Cayucos Travel Information


Cayucos is a charming seaside city with a small population, but friendly atmosphere. Located close to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Cayucos overlooks Morro Rock to the south. As you stand on the beaches in town, the view of the big rock that looks like it floats in the sea is undeniable. Cayucos, itself, was on a fast path to growth some years ago, but the water supply there was an issue that kept the city small, even today. With predictions of water shortages in future years, growth is not guaranteed, and the locals (most of them) really like it that way. Literally millions of people pass by Cayucos, and some stop and stay. Very laid back, you can still see signs of the Old West in building in the downtown that still stand and contain mural paintings of western scenes, or a carved wooden cowboy stationed in front of a saloon. The city lines the ocean front in one direction, and is framed by mountains to the north and east. Some of our friends take overnight vacations to Cayucos, and we used to do so. The hotels are no more than a block, maximum from the beach, and some actually overlook the sea. There's been nothing fancy during my hotel stays in Cayucos, and in fact, I found watching movies in my hotel room at night a bit boring. There are several bars, restaurants and pubs you can visit to get out at night. And the city is growing its arts scene with an annual artist event held at the big hall next to a dolphin statue near the pier.

Beach-lovers will love the sunsets here. In fact, one of my photos of couples walking hand in hand, taken during a stay, ran in Sunset magazine. They're picky about their sunset pictures, so the setting really sold it. The beach is a great place for kids. Swing sets, pier fishing, and surfing are some of the fun sports activities to enjoy free. The water temps seldom rise above 62 in the summer, and remain in the mid 50's in the winter, so are a bit cold for most travelers to stay in the water for long periods of time.

One of the strong points of the Cayucos vacation and something my relatives who live in that region will drive to Cayucos to enjoy is the shopping. One antique store in downtown is huge, containing two floors of antiques ranging from large inventories of old magazines to a Mickey Mouse record player for kids. Jewelry, vases, furniture, and anything you can imagine is on display and sold at this place where you can wander for at least an hour.

In addition to Hearst Castle tours being down the road, and Big Sur looming around the bend to the north, you can also visit and look at the elephant seal rookery on the beach in Piedras Blancas, where an historic light house is open some weekends when it isn't being renovated or repaired. To the south is Morro Bay, which offers a beautiful golf course overlooking the beach, a state park featuring great hikes, boat rides and whale watching trips, and more dining and shopping. While Cayucos is worth an overnight stay, at minimum stop and visit for a few hours, if that's all your clock will allow.