San Luis Obispo is a vibrant city located on the Central Coast of California. The city itself is actually not on the ocean but a short drive west will get you there in no time. We spent a long weekend in this welcoming town in the middle of November, enjoying the sun and temperatures in the low 80s. It was a nice getaway from the rainy Seattle weather. Here are some great tips on how to spend 3 days in San Luis Obispo.
3 days in San Luis Obispo
Day 1:
Explore the downtown area
San Luis Obispo’s historic downtown encompasses several short blocks, with Higuera Street as the main street. The streets are lined with spectacular ficus trees, which are a pleasure to look at. Downtown SLO is a great place to explore. There is a plethora of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, and we enjoyed every single one of them. The city is really clean and it’s absolutely enjoyable to relax on one of the outdoor patios.
Stop by the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
If you have traveled across California, you have probably visited several Spanish missions. The mission of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is the 5th of 21 California missions. It dates back to 1772 and still serves as an active catholic church. There is a peasant courtyard adjacent to the mission and the plaza around the mission is also very nice, with several outdoor tables, the San Luis creek, and many restaurants nearby.
Visit Cal Poly
California Polytechnic State University is located just north of downtown SLO. It was established in 1901 and currently has about 22,000 students. It’s always fun strolling through a campus and we enjoyed spending about 45 minutes wondering the streets of Cal Poly.
Shop at the farmers market
Apparently, the farmers market in San Luis Obispo is quite a big deal, so definitely don’t miss it. It takes place on Thursdays 6-9 pm and is conveniently located along Higuera St in downtown SLO. In addition to fruit and vegetables, the market offers a wide variety of food, so it’s a great idea for a casual dinner. We enjoyed sitting in one of the bars having a beer and afterwards wondered into the market for the famous tri tip sandwich. The market was packed with people and we had to stand in line for a few minutes but it was all an enjoyable experience. In addition to a simple dinner, it was great to get fresh strawberries in the middle of November and a $9 bag of 10 lbs of oranges. This is now a tradition for us- gorging ourselves on cheap oranges in CA.
Day 2:
Start with a coffee shop
San Luis Obispo offers a good selection of coffee shops. While we really liked Kreuzberg Coffee Company for the interesting pictures of world famous writers on the wall as well as good coffee, the other places – Scout Coffee, KIN Coffee, and the Black Horse were equally tasty. You certainly can’t go wrong, so choose the one that appeals to you and enjoy!
Drive to Avila Beach
Essentially 15 minutes away from SLO, Avila Beach is a lovely community with a charming business area and a pleasant beach. Small and not as popular as the neighboring Pismo Beach, Avila Beach is a hidden gem. It was by far my favorite beach around SLO. If you don’t want crowds, this might be your beach.
Don't miss Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach has a great boardwalk with shops and restaurants, a wide beach, and a nice long pier. While much more touristy than Avila Beach, Pismo Beach is definitely attractive and welcoming. The pier is the main attraction and a popular place for strolling, fishing or watching surfers ride the waves.
Take See Canyon Road back to SLO
Instead of taking highway 101 back to SLO, we decided to take the picturesque See Canyon Road to see more of the countryside. The drive was very pleasant, with pretty views of the rolling hills, Moro Bay, and nearby communities. There are several orchards and vineyards along the way, so if you have time, stop by and check them out.
Go out to dinner
After spending most of the day exploring the beaches, we were ready for a drink and a tasty dinner. We opted for Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen on Monterey Street, which was a great choice. It was wonderful to sit outside in just a T-shirt, sip a tasty beer and plan the next day. Just a tip, their prosciutto arugula flatbread was delicious.
Taste a Turkish delight
Rather than having ice cream or a cookie for desert, we decided to give Turkish delights a try. Their baklava was as good as in Greece, and the nougat rolls were very nice as well.
Day 3
Hike Bishop Peak
Hiking Bishop Peak was listed as one of the attractions of SLO as I was doing my research, so we decided to do it. The hike took us about 2 hours with about 20 minutes spent at the top. The trail climbs about 1,500 feet but since you start basically at sea level, it doesn’t feel strenuous. We really enjoyed the hike and the views from the top were great. You don’t quite get to see the ocean but you can see San Luis Obispo as well as the surrounding areas. It’s definitely a great thing to do.
Visit Morro Bay
After hiking Bishop Peak, we jumped into the car and drove to Morro Bay. This is another great beach town with the lovely Morro Rock. I wish we had had more time here as it would have been fun to rent a kayak and paddle around the bay. There are a lot of seals laying on the rocks and swimming in the bay, which is always nice to see. Moro Bay has a lot of cute little shops and restaurants along the water, so it’s fun to check them out as well.
Check out the beautiful beaches of Cayucos
If you don’t mind driving for 4 more miles beyond Morro Bay, you’ll come upon a less touristy town of Cayucos. The beaches here are magnificent with views of Morro Rock and other sea stacks in the water. Walk onto the pier and watch surfers try to ride the waves. If you’re lucky, you may also spot whales or dolphins in the distance. While we didn’t see whales, there was a school of dolphins playing around. Bringing binoculars might help.
Have a beer at a brewery
There are several breweries in town but we opted for the outdoor tables at Libertine Brewing Company. The beer was great and it was fun to again relax outside with a drink after a day full of new experiences. For dinner, we opted for an easy going San Luis Taqueria, a great option if you want Mexican food.
