In honor of the big win for Pismo Beach as USA Today’s #1 Best Small Coastal Town, we thought we’d celebrate with our very own “Best Of’s” in this special town. We’ve done the research, walked the trails, eaten the chowder, and watched enough sunsets to have opinions.
Here are Pismo Beach’s official Best Of Awards and your cheat sheet to doing this town right.
Best Sunset Spot in Pismo Beach
Winner: The Pismo Beach Pier
Golden hour at the pier is the full package. Watch surfers on the water as the Santa Lucia Mountains go pink. Watch the Pismo Beach sign light up as if it were designed for this moment.
Runner Ups:
- Shell Beach Bluffs (Margo Dodd Park) — dramatic cliff-edge views, fewer crowds
- Dinosaur Caves Park — blufftop benches facing west, great for families
- Cypress Beach House rooftop — cocktails and coastline, no complaints
Best Whale Watching in Pismo Beach
Winner: The Pismo Beach Pier Rail
Spring is prime time for whales. Gray, blue, and humpback whales all move through this stretch of coast during migration, and you can spot them for free from shore.
Fun Fact
Pismo Beach even adopted a humpback whale named Finley.
Runner Ups:
- Pismo Beach Pier — walk to the end and scan the water, especially on calm mornings
- Shell Beach Bluffs — elevation helps, wider sightlines
- Margo Dodd Park — open bluff views, less foot traffic
Best Beaches in Pismo Beach
Winner: Depends on What You’re After
Pismo Beach’s coastline offers diverse beach experiences and shifts character along its miles. Discover beaches, hikes, and hidden gems tailored to you.
Top Picks:
- Pismo State Beach — wide, flat, easy access, consistent surf. The main event.
- Shell Beach — rocky coves, sheltered spots, best tide pooling on the Central Coast
- Oceano Dunes — the only California state beach where you can drive on the sand—ATVs, sandboarding, serious dune scale.
Best Clam Chowder in Pismo Beach
Winner: Nice Try. We’re Not Doing This.
We are the Clam Capital of the World. Picking a single bowl of clam chowder would be like choosing a favorite child, and we simply refuse. Every spot serves it in a sourdough bread bowl. Everyone is thick, creamy, and loaded with clams. The only way to settle this is to conduct your own research.
We did write the definitive guide, though:
Best Hikes Near Pismo Beach With Ocean Views
Winner: Pismo Preserve
Right off Highway 101 and one of the best-kept outdoor secrets on the Central Coast. There are trails for every type of hiker, from short and mellow to steep and long. The Lone Oak is a special site and a treasured place for many locals.
Runner-ups:
- Shell Beach Coastal Trail — easy bluff walk connecting Eldwayen Ocean Park to Margo Dodd, dogs welcome
- Ontario Ridge (Irish Hills Reserve) — 3.5-mile moderate loop, 15 min inland, poppies and lupine in spring
Best Wine Tasting in Pismo Beach
Winner: The SLO Coast AVA
Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande, and Avila Valley are all within 30 minutes of downtown Pismo Beach. Cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that compete with Napa, without the traffic or the prices.
Runner-ups:
- Sans Liege + Tastes of the Valleys — tasting rooms right in downtown Pismo Beach
- SLO Coast Wine Collective pass — tastings at up to 12 wineries, 1-day, 2-day, or 90-day options
- Local Wine Events – Restaurants, hotels, and more are always hosting wine events. Be sure to check the wine calendar to see if anything is going on.
Browse all wine tasting options: Pismo Beach Wineries & Wine Tasting.
Best Sunrise Spot in Pismo Beach
Winner: Pismo Preserve at First Light
On a west-facing coast, sunrise first hits the hills in gold and washes down to the water. The Pismo Preserve before 9 am, with nobody else on the trail, is worth setting an alarm for.
Runner-ups:
- Pismo Beach Pier — fishermen already out, light bouncing off the water, totally different from sunset
- Your hotel balcony — oceanfront rooms facing west catch morning light off the Pacific. Spring rates make upgrading even easier.
Best Photo Spots in Pismo Beach
Winner: The Pismo Beach Sign at Pier Plaza
Seven-foot illuminated letters, the pier stretching behind them, and the Pacific as the backdrop. It was designed to be photographed. Golden hour is exceptional; after dark is its own thing entirely.
Runner-ups:
- Pismo Preserve trails — April only, wildflowers and coastal backdrop, go early for the light.
- Shell Beach Bluffs — dramatic cliffs, wave action, sea caves at low tide, whale spouts in the background during migration season
- Oceano Dunes — walk away from the ATV tracks for pristine ridgelines, early morning or late afternoon light.
Best Date Night Ideas in Pismo Beach
Winner: Oceanfront Dinner Followed by a Beach Bonfire
Pismo Beach does the romantic evening very well. The combination of oceanfront dining and a beach fire afterward is hard to improve on.
- Marisol at The Cliffs — local wine, seasonal menu, Pacific views that shift through the meal.
- Lido Restaurant at Dolphin Bay — elevated without being stiff, excellent Central Coast wine pairings
- Pequin Coastal Cocina — lively, specialty cocktails, built for sharing
- Beach bonfire — fire pits along Pismo State Beach, first-come, bring a local Pinot Noir
- Downtown wine tasting — Sans Liege and Tastes of the Valleys, small and conversation-friendly
Best Kept Secrets in Pismo Beach
Winner: The Things Locals Hope You Don’t Find Out About
We’re telling you anyway.
- Shell Beach tide pools — require a tide chart and knowledge of where the stairs are. The payoff is sea life that most Pismo Beach visitors never see. Participate in Citizen Science while you’re there!
- Stargazing during a new moon — light pollution drops off fast south of town. Clear nights on the Central Coast are genuinely dark.
- SLO Coast wine country — world-class Pinot Noir within 30 minutes of the beach. Visitors consistently call it the best surprise of their trip.
Best Place to Stay in Pismo Beach
🏨 Winner: All of Them. We Mean It.
We tried to pick one. We received strongly worded feedback from almost everyone. Pismo Beach has oceanfront resorts, blufftop boutique hotels, family-friendly properties steps from the beach, and downtown options with the pier and restaurants within walking distance. They are all, in their own way, the right answer.
What we can tell you: April is the best time to book. Rates are lower, properties are fresher after winter, and spring specials make upgrading to an oceanfront room genuinely achievable.
