking rose,” and there are some very unusual ways to experience garlic when you’re there, there’s a lot more to Gilroy than just those bulbs.

A city of just under 60,000 people, Gilroy and its surrounding area grow over 100 million pounds of garlic annually, about half of what America consumes. (The Central Valley as a whole provides about 25 percent of the U.S.’s produce.) “When I first moved there, I was thinking, ‘Wow, my neighbor is an amazing chef. The air outside just smells like the cooking from her window,’” Erika Mailman, a travel journalist and former Gilroy resident, told Travel + Leisure. “It took me about a week to figure out that she wasn’t cooking this wonderful Italian food. It’s just that the aroma of Gilroy really is garlic.”

The city leans into that agricultural legacy. Gilroy’s historic downtown is full of murals and public art celebrating its biggest export and excellent restaurants serving up garlic for every meal. The city’s most famous attraction, Gilroy Gardens, is a theme park with a distinctly farm-grown vibe. Originally started as a recreational area for locals to enjoy unusual trees and plants, it’s now a theme park dedicated to the local bounty. Before you ask: Yes, there is a garlic ride, and yes, it’s as quirky and delightful as it sounds.

Gilroy Gardens

A theme park that grew out of a love for green spaces, Gilroy Gardens isn’t your average roller coasters-and-popcorn attraction. The park is full of lush gardens, with waterfalls spilling into lagoons and unusually beautiful trees — some with trunks grown into intricate patterns — casting blissful shade on walkways below. But make no mistake: While there is definitely a botanical element to the park, it’s also full of rides, many of which are locally themed. Some are easy and fun, like the Strawberry Sundae, where guests climb into giant strawberry-shaped swings that glide around in a gentle circle, and South County Backroads, which allows little drivers to take a tour of the Santa Clara Valley as it was a century ago in antique-looking ride vehicles.

Some are more thrilling, like the Quicksilver Express Mine Coaster, which has a ride queue decorated with historical pictures and tidbits about the area’s mining history, and the Banana Split, an enormous swinging banana that catapults riders high into the sky. The absolute highlight, though, is the Garlic Twirl, where riders climb into “James and the Giant Peach”–sized bulbs of garlic and turn a central post to make the bulb rotate as it twirls around on a large plate in the ground. Just the pure kitsch factor would make it fun, but the ride really does give you a good spin. Other highlights include a water splash pad area, duck paddle boats, and, of course, the most intensely flavored garlic fries you’ll ever eat.

Other Things to Do

Go hiking or horseback riding in Mt. Madonna County Park.

“There’s a fantastic hiking trail system over Mt. Madonna,” Mailman said. “It’s an awesome day trip to go up there, hike, and get pie at Gizdich Ranch,” where they have tables for you to sit and enjoy the view as you eat your homemade pie.

Explore historic downtown Gilroy.

The revitalized city center has historic buildings and gorgeous murals tucked away in side streets telling the city’s story. Antique shopping is especially good downtown, with well-curated stores like Ashford’s Heirlooms (the family has owned a business in that same spot since 1951) and Garbo’s Antiques & Collectibles. If you can’t get enough history, stop by the Gilroy Museum, housed in the original 1910 library, to see how the city was founded and how it became so garlicky.

Travel the Road to Garlic.

Garlic is so deeply ingrained in Gilroy’s identity that there’s a bulb drawn into the “G” in Gilroy on all the city signs — so of course, there are a lot of ways to immerse all your senses in it. Visit Gilroy compiled a Road to Garlic: a list of the restaurants, farm stands, and food shops where you can experience garlic in all its forms, including desserts.

Taste through the Santa Clara Valley wineries.

Gilroy is part of the Santa Clara Valley AVA, and there are many tasting rooms and vineyards within city limits, like Cinnabar Winery and L&M Vineyard, with more just outside of the city. The Santa Clara wine map will guide you on your tasting journey.

Enjoy the local bounty.

Gilroy has a long, almost year-round growing season, and it’s easy to find seasonal roadside fruit stands, especially along major thoroughfares like Freeway 101 and State Route 152. Shop for locally-grown fruits and vegetables or grab some baked goods. If just garlic bulbs alone won’t scratch the Gilroy itch, stop at the Garlic Shoppe or Garlic World; both have foods with near-infinite uses of garlic, from sauces, spices, oils, and rubs to ice cream.

Places to Stay

CordeValle

Just outside of Gilroy in San Martin, CordeValle is a luxury choice for travelers exploring the region. The property, next door to a vineyard, has an 18-hole golf course and expansive views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its Californian-Italian restaurant Il Vigneto ages its own meats.

National Chain Hotels

The Best Western Forest Park Inn is an affordable option with fireplace rooms and a large pool with a hot tub. Hilton Garden Inn Gilroy has king and double queen hotel rooms and offers free parking and free Wi-Fi. The hotel also has an on-site restaurant. Gilroy’s Hampton Inn & Suites offers king and double queen hotel rooms and suites; all rooms have microwaves and refrigerators and include free parking, free Wi-Fi, and free breakfast.

Places to Eat

Garlic City Cafe

Garlic City Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; not everything has garlic in it, but some of the restaurant’s most popular signature dishes are cream of garlic soup, the Garlic City Burger (which comes topped with a dozen or so roasted garlic cloves), and real, honest-to-goodness garlic ice cream, which is a signature offering of the city.

Old City Hall Restaurant

Housed in Gilroy’s former city hall building, Old City Hall is an unmissable landmark on Monterey Road. The extensive menu serves a mix of elevated comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As you’d expect, there’s a lot of locally-grown garlic in dishes like whole Gilroy roasted garlic with crostini, roasted garlic chicken vegetable soup, and garlic citrus chicken.

Tacos Ameca

There is so much excellent Mexican food in Gilroy that the city has its own taco trail, but Tacos Ameca is so popular that it has two locations on Monterey Road. The open kitchen churns out grilled meats and fresh tortillas by the hundreds, and the restaurant serves an outrageous michelada garnished with grilled shrimp.

Getting There

Gilroy is less than an hour’s drive from San Jose International Airport (SJX) and about 90 minutes from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). You can arrive by Caltrain, but Gilroy is the southernmost terminus of the system and only has service during commuter hours on weekdays. If you do choose public transportation, once you’re in Gilroy, the historic downtown is easily walkable, including the 1918 train station.

However, part of the joy of a Gilroy trip is just getting in the car and exploring the nearby mountains and Monterey Bay. Although it has a charming, small-town feel, it’s close to a lot of marquee locations.  “One of the things I think is really unusual is it has this incredible access to Silicon Valley, and yet it’s really an agricultural community,” Mailman said.