H1RT - Mini Beach Story

Scroll to READ

Where there’s a beach, there’s often a beach town, home to funky boutiques, independent eateries, and the coolest of vibes. The Highway 1 Road Trip features a bouquet of these oceanfront villages, places like Cambria with its eclectic shops, Cayucos and its famous brown butter cookies, and Los Osos with its access to Morro Rock vistas and Montaña de Oro State Park. The travel savvy adore Highway 1 beach towns, from USA Today to @Irocio5150, who posted, “In love with HWY1 Will do it over and over and over again.” You can make your own post-worthy discoveries, too, using the free Highway 1 Road Trip Beaches Map.

Avila Beach @socialkid54 posted, “A real hidden gem (Avila),” and Fodor’s Travel agrees. Writer Jennie Nunn was impressed with Sinor La Vallee Tasting Room, one of six wineries located within minutes of the beach. She also recommends a three-mile Bob Jones Trail ride that starts or ends at the Avila Pier. Cambria Nunn also includes Cambria in her “Cruising the Coast: What to See on America's Best Road Trip” for Fodor’s Travel. And @shittaysmasays posts, “It's awesome there!! My happy place.” Cambria is famous as a movie set (“Arachnophobia” and “UnReal,” among many others), as well as for the hard-to-pronounce, easy-to-eat olallieberry pie at Linn’s Restaurant. You can also ride Clydesdales, hike the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, and stroll the Moonstone Beach boardwalk within minutes of town.

San Simeon Speaking of movie sets, Hearst Castle sits above San Simeon, ranked by Outside (alongside Cambria) at #2 among the “The 10 Best Beach Towns in the US, Ranked.” @anca_presents posted this about Hearst Castle, “What a spectacular place. MUST SEE!” And don’t miss the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery, a “wildlife wonder in Central California,” according to Fodor’s Travel writer Crai Bower in “Where to Spot All of North America’s Most Adorable (and Sometimes Dangerous!) Wildlife.” Cayucos “Definitely one of the most beautiful places I've been to in Cali…can’t wait to go back,” posted @reeree007 about Cayucos. Fodor’s Travel’s Jennie Nunn tried seaweed foraging with a local guide and made time for treats at the Brown Butter Cookie Company. Wildflower hunting and tidepool exploring are found a few minutes away at Estero Bluffs State Park. Los Osos @mrm3066 summed it up: “Love Los Osos.” The USA Today 10Best editorial team selected Los Osos because it “seems to have it all,” according to 10Best Local Expert Sherel Purcell. She also praised the “small, sophisticated restaurants,” adding “a hillside golf course overlooks… the beautiful Montaña de Oro State Park.” @Nancybatesdesigns concurs, “I LOVE Montana de Oro! Such a beautiful place.”

Bob Jone's Trail in Avila Beach

Downtown Cambria

Hearst Castle in San Simeon

Los Osos

By StoryStudio on April 1, 2023 3:00 PM

Start planning your trip today.

DOWNLOAD OUR MAP!

Avila Beach

Cayucos State Beach

Ragged Point

Montaña De Oro

free map

Highway 1 Road Trip Beach Towns Shine on “Top Ten” Lists

check out more content from highway 1 road trip

FIND YOUR PERFECT BEACH WITH H1RT MAP

However you like to beach, you can download the free downloadable Beaches Map to discover your perfect stretch of sand along a Highway 1 Road Trip.

SPRING WILL BLOOM BIG ON H1RT

Given the rains that have hovered over the Central California Coast this winter, spring promises to unfurl blankets of poppies, bluebells and many others.

The Highway 1 Road Trip Beaches Map lists 20 beaches, including eight hidden gems, from Oceano to Ragged Point. Like San Simeon Beach State Park and Cayucos State Beach, most of these sandy expanses reside within a few steps of wine-tasting rooms, unique shops, and excellent restaurants, many with oceanfront terraces. Accommodations along the Highway 1 Road Trip are equally diverse. Join @cindi_rob, who said, “Highway 1 was one of, if not THE best, vacay we ever embarked upon,” and visit the Highway 1 Road Trip website to start planning—and posting about—your beach town getaway.