Cayucos
An old pier, a lifeguarded beach and wild bluffs on Estero Bay
About Cayucos
Cayucos is a small beach town on the north shore of Estero Bay, a few miles up Highway 1 from Morro Bay, with Morro Rock in view across the water. It is the kind of place where the day revolves around the beach and the pier, and where the coast just north of town turns quiet and wild.
The Cayucos Pier was built in 1872 by Captain James Cass, the town's founder, and rebuilt and lengthened to 982 feet in 1876. It is lit for night fishing, and no fishing license is needed on the pier (catch limits still apply). Winter storms have damaged the end of the pier in recent years and San Luis Obispo County has made emergency repairs, so check for closures before you plan around it.
Essential stops in and around Cayucos:
- Cayucos State Beach — the sandy beach on both sides of the pier, with lifeguards in peak summer, picnic tables, play equipment, restrooms and outdoor showers.
- Estero Bluffs State Park — low bluffs, sea stacks and tide pools starting about a mile north of town (see below).
- Morro Strand State Beach — the long beach that runs south from Cayucos toward Morro Rock.
- Morro Bay — sea otters, kayaking and Morro Rock, a short drive south.
- Cambria — Moonstone Beach and the Fiscalini Ranch bluffs, a short drive north on Highway 1.
Cayucos uses the tide predictions for Port San Luis, the nearest NOAA tide station. The rocky shore north of town is best explored on a low tide. Before heading out, find the next daylight low on the tide calendar.
Top Pick: Estero Bluffs State Park
Estero Bluffs State Park starts about a mile north of Cayucos along Highway 1: a former dairy ranch, bought by the Trust for Public Land in 2000 and handed to the state in 2002, with low bluffs, sea stacks, wetlands and rocky intertidal areas.
It is a simple park with no restrooms or water, so come prepared. It is open from 6 a.m. to sunset. Sea kayaking, fishing, hiking and birding are all popular; western snowy plovers nest here, and whales pass offshore from December to March.
Dogs must be leashed and are allowed only south of San Geronimo Creek. Bikes, horses and campfires are not allowed. On a low tide the reefs below the bluffs open up for tide pooling; stay off the plover nesting areas and keep watching the waves.