Pismo Beach
Central California’s classic beach town
MIDWAY BETWEEN San Francisco and Los Angeles on California’s Central Coast, Pismo Beach is so beloved that residents of both Northern and Southern California claim it. Does your ideal California beach town come complete with a sandy strand and wooden pier? That’s just what you get with Pismo Beach.
Link to the Coast
The optimal beginning to a visit to this California beach town is to stroll on the Pismo Beach Pier, allowing a peek at the ocean and the beach below. When the current pier was built in 1924, it looked a little different than today, having adopted its four-diamond layout after storm damage in 1983. At 1,200 feet long, it’s the 18th longest pier in California. It had been closed since early 2017 for an $8.7-million renovation project, but recently reopened with new sections, yet the same old beauty and romance of the California coastline. You can spend nearly every moment of the day here and be happy, but be sure to come around for sunset.
New Places to Stay and Eat
One of the benefits of its Central California location are Pismo Beach’s hotels and restaurants that can take advantage of the beauty and bounty of land and sea. Old favorites always win, but special new spots give visitors a wealth of choices. Craftsman-style Inn at the Pier is a new 104-room oceanfront hotel, just steps from the pier and boardwalk, where you can study the moods of the ocean and play on the beach. Willow Kitchen & Cocktails serves American classics like burgers and fresh fish tacos, but the local wines and craft beers add great tastes to the menu. Start the day with a jolt from Scorpion Bay Coffee Co., where the coffee and pastries wake you up and keep you going for hours.
Pismo’s Great Outdoors
Beaches serve as Pismo Beach’s front yard. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an intrepid adventurer or a lover of leisure—the sandy shores along the Pacific Coast are available for nearly any level of adrenaline or relaxation. The annual Pismo Beach Open is on the Men’s and Women’s World Surf League schedule in the fall, when you can watch great surfers while kicking back in the sand. With breathtaking views of the Pacific, the beautiful Chapman Estate is now open to the public, and it’s also available for private events and weddings so all can enjoy its serene spaces.