By Jennifer Best

Photo by Jennifer Best
	The view from Cayucos Beach towards Morro Rock

The coastal town of Cayucos is less than 2 miles long and a half-mile wide, but it's easy to get lost here: lost in the sounds of ocean waves rolling onto the sandy shore; lost in thought on the gently swaying municipal pier; lost in conversation with visitors and locals at beachfront bars and restaurants.

There are neither big chain hotels nor fast-food restaurants. No traffic, no parking fees, no graffiti, no gangs.

"It's how towns used to be when we were all growing up," said Rebecca Roquet, president of Cayucos Chamber of Commerce. "It's a small beach community that hasn't changed in forever."

The long stretch of sand that begins in Morro Bay north of Morro Rock ends about 10 miles north in Cayucos, a quiet community off Highway 1. At low tide, beachcombers commonly walk, run or ride horses from the Rock to Cayucos Pier. A hundred yards further tide pools take hold, then bluffs that continue north toward San Simeon.

"I like the weather, the ambience," said Abby Ramos of Fresno during a recent visit to Cayucos with her family. "It's just a fun place."

Though just a few miles from Morro Bay, the weather in Cayucos can often be quite different. The town sits where inland canyons meet the south-facing beach, and the fog often burns or blows off more quickly than points north or south.

"Morro Bay can be socked in fog and it'll be 80 degrees here," Roquet said. "Most people don't know that, so they just turn around at Morro Bay when they should keep going."

The charm of Cayucos is that "it hasn't changed in forever," as Roquet put it. The population remains 3,000. The town's old homes and Victorians just keep getting better. Old shops continue to provide good food and entertainment. And the beach retains its beauty.

"If I could only do one thing here it would be to sit on the beach and watch the hills of Cambria, Morro Rock, the pier, the people, the sunsets," Roquet said. "It's breathtaking."

The 125-year-old Cayucos Pier is a popular spot for pedestrians and fishermen alike. Benches along both sides of the gently swaying pier offer visitors picturesque views of sand, surf and seagulls. Below, body boarders wait for the next big wave.

On shore, driftwood serves as the medium for artists and architects. At the hand of visitors, it becomes shade structures for parents, teepees for children or stickmen who man sandcastles.

What? You've forgotten your beach chair? Don't own a body board? Need an umbrella? No worries. The Tidepools shop half a block east of the pier rents all sorts of beach equipment during summer days. They also rent fishing poles, buckets, crab pots, wetsuits and strollers.

The beach in Cayucos is also home to a good collection of playground equipment. There are full-size slides, swings and jungle gyms and a smaller toddler set.

One of the joys of a day on the beach in Cayucos is there's no need to hop back into the car in search of refreshments. Everything in Cayucos is within walking distance, and most of the best eateries are downtown near the pier.

Try Taco Temple (101 D St.) for fantastic fish tacos served with a mango salsa that's to-die-for, then head to Cayucos Candy Counter (80 N. Ocean Ave.) for chocolates, postcards and heavenly locally made SLO Maid ice cream.

If the smell of the sea has you hankering for fish and chips, try The Sea Shanty (296 S. Ocean Ave.) and Pier Café (55 Cayucos Drive). Want a view, a beer and some chips? Try the oceanfront deck at Schooner's Wharf (171 N. Ocean Ave.).

Getting there is easy: Cayucos is on Highway 1, about a half hour drive north of San Luis Obispo. If you're staying in Hearst Castle Country (San Simeon or Cambria) Cayucos is about a 15 to 20 minute drive south on Highway 1. It's worth the drive.

"So many people come upon Cayucos by mistake," Roquet said. "But once they find it, they never go anywhere else."

Writer Jennifer Best is a journalist and Central Coast native who likes to hang out on the beach with her husband and new baby.

Back to the Top