BEST OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

CALIFORNIA

With San Francisco beckoning you north and Los Angeles tempting you south, there might not seem a need to linger in San Luis Obispo County — but that’s exactly what visitors passing through this delightfully low-key part of California’s Central Coast should do. Here are five must-not-miss things to experience while stretching out your stay.

1 HIGHWAY 1

Set your rental (best make it a convertible, by the way) to cruise control and meander the 163-kilometre California Highway 1 Discovery Route, which mostly hugs the coastline and passes 10 key destinations in San Luis Obispo County, from the southernmost cliffs of Big Sur at Ragged Point ( LEFT) and the grandiose Hearst Castle at San Simeon in the north to the wineries of the Arroyo Grande Valley in the south. highway1discoveryroute.com

2 WINNING WINES Paso Robles

Bypass Sonoma and Napa — where vineyards and visitors can seem clustered as tightly as grapes on a vine — because there’s more room to breathe in Paso, as the locals call this small city and the 248,000 hectares of wine country that surround it. With 200-plus wineries and more than 40 varietals (the region is renowned for its Zinfandel and Cab Sauv), Paso should be on every oenophile’s list. pasowine.com

3 COASTAL COOL Morro Bay

The vibe on the Central Coast doesn’t get much more chilled out than it is here, whether you’re kayaking past the ancient volcanic plug that is Morro Rock or wandering among the shops, bars and restaurants lining the waterfront. Don’t miss the excellent wine selection and charcuterie at Stax Wine Bar & Bistro, and the standout seafood (try the seared ahi tuna) at The Galley. morrobay.org

4 DUNE DESTINATION Oceano

Good luck finding a more mesmerizing expanse of sand in California than the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, the largest dune complex in the state. It’s famous for being the only California state park where vehicles can be driven on the beach, but the real adventure — hiking, horseback riding, dune buggying and camping — is found amid the vertiginous wind-sculpted dunes. slocal.com/explore/oceano

5 LA DOLCE VITA Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Paso Robles

The last place you’d expect to find an idyllic Italianate retreat is in a residential neighbourhood a stone’s throw from a major highway, a college and a strip mall, but the Allegretto insulates you from its pedestrian surroundings with stylish aplomb. The vineyard, tasting room and 1,100-square-metre piazza help, as do the art-filled corridors, olive orchard and the northern Italian-inspired cuisine at Cello. allegrettovineyardresort.com