The valley is the perfect climate for long bike rides and wine tasting among rolling hills. Just a short distance away is the village of Arroyo Grande full of shopping, great places to eat, and CA’s only swinging bridge. The Lopez Lake Recreation Area offers a water playground with 22 miles of shoreline ideal for boating, fishing, sailing, hiking and mountain biking. Families can enjoy the Mustang Waterpark and Vista Lago Zipline Adventure Park.
What’s your idea of paradise? Is it a spa retreat that combines natural, mineral hot springs? Are you searching for a beach getaway in a warm, sunny place? Perhaps you yearn to explore the Central Coast’s finest vintners on a wine tasting adventure? Or is it discovering the source of farm-to-table in an amazing agritourism experience? There is also biking, hiking, kayaking and oceanfront golf. Whatever paradise means to you, it’s easy to take your pick in Avila Beach.
Explore this iconic seaside town where the old west meets the Pacific Ocean. Head to the shore to watch surfers, kayak, explore tide pools, fish off the 950-foot historic pier, or view sea life. Stretch your legs promenading the small town streets discovering historic buildings with local antique stores, seaside restaurants and mom and pop shops that have been around for decades.
Cool ocean breezes and rich soil create ideal conditions for growing world-class grapes. Edna Valley — an American Viticultural Area (AVA) — covers a dozen miles from Arroyo Grande Valley to San Luis Obispo through Tuscan-style countryside. Sample award-winning wines in more than 27 tasting rooms or attend wine tasting events such as Chardonnay Symposium and Harvest on the Coast. Enjoy a visit to the historic Old Edna Townsite. Founded in the 1840s, Old Edna was once a bustling center for farming and ranching families and today is host to a wine tasting room and gourmet deli nestled within the historic buildings.
Nestled around the south shore of Morro Bay, nature lovers are drawn to Los Osos and Baywood Park. These little-known gems are surrounded by gorgeous parks, bay and estuary. Morro Bay National Estuary, near the Morro Dunes Natural Preserve, is one of the best-preserved estuaries in central and southern CA, and home to more than 250 species of birds and an historic oyster farm. Montaña de Oro State Park offers more than 50 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails with spectacular ocean, mountain and valley vistas.
Nipomo is home to three world-class golf courses, and the historic Dana Adobe home and gardens. Nipomo’s flower-filled greenhouses, orchards laden with citrus and avocados, and fields of strawberries reflect the community’s agricultural roots.
Oceano is an authentic California beach town at the edge of the largest dunes complex in the state. The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is the only place in California where visitors may drive on the beach and enjoy the area’s diverse recreation opportunities, from ATV cruising to horseback riding to surf fishing. The historic Oceano Train Depot served as a classic Type 22 train depot until 1973, and is now a museum filled with railroad artifacts.
Ragged Point, with its ‘Million Dollar View’ is a landmark stop for travelers heading north to Big Sur or south to Hearst Castle along California’s iconic Highway 1 Discovery Route. Towering 400 feet above the Pacific Ocean, the view from the point reveals miles of deep blue ocean, waves crashing on remote beaches, and seasonal whale watching.
Your experience begins at the edge of NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and is sandwiched between Highway 1, a National Scenic Byway, and the Pacific Whale Trail, the grey whale migration route from the feeding grounds of Alaska to the breeding grounds of Baja. World Famous Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument sits atop “The Enchanted Hill” with a magnificent 115–room main house, guesthouses, pools, 8 acres of cultivated gardens, with a world class art museum.
