Avila Beach, Central Coast California – Explore the Beauty

One of the most stunning places in California is the central coast…

I’m always drawn back to this area…it’s been almost ten years since I lived in San Luis Obispo and studied Architecture at Cal Poly, yet, to this day, the area is still one of my favorite places to visit.

Nearby, Avila Beach is a place filled with many great memories and incredibly simple times. The beach here is always so beautiful, so relaxing and so wonderfully vibrant under the sun lit sky .

It had been a while since I had been up this way, so my Mom and I decided to go on a little Avila Beach exploration hike and drive.  On a side note, for all the years that I was in school here, my Mom had very little time to actually explore the area with me.  So, this trip was a bit of a Mother/ Daughter road trip to relive and revisit some of those lost years and pick up that lost time…

Our first stop was the local Avila Valley Barn, where we had delicious fresh roasted corn and sweet homemade ice-cream.  We were also lucky enough to see some farm animals and even a cute baby goat that had just been born that afternoon.  It’s a small local spot I’ve always enjoyed and a great place to get some amazing pies and jams.

We then drove down to the Avila Beach pier where nature loves to linger as otters, sea lions and even sometimes whales can be spotted.  As we ate there on the Pier, we watched the lazy sea lions and the sleepy otters floating along the deep blue waters.  If you get there early enough in the morning,  you can actually still get fresh local fish from the fisherman’s catch that day!  Seriously fresh…

As we left the Pier, and dusk was approaching, we decided we wanted to see the sunset,  so we drove up to Pirates Cove…

Pirates Cove…A somewhat hidden beach and amazing spot to view the sunset.

We parked and began hiking down the hill and then up the steep rocks to grab a natural seat and watch one of the best sunsets in the world.  This beach is well known by Cal Poly students, since it’s hidden and a place where just about anything goes.  As a student, we used to go there to have late night bonfires and sometimes burn our old architecture models at the end of the year. It is also the only clothing optional beach in the area, so don’t be surprised if you do see some nudity!  This time,  however, we witnessed some bold students practicing their tight rope skills between the rocky cliffs.  We were a bit stunned, but it looked like the group knew what they were doing and were prepared and practicing safely.  It was still scary to watch…

Then the sunset…ahhh, the sunset was spectacular! The sunset was full of rich and vibrant colors, lights that dazzled and glimmered on the ocean as the sun slowly lay down beyond the horizon, changing the colors of the water from shimmering hues of blue to golden tones of orange and red.  Words can be difficult when describing beauty such as this, but know that the sunset, being there with my Mom, and reliving those sweet memories made for a truly great and gorgeous end to our day…