Find a slice of serenity in Cayucos
By Christopher Reynolds
Los Angeles Times
WHERE: Cayucos, central California coast
WHY GO THERE: People ignore it, yet it's a little slice of heaven away from the throngs. Even though it's right on the coast, 21 miles north of San Luis Obispo and 13 miles south of Cambria, you hardly notice it from Highway 1. Also, it's little (population about 3,000), and it doesn't have a university or art galleries or a hotel showcase street like Cambria's Moonstone Beach Drive.
KID APPEAL: Cayucos still feels like an old-fashioned, kid-friendly beach town, a place where you'd rent bikes, or go all day without shoes. It has a pier and a broad sandy beach, and about 15 hotels, motels and B&Bs. It also has a bunch of rental houses because for decades, people from the San Joaquin Valley have come here in summer to escape the three-digit heat.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE: Cayucos is within easy range of Paso Robles wine tasting, Morro Bay kayaking or Hearst Castle wealth coveting, or maybe the Thursday night farmers market in San Luis Obispo. But you might just want to flop. Maybe have a casual lunch at Duckie's Chowder House, 55 Cayucos Drive, by the pier, or a fancy dinner at Hoppe's Garden Bistro and Wine Shop, 78 Ocean Ave.
