Stuff Yourself Silly With Delicious Food
Cayucos is full of delicious food options, ranging from farm-fresh fancy fare to budget-friendly favorites. Here are our picks for where you absolutely must eat during your trip to Cayucos.
We dined at the Lunada Garden Bistro for our fancy romantic evening meal, and were SO glad we did. The restaurant is located in a stunning historic building, with a beautiful ambiance. And the food was out of this world totally up to our foodie standards! We tried a locally farmed abalone appetizer , a succulent rack of lamb, and a mind-blowing osso bucco. Oh, and we downed a bottle of wine. It was incredible. In addition to dinner, you can visit Lunada Garden Bistro for brunch or lunch and be sure to sit outside on the beautiful garden patio!
- Lunada Garden Bistro | Address: 78 N Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA
Once the home of Cayucos founder, The Grill at Cass House is now one of the best restaurants in town. The food is farm-to-table, theres a lovely outdoor patio, and its a great spot for a romantic meal.
- The Grill at Cass House | Address: 222 N Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA
Big shout-out to all of the locals who steered me here, because I never in a million years would have guessed how amazing this place was. You guys just have to trust me on this.
- Cayucos Gas Mini Mart | Address: 198 N Ocean Ave, Cayucos, CA
Newly Renovated Rooms In Cayucos
Welcome to the charming family-owned Shoreline Inn, a newly renovated Cayucos beach hotel nestled directly on the water, and the only such stay between Monterey and Pismo Beach.
Shoreline Inn is located oceanside within the lovely beach community of Cayucos, California voted the Coolest Small Town in America by Budget Travel. Our recently renovated rooms are exquisitely appointed, exceptionally comfortable, decorated with modern nautical grace, and all just steps from the Pacific. Whats more, each overlooks breathtaking Cayucos Beach, so youll enjoy panoramic views of the sun, sand, and surf during your visit. The community were surrounded by is one of the friendliest on the West Coast, brimming with amazing attractions, activities, and dining destinations. Were also nestled in a region of extreme natural beauty, where unspoiled open spaces and an abundance of wildlife are our closest neighbors.
The entire team at our Cayucos, CA hotel looks forward to being your host as you explore our beautiful slice of seaside paradise!
Chillaxin On Cayucos City Beach & Pier
Pack a beach chair and an extra large chill pill because you are going to need both for the Cayucos beach. This little beach is less than a mile long, but its quite delightful for a slow stroll. Its one of a very few dog-friendly beaches in California and its also pretty kid friendly. You can surf the break at the pier or just hang out and watch the sunset.
The 982 foot Cayucos pier was originally built in 1872 and was reconstructed in 2015. It was originally an important part of Cayucos shipping port, but now its primarily used for fishing, strolling and watching the waves. The pier is particularly evocative at sunset with the quiet water tumbling under the pier supports.
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The Best Place To Stay In Cayucos
I thought I had posted a review before but I guess not. We too ‘found’ this place by accident and we LOVED it and have stayed there more than once and will again. The owners Rick and Rebecca are fantastic hosts and they know how to treat their customers and this is sadly missing in a lot of establishments but not the Seaside Motel. They do it ‘old school’ which means trust, respect, friendliness, cleanliness, manners and so much more!More
- Trip type: Travelled as a couple
- Value
Thank you for the lovely review Dana, we do love to give our guests “Old School” service!See you soon,
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- Trip type: Travelled as a couple
- Value
- Trip type: Travelled as a couple
- Value
- Trip type: Travelled as a couple
- Value
Contact Information All Travelers
All air passengers to the United States will also be required to provide contact information to airlines before boarding flights to the United States. This strengthens a travel process already in place to rapidly identify and contact people in the U.S. who may have been exposed to a communicable disease, such as COVID-19. Access to travelers contact information will allow U.S. federal, state, and local health departments, and agencies to share appropriate health and public health information necessary to help keep the public safe.
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Shop At Cayucos Pharmacy & Gifts
I went into this pharmacy to get some lip goop and was surprised to find a cute gift shop. They have a down to earth ethic at this compounding pharmacy, and their gifts reflect that. They carry adorbs kids clothes and toys, notebooks, healthy cookbooks and a lovely selection of greeting cards. They are a bit south of the main drag, but its definitely worth taking the time to walk down to the pharmacy and check out their wares.
Charming Things To Do In Cayucos California
By Lia Garcia | January 12, 2022
Please double check what’s open before your trip and follow all local vax & mask guidelines to keep yourself and others safe! Also, ads are how we pay our bills and keep our blog free for you to enjoy. We also use affiliate links if you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.
Cayucos, California is a tiny coastal town located in Californias Central Coast, right on the Pacific Coast Highway. Visiting it feels a bit like stepping back in time. Some beach towns feel sort of like youve stepped onto the set of a glamorous teen drama. Cayucos feels sort of like youve stepped into the Old West, except on the beach: its small-town Americana, often described as the last of the historic California beach towns. There are saloons and American flags and antique shops selling exquisite marine-themed crafts and the air is thick with salt, coastal fog, and the scent of the ocean.
Cayucos is the kind of place you go to escape the many, many stresses of the world. Life moves slowly here this is SLO-Cal, after all and you can feel your troubles drift away with the waves crashing on the beach. If Gilmore Girls had been filmed in California, it could have been filmed here. This homey, simple life beach vibe is why many families return to Cayucos year after year, visiting the same beloved places and reveling in the same beloved charm.
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Other Things To Do In Mendocino:
The next day when your liver needs a rest, make your way to the water. There are natural sea caves that dot the coastline and are perfect for exploring by kayak.
Or head to the Russian Gulch State Park for a day-long hike that takes you to a 36-foot-tall waterfall.
If youre a lighthouse lover, youll dig learning about the shipwrecks off the coast and local maritime history at the Point Arena Lighthouse museum, and you can see how lighthouse keepers and their families lived at the Point Cabrillo Light Station.
And of course, you cant forget all the stunning beaches just waiting to be explored!
There are some notable fine dining spots in the Mendocino area too.
The Little River Inn is known for its fresh seafood, and the Harbor House Inn features a Michelin one-starred restaurant, also seafood-focused .
Welcome To The Seaside Motel
Seaside Motel in Cayucos, CA, is a family-owned, family-friendly vacation retreat. One of the few magical places left where time moves slowly, and youre expected to also.A guaranteed easy remedy for the fast lane.
Tiny Cayucos is a haven for surfers, fishing and water sports enthusiasts. Yet, artists, beachcombers and city-dwellers escaping from busy urban areas have fled to the Seaside Motel, for years. Non-surfing visitors will find a host of antique shops, restaurants, and taverns along the old California main street. The long, uncluttered, white sandy beach is home to the Cayucos pierbuilt in 1875and beloved by sandcastle builders, sunbathers, and romantics.
Our remedy for what ails most people is simple: at the Seaside we recommend plenty of rest, strolls down long lovely beaches, sampling of great food and fabulous local wines, and reading a good book while the great Pacific Ocean is aflame with sunset colors especially during the fall and winter months. Explore wineries, art galleries, Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, and leisurely dine at local four-star restaurants or seaside cafés. Whatever you need during your stay, we are always nearby to help and to offer suggestions about wonderful, hidden-away places to explore. Rick and Rebecca Roquet
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Tour The Piedras Blancas Light Station
This excursion gets you out of town. Head up the coast 30 miles to visit the Piedras Blancas Light Station. This light station is a national monument and has been in continuous use since 1875. The site is named for the white rock which sits just offshore of the short peninsula. Its so named not for any particular geology, but for the birds who continuously crap on it. Although, some of those nesting birds are the threatened Peregrine Falcon, so thats cool.
The site has well-preserved grounds and lightkeeper housing. You cant simply drive up to the lighthouse and wander around. You must take a scheduled tour. Use our guide to get more info and tour booking details for Piedras Blancas Light Station.
After your tour , you should definitely stop off at the nearby Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery. Unlike migratory whales, the elephant seals can always be spotted at Piedras Blancas. The males, females and pups come and go throughout the year according to various lifecycles that include: mating, birthing, molting and resting. The pic above was taken in April and features a molting female.
There is a ~1 mile long pathway that runs north-south of the parking lot, with plenty of opportunities to observe the seals. If you want to get jazzed for your visit, you can watch the live elephant seal cam.
Cayucos Is A Great Get Away
Cayucos is a great get away. Easy to get to and this time of year it wasn’t overly crowded. The beach is really nice and they allow dogs on the beach, very walkable. There are a lot of little shops to buy trinkets and some good restaurants. We were close to the Sea Shanty and listened to “free” music from our hotel room. Walked over there for breakfast and it was very good and comfy sitting outside on the patio.There are a ton of wineries nearby off the 46 and you have to go to Ruddell’s Smokehouse for fish tacos. They are killer! Morro Bay is the next city south and there’s a lot of shops, restaurants, bars and the Big Rock to check out. Lots to do in this area!
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Take The Slow Road To Paso
Whether you are headed home via Highway 101, or just moving the party to Paso for some wine tasting, you should definitely take the slow road. Google will tell you to go north from Cayucos, over Highway 42 and into Paso. Which is fine. But taking the Old Creek Road is more fine.
This scenic winding road heads northeast through oak forest and pasturelands, skirting the Whale Rock Reservoir. It will only take you an extra 25 minutes to do this routing, and the views are worth it. The road is narrow and we dont recommend tackling it if you have an extra large RV or trailer, but everyone else should be fine.
Faqs About Hotels In Cayucos
We hope that the answers to these questions will help you plan your trip
What Cayucos hotels allow pets?
If you want to stay with pets, Booked.net offers 5 deals to choose from. Alternatively, check Beach Inn rated 8.6/10 with laundry and 24-hour front desk. It costs 163US$ per night. For more pet-friendly deals go here.
What are the top places in Cayucos city center?
Our Booked.net travel data based on 242 travelers’ reviews show the top places in Cayucos city center. We recommend Beach Inn as the best hotel with shopping service, a photocopier and ironing, set 0.4 miles from the city center. Sunset Inn with rating 8.4/10 and Dolphin Inn rated 6.6/10 are other favorite hotels in the area. To see more central hotels click here.
What are the best cheap hotels in Cayucos?
There are more than 5 top budget properties in Cayucos. Beach Inn rated 8.6/10 is great for your budget stay in Cayucos. This property has shopping service, a xerox and ironing. Another option is Beachwalker Inn rated 7.0/10 for 241US$ per night. Go here to see more cheap hotels.
What are the best boutique hotels in Cayucos?
Offering 24-hour security, housekeeping service and complimentary parking on site, Pier View Suites with rating 8.2/10 for 510US$ per night is the most recommended option by Booked.net travelers. To see more boutique hotels click here.
What are the best romantic hotels in Cayucos?
What are the top family-friendly hotels in Cayucos?
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Stroll Along The Pier
The pier was originally built in 1872 by Captain James Cass, the founder of Cayucos. It was instrumental in the growth of Cayucos, providing its early inhabitants with the ability to buy and sell goods. If youve ever played Civilization or Caesar III or any of my other favorite PC games from the early 2000s, you know how crucial that is for any fledgling town.
Anyway, the pier sat basking in its salty glory until 2013, when everyone was like, uhh so this pier is straight up antique. It was closed for safety and completely rebuilt. Today, the pier is brand spankin new.
Strolling along the pier is a quintessential thing to do in Cayucos! In addition to a casual stroll, here are my favorite things to do on the pier.
- Observe Surfers from a Safe Distance: If your more adventurous travel partners opted to go surfing, the pier is the best place to watch them from a safe distance. You can also watch people you dont know surf here, too. Dont worry, its not weird. Everyone does it.
- Fishing: The pier is an excellent place to sit and calmly reflect on life while remaining motionless for several hours, or whatever fisher-people do. Youll have plenty of company!
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery:
Theres more to do too on this Pacific Coast stop.
You also have elephant seals to giggle at in the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, about 7 miles north of San Simeon.
These super awkward blubber-lumps hang around at Point Piedras Blancas Beach, sunning themselves. Theyre called elephant seals because their noses look like a stubby elephants trunk.
Visit between January to March, and theyll have their baby blubber-lumps with them too.
The colony has grown to about 25,000 elephant seals along an 8-mile-long stretch of coastline.
And, heres a cool factoid: Its the only elephant seal rookery in the world thats free and easily accessible to the public.
Do note that these arent tame mammals. Adult males can grow as big as 16 feet and weigh a whopping 5,000 pounds not a creature you want to mess with.
Dont try to feed them or snap a selfie with one. Not only can you get in legal trouble, but they also have massive incisors that can crush bones in seconds.
Instead, stay on the boardwalk and snap your IG pics from a distance.
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Enjoy A Coastal Retreat At Our Hotel In Cayucos Ca
Just one block from one of Central Californias most uncrowded beaches on Estero Bay, Cayucos Beach Inn is a quiet respite halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Embrace the laid-back charm of this coastal haven as you unwind in spacious accommodations with home-like amenities like refrigerators and flat-screen TVs. Enjoy a family cookout in our outdoor barbecue and picnic area. Surrounded by scenic hills, pristine beaches and many popular attractions, like Hearst Castle and Morro Rock, our inviting hotel captures the warm spirit of Cayucos. Let the cool ocean breezes sweep you away to peaceful relaxation on the the California Central Coast.
Best Place To Stay In Cayucos
We really enjoyed our stay at the Shoreline Inn. It’s the only hotel that’s RIGHT on the beach, with a lovely picnic and BBQ area. Our room was very nice, very clean and comfortable, and we had an ocean front balcony with a gorgeous view. The hotel staff was very friendly and professional, good continental breakfast every AM and cookies and coffee every afternoon. It’s also pet friendly, with a lovely grassy area for dogs to play. We explored the tiny town of Cayucos thoroughly, and realized that we got very lucky in choosing the Shoreline inn, clearly the best place to stay in town, and a great bargain for the price. We will definitely stay there again. Only slight drawback was that there was a large wedding party booked in at the same time we were, and they basically took over the entire common area, BBQ and picnic tables for their use, partying below our balcony every day. The management shouldn’t allow almost total property takeovers out of consideration of the other guests who are not with the party, but I imagine that’s rare. Other wise a perfect stay.More
- Trip type: Travelled as a couple
- Sleep Quality
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