Visiting destinations off-season can be a budget-friendly traveler’s dream. Not only are prices better than during peak season but crowds are lower and you have more opportunity to interact with the locals. Carole Jacobs, Real Food Traveler’s Fitness, Health and Spa Editor, offers up seven days of exploring and discovering SLOCAL, San Luis Obispo County’s Coast, off-season. 

Save this itinerary for San Luis Obispo County things to do to Pinterest to help you plan your time there. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Things to Do in San Luis Obispo County: Off-Season Itinerary

Dreaming of a winter wonderland with endless sand instead of snow?

With more than 50 miles of sugary strands stretching from Pismo Beach to San Simeon and encompassing San Luis Obispo County’s South and North Coasts, California’s SLO coast (short for San Luis Obispo) has you covered.

Here, the beach is center stage — from surfers riding the waves at first light, to sunset strollers out to watch an ocean of fire fade to a fantasia of stars or glimpse an historic lighthouse blinking out to sea from a distant promontory.

Heading to the beach at sunset is one of the many San Luis Obispo things to do. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

The beach is also a front door welcome mat to an area that encompasses wild, kaleidoscopic beauty — scenery that’s not just a pretty face, but the region’s economic engine, too:

Towering cliffs and grass-tufted bluffs plunge to miles of thundering surf that yields a bounty of fresh seafood, clams, and oysters for the region’s innumerable seafood markets and restaurants.

Miles of fog-enshrouded vineyards tumble to the sea and upholster Wizard of Oz hills and dales, supplying grapes for the region’s three unique wine regions, each with scores of wineries and tasting rooms.

SLO Coast vineyards. Photo courtesy of Visit SLO CAL.

A patchwork quilt of organic farms, ranches, dairies, and orchards crank out a cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, eggs, meat, poultry, honey, herbs to furnish the region’s many farm-to-table restaurants.

Tucked amid the 4-star scenery are 10  utterly Instagrammable beach towns — from surfer dude to Vermont quaint, and teeming with boutique hotels to yoga studios; surf, cycle, skate, and kite shops; weed, bead, tattoo and tarot card studios, sidewalk cafes; gem-like Indy theaters; craft beer, wine and cider tasting bars; lawns balls that sparkle in the sun and wind chimes that tinkle in the sea breeze, plus restaurants of every stripe — from swank oyster bars to rustic seafood shacks where the fresh catch is served with views of migrating whales.

With unlimited outdoor activities, your biggest decision about the SLO coast (which is anything but) will be where to begin. The following 7-day itinerary highlights the best of the SLO Coast, from where to stay, eat, and drink to where to tour, play, and unwind. For a description of special holiday festivities, see my upcoming article about holiday fun on the SLO Coast.

Getting there: It’s about 3 hours from Los Angeles to Pismo Beach, the southernmost city on the SLO Coast, and about 4 hours from San Francisco.

Hungry for more? Read Carole’s article about an Oregon Coast roadtrip.

Off Season Itinerary of Things to Do in San Luis Obispo County

MONDAY:

Arrive in Pismo Beach

Picture postcard: Surf’s up in this quintessential California beach town, with miles of sand and soaring dunes, a quaint wooden municipal pier and boardwalk, dramatic oceanfront cliffs topped with posh hotels, and one of the largest overwintering congregations of Monarch butterflies.

See the monarchs gather in San Luis Obispo. Photo courtesy of TJA Advertising.

3pm: Settle into Vespera Resort:  Located on the town’s famed boardwalk overlooking the ocean and steps from the beach and Pismo Pier, the resort has a luxury beach house vibe, a pool, hot tub, outdoor bar, and a lawn with firepits. Rooms have spa-like bathrooms and balconies where you can spy on whales.

4-5:30pm: Stroll Pismo’s retro downtown.

• Vaporize jet lag or road fatigue at Scorpion Bay Coffee, owned by a local surfer dude who drinks his organic fair trade to buzz his surfer sesh. Try the killer scorpion latte spiked with honey, cayenne pepper and cinnamon.
• Get a sugar high: Pismo’s hooked on the homemade cinnamon buns at Old West Cinnamon Rolls, made from granny’s 40-year-old recipe.
• Cast your vote. Surfers rule in PB, and every Christmas, local businesses decorate surfboards for a local competition.
• Admire the sunset and Christmas tree: Follow the 7-foot-high illuminated letters reading “Pismo Beach” to ¼-mile-long pier Pismo Pier. Walk to the end to see the setting sun and the community’s towering Christmas tree twinkling against the night sky. It’s so big and bright you can see it from the air!

7-9pm: Enjoy a fresh seafood dinner at Splash Café. Pismo Beach styles itself as the “clam capital of the world,” and short of digging your own Pismo or razor claims, the freshest are found at Splash, where the owners blend them into their wildly popular clam chowder (more than 15,000 gallons a year) that’s served in a freshly baked sourdough bread bowl. Splash routinely wins first place at the local clam fest and was even featured in Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines.

Splash Café is a must-stop any time of year when visiting the SLO Coast. Photo courtesy of TJA Advertising.

TUESDAY:

8-9am: Rise and shine at Honeymoon Café, a local hang serving a killer quiche, avocado toast, and yogurt and granola bowl.

9:30-10am: See the butterflies: Between late October and February, thousands of orange and black Monarch Butterflies flock to the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, seeking shelter from the wind and cold in the grove’s towering eucalyptus and Monterey cypress trees.  See them on the 1.5-mile-long trail. There were 4.5 million in 1980 – so many that the collective beating of their wings sounded like summer rain. Unfortunately, since then climate change and loss of habitat have decreased their numbers by 90 percent. It’s up to us to bring them back.

10:30-12:30pm: Get panoramic views at nearby Pismo Preserve. The 5.4-mile roundtrip Discovery Trail loop climbs from serene oak woodlands to coastal ridge lines, offering panoramas of the Pacific Ocean and the shimmering green mounds of Irish Hills.

Lunch: 1-1:45pm: Pig out at Cracked Crab. You can leave your table manners at the door at this tiny no-frills New England–style crab shack where the owners “dump a bucket of various shellfish on your table with a mallet, crab crackers, and other tools to get the job done” and let the diners dive in.

2-5pm: Roam the historic Arroyo Grande Valley wine country where a country road winds into the 16-mile-long valley past farms, ranches, orchards, vineyards and wineries that have been Chardonnay and Pinot Noir since the 1880s.

OR

2-5pm:  Go sandboarding at Oceano Dunes. Rent an ATV dune at Sun Buggie and fly like the wind over 18 miles of dunes peaking at 600 feet and formed by the combined action of wind and waves. It’s like being on a rollercoaster without the rails.

 7-9pm:  Have dinner and craft cocktails at the Oyster Loft. Savor twelve types of oysters farmed in nearby Morro Bayon the pretty patio overlooking the sand and star-filled sky.

 WEDNESDAY:

Check out and drive 15 minutes north to Avila Beach.

Picture postcard of Avila Beach: Tucked in a craggy cove with a palm-tree-lined beachfront, half-mile white sand beach and long pier jutting into the sea, this designer beach town almost looks like a movie set. It also has the warmest, sunniest weather in SLO thanks to its protected location on the north side of San Luis Obispo Bay.

7-8:15am:  Wake up at Fat Cats Cafe on the Avila Pier, named after a cat that hung around during construction. Order the crab and lobster Benedict or banana coconut and granola pancakes and nab a table on the heated patio to whale-watch.

8:30-1pm:  Hike to the historic Point San Luis Lighthouse: This stunning, docent-led hike follows the Point’s rugged cliffs and coastal terraces up onto grassy bluffs overlooking San Luis Bay for jaw-dropping views, ending in 3.75 miles at the 1890 Victorian lighthouse, built after a ship sunk in the nearby harbor. Tour the lighthouse ($10), then grab a snack from the gift shop and relax in the tree swing facing the sea. Reservations required two weeks in advance.

Point San Luis Lighthouse. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

OR

Not up for the hike but want to see the lighthouse? Reserve a spot on the noon trolly and spend the morning shopping and beachcombing on secluded Fisherman’s Beach. Or rent a bike from Avila Beach Bike Rentals on the Bob Jones Trail and cycle about 3 flat miles along Ontario Road and Avila Beach Drive to Avila Valley Barn. The old-fashioned country store is jam-packed with baked goodies, organic fruits and vegetables grown in the farm’s own back fields and orchards, where in winter you can pick several types of apples.

1:15-2:15pm: Reward yourself with a gourmet feast at Gardens at Avila, set under a leafy canopy at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa.  Chef Joshua Jones gets his ingredients locally or grows them himself in the 2-acre garden. Try the Angus burger, smoked salmon bowl, or pear and goat cheese salad and splurge on maple cream brulee.

2:30-3:30pm: Soak in the hot springs: The resort pipes natural hot springs into 20 private hillside hot tubs nestled under trees and into a waterfall-fed lagoon. Reservations are required.

From Avila Beach, drive 14 minutes north to San Luis Obispo.

4pm: Picture postcard of San Luis Obispo: Called the happiest town in America by Oprah, the city of SLO, as locals call it, nestles in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains and is bordered by the Edna Valley and Paso Robles wine regions. The state’s oldest town (1770), SLO has an historic mission, and a pedestrian downtown renowned for its many hotels, restaurants, museums, art galleries, antique shops, historic theaters, its lively café and bar culture, and a year-round Thursday night farmers market. Located a few miles inland, the only thing SLO doesn’t have is a beach, although there’s plenty of them nearby.

4:15pm: Check into Granada Hotel & Bistro: This downtown luxury vintage-style retreat (1922) has cushy rooms with hardwood floors and exposed red brick walls, free Linus loaner bikes; Bistro, a fine dining restaurant and Nightcap, a speakeasy. Stay on Christmas or New Year’s Eve and get a $150 credit at Bistro.

4:30-6:30pm: From the hotel, take a self-led audio walking tour of SLO. Tucked amid its many iconic landmarks is Bubblegum Alley, a 70-foot-long alley covered head-to-toe in discarded bubblegum. Over the years, guests have used their wads to create art, draw pictures, leave bubbles, and spell out their world views, like “Go Vegan.” Forgot your gum? Grab a gumball at local SLO Sweets or Rocket Fizz and leave your mark on Bubblegum Alley.

7-9pm: Dine on Bistro’s outdoor patio, serving locally sourced farm-to-table cuisine with Mediterranean accents, and local, French and Spanish wines. Locals rave about the pan-roasted scallops and swordfish, the roasted mighty cap mushrooms, and the roasted eggplant pappardelle.

9pm-midnight: Go bar-shopping in SLO, where the lively night scene includes beer, wine and cider bars, and nightclubs. In a league of its own is Kreuzberg Café, modeled after a Berlin watering hole. Guests have been known to come in for morning cappuccino and stay through cocktails. On Wednesday nights, the café/bar hosts an open mike where regulars like Superman perform original songs wearing a Superman cape and flip-flops.

THURSDAY:

8-9 am: Rise and shine at Sally Loo’s Wholesome Café: Local farmers show up at the back door throughout the week to share their organic goods.  Don’t miss the pumpkin waffles.

9:30am-noon: Work them off on the 4-mile round-trip hike at Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve, which zigzags up through luminescent hillsides to stunning views of the city and mountains.

Lunch: Noon-1pm: Tri-tip is religion in SLO (there’s plenty of local cows), so head to the Firestone Grill, which makes its tri-tip “Santa Maria style” using prime cuts.

1:30-4pm: Take a scenic spin through the Edna Valley wine region, where you can sample Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at 27-plus tasting rooms overlooking sweeping views of vineyards and mountains. At Biddle Ranch Vineyard, glass walls and doors flood a converted dairy barn with sunlight and dramatic views of the 17-acre vineyard.

OR

For an experience you probably can’t duplicate at home without getting arrested, head to Pirate’s Cove Beach, a dramatic cliff-backed beach with rock caves and shimmering tide pools that’s clothing optional.

4:30-5:30pm: Get a buzz at SLO’s many third-wave coffee shops. Scout Coffee laces coffee drinks with house-made syrups and serves made-from-scratch pastries like pumpkin streusel muffins and honey cinnamon scones, and Libertine Coffee Bar serves bulletproof coffee with grass-fed butter and MCT oil.

6-8:30pm: Head to the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market: On Thursday nights, SLO’s Higuera Street turns into a 5-block movable feast/festival where 100-plus vendors hawk all-things edible, including just-harvested fruits and veggies (in winter, apples and cruciferous), and street performers roam the crowds singing, dancing and doing acrobatics. It’s a real trip.

Eat local at the SLO Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of Visit SLO CAL.

7:30-10pm: Take in a double feature at the Sunset Drive-In: One of the last remaining drive-in theaters in California offers double features, big tubs of popcorn, and a trip down Memory Lane.

Hungry for more? 4 Perfect Days in Sonoma County.

FRIDAY:

Grab coffee at the hotel for the stunning 18-minute drive to Los Osos.

Picture postcard of Los Osos: Blink and you’ll miss this artsy, pine-covered hilltop enclave scented by eucalyptus groves.  Home to a scattering of small boutiques, antique shops, working art studios, and eclectic cafes, it also offers sweeping vistas north along the coast to Morro Bay and Cayucos, two beach towns you’ll visit tomorrow.

9-10am: Have breakfast at Celia’s Garden Café, located in an old house with an outdoor patio. Everything’s homemade, from the jams and muffins to the hand-squeezed mimosas.

10:15-4pm: Visit Montana de Oro, one of the state’s most gorgeous state parks. A scenic cliff-hanger plunges through a tunnel of eucalyptus before depositing you at drop-dead-gorgeous Spooner’s Cove, with a pebbly beach, tide pools, dramatic caves and unique rock formations, and green hillsides swooping up to distant peaks. The 4-mile Bluff Trail wanders past crashing waves, dramatic cliffs, secret coves, and entrancing tide pools (look for orange and purple sea stars), while the 4.5-mile Valencia Peak Trail coils up through fields of golden grasses to a peak high above the sea.

The hiking trail at Montana de Oro. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.

4:30-6pm: Back in Los Osos, head to Nautical Bean, a pocket café overlooking the bay. Try the Carmel Sutra caramel latte, then drop by Central Coast Glass Blowing and Fusing and Back Bay Pottery for handmade crafts.

7-10pm: Return to SLO for dinner at Novo Restaurant & Lounge. This iconic creek-side eatery has won best restaurant across years and contests. Try the globally inspired Thai curry or pumpkin risotto.

SATURDAY:

8-9am: Check out for a scenic 36-mile drive along the coast to Cambria, with stops in Morro Bay (14 miles) for breakfast, and Cayucos (another 8 miles) for lunch.

Picture postcard of Morro Bay: The small town’s quaint waterfront Embarcadero faces a turbulent sea and sandy dunes while its namesake Morro Rock, the peak of a long-extinct volcano, juts 576 feet from the sea just off-shore and shelters peregrine falcons.

9-10am: Have breakfast in Morro Bay: Frankie and Lola’s Front Street Café, a quirky Mom-and-Pop with a front-row seat to the “Gibraltar of the Pacific,” is famous for their fried green tomato Benedicts.

10-noon: Explore downtown Morro Bay. Spot barking otters at North T Pier; bone up on local history at the Morro Bay Maritime Museum (located by the giant submarine) and buy homemade saltwater taffy at Crills Saltwater Taffy.

Drive six miles north to Cayucos

Picture postcard of Cayucos: Nestled on Estero Bay, Cayucas has a picturesque pier, an award-winning chowder house, and a world-famous cookie company—not bad for a sleepy one-street town!

12:30-1:30pm: Head to Duckie’s Chowder House for New England and Manhattan chowder, deep-fried oysters, and awesome onion rings.

1:30-2pm: The Brown Butter Cookie Company’s buttery-rich sea salt confections are so scrumptious they were featured in the New York Times and on the Today show.

2:30-3pm: Continue another 14 miles along the coast to Cambria.

Picture postcard of Cambria: Set on piney hills above the sea and facing dramatic windswept beaches, Cambria could have dropped in from New England, with two quaint downtown villages packed with art galleries, yarn, craft and antique shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels and B&Bs, and a world-famous Christmas Market.

Downtown Cambria. Photo courtesy of Visit SLO CAL.

3pm: Stay at Olallieberry Inn, a national historic monument and the second oldest home in Cambria (1875) that nestles amid English gardens on the Santa Rosa Creek.  Stay any two nights between Sunday and Thursday when the Cambria Christmas Market is in swing, and the inn will cover the tickets.

3:30-4:30pm Stroll around Olallieberry’s beautiful grounds and enjoy their complimentary wine hour with homemade appetizers.

6-9pm: Spend the evening at the Cambria Christmas Market. Have dinner and beer at the Biergarten, shop artisan vendors, wander dazzling light displays and enjoy live entertainment. For more info, including holiday lodging specials, see our upcoming article on Holiday Fun on the SLO Coast.

Hungry for more? Here’s the recipe for Olallieberry Bars from Cambria.  

SUNDAY:

9-10am: Savor Olallieberry’s complimentary hot 3-course breakfast. The inn’s home-baked Olallieberry bars are made with Cambria’s much beloved olallieberry, which are grown right here and along the Pacific coast.

10:30-12:30pm: Walk to Moonstone Beach and explore the tide pools, hunt for sea glass, or stroll the 2.8-mile roundtrip Moonstone Beach Boardwalk, which hugs the beach past whitecapped surf.

Stroll the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk in Cambria. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

1-2pm: Stroll to Cambria’s East Village and have lunch at Linn’s Easy as Pie Café, featuring homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, pot pies, and homemade olallieberry pie.

2-5pm:

• Enjoy shopping in Cambria’s East and West Village’s many quaint shops and wine-tasting rooms.
• Hike the 2-mile roundtrip Bluff Trail at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, which overlooks dramatic cliffs tumbling to the Pacific. Relax on handcrafted benches en route.
• Visit Harmony, a tiny artist enclave (population 18) tucked in Wizard of Oz hills. Visit Harmony Glassworks and Harmony Pottery Works, then drop by Harmony Cellars for wine-tasting.
• View nearby Hearst Castle estate as Mr. Hearst’s guests enjoyed it during the 1920s and 1930s during the Christmas season. For more info, see our upcoming Holiday Fun on the SLO Coast.

7-9pm: Cap your visit to the SLO coast with a candlelight dinner at Madeline’s in Cambria’s West Village. The French fusion cuisine ranges from spicy Louisiana Seafood Gumbo to Lime and Raspberry Pie.

For more information about the SLO Coast, visit their website, SloCal.com.

-Story by Carole Jacobs, Real Food Traveler’s Fitness, Health and Spa Editor