20220326_142102Pismo Beach boardwalk (March 2022)

There are countless stops along central California worth checking out, but some of the smaller ones include Pismo Beach and Morro Bay. Both home to under 10,000 inhabitants, these coastal spots are popular with tourists while still retaining the local flair that’s characteristic of this part of the state: rugged, chill, and semi-isolated from the major cities it’s between: Los Angeles and San Francisco. Even if it’s for just an afternoon, a visit to these sites are worth a stop to check out the beach and have a cup of coffee by the boardwalk.

Following Solvang, we drove the next hour over to Pismo Beach, nicknamed the “Clam Capital of the World” given it’s a hotspot for clam digging. No clams for us that day, but we arrived around 13h00, and by that time, the entire town was packed with tourists. We were very fortunate to get a parking spot just two blocks from the pier, and we headed over to check out the life-size “Pismo Beach” sign by the pier before getting rather mediocre coffee at a Kraken-themed cafĆ© with cute octopus decorations all over. Latte art was beautiful, but the drinks themselves weren’t anything to write home about…

20220326_141438“Pismo Beach” sign by the pier

20220326_142710Cute octopus plush at cafƩ

20220326_143644Cappuccino latte art

We continued onto Morro Bay, which was just past San Luis Obispo, one of the major cities of central California. Morro Bay is known for its eponymous rock, a massive volcanic structure that juts out in the middle of the ocean. It’s a very-distinctive rock that can be seen while driving the highway, and it’s even more-impressive close up. Unfortunately when we visited, there was a thick layer of fog covering half of the rock, so we couldn’t really see it! It wasn’t until at the end of our trip that we were driving home to Los Angeles that the weather cleared up and we could see the Morro Rock in all of its entirety.

20220328_090751Morro Bay in the distance

Overall, Pismo Beach and Morro Bay were brief stops along the central California coast, but lovely and worthwhile spots to check out while in the area. More to come on my adventures very soon! šŸ™‚

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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49 thoughts on “Destination: Pismo Beach & Morro Bay, California”

  1. These look like interesting spots Rebecca. I hadn’t heard of either, so thanks for adding two more places to my California notes. I would have to skip the clams sadly, and mediocre coffee doesn’t sound great. The shot of Morro Bay however and its impressive rock is wonderfully moody, I would love to go down there and get up close.

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    1. They are local beach spots, and they especially get crowded in the summer when the weather is better. I definitely don’t recommend that cafĆ©, but there should be better ones in town! Thanks for reading, Leighton. šŸ˜Š

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  5. From human size letters spelling out Pismo Beach to a beautiful promenade and plenty of surf, it looks like a great place to stop by, especially as there are plenty of boutique shops, cafes and incredible restaurants. I would love to go surfing and catch a few ways there – surfing Pismo Pier would be a pretty fantastic way to enjoy the essence of Pismo Beach. I very much love the imposing Morro Rock, it would be such a fantastic place to take photos. Thanks for sharing and have a good day šŸ™‚ Aiva xx

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    1. Exactly! Lots of activities to be done in Pismo Beach and Morro Bay: they aren’t as well-known as the bigger beaches in central California (e.g. Santa Barbara, Ventura), but they’re lovely local spots worth spending an afternoon in. Thanks for reading, Aiva!

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  8. I love how Morro Bay’s rock looks, half-shrouded in fog! It’s a shame when baristas spend more time on the latte art than on the quality of the coffee – I’d much rather have a plain-looking drink that tasted good šŸ™„

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    1. Central California tends to be foggy, and the fog doesn’t burn off until later in the day– nevertheless, it offers a moody beauty that makes it all the more enticing to go!

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  10. We stayed in Morro Bay last year at the start of our drive up the Big Sur coast to SF. Loved the clam chowder and other seafood, loved the sea otters, loved the settingā€¦.not so keen on the fog and the drizzle! It was really the start of the coastal part of our fabulous road trip.

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  13. I agree, Morro Rock is a must-see. On our way to LA once, we stopped by Pismo Beach, but it was early and the shops were still closed, so weā€™d like to go back. Loved that huge Pismo Beach sign!

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  22. I was looking for a photo of a meal when you mentioned “Clam capital”! LInguine alla vongole is one of my very favorites. I bet they do a good one there! The last photo of the bay is so beautiful.

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