Avila Beach California Experience
Everyone has heard of San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. But, If you are looking to experience California like the locals do, Avila might just be the place to visit. Avila is a small beach town situated on the central coast of California situated about half way between Monterey and Santa Barbara. This region of California’s coast is famous for its cool beach towns, wine country and there is even a castle ( Hearst Castle. ) Megan and I love to visit this area of California for the day or even a nice long weekend.
Recently we had the opportunity to spend a day in Avila, we headed straight for one of our favorite spots Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. They have 72 guestrooms all with private balcony or patio and hot mineral spring tubs for your enjoyment. There have amazing natural hot spring tubs which i think are the best part especially if you go at night, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. We had come prepared to hike Sycamore Crest Trail. The trail head starts just to the left of the mineral springs reception office and heads up the mountain.
You should be able to reach the top of the mountain in approximately 20-25 minutes if you are walking at a good pace. The way up is definitely all up! Expect to get a nice calf and glute workout on your way to the top. The hike is rated intermediate.
Once you reach the top you will be rewarded with an amazing 180 degree view of San Luis bay, Pismo Beach and Avila Beach. From here you have the option of following the trail to the left along the ridge line overlooking the ocean or taking a right and heading toward Pirates Cove Beach and Avila Beach. If you decide to head toward Pirates cove beach, be warned clothing is optional arhhhh. We opted for the hike along the ridge-line and were excited when we stumbled upon a majestic live oak with an amazing tree swing that over looks the ocean.
After we were done goofing around on the swing we headed back toward Avila beach.
There is a trail that heads down the mountain toward Pirates Cove. It is very steep. Have you ever wanted to feel like an Olympian hurtling down a Super G Course at blistering speeds risking life and limb for an amazing rush? Well I certainly don’t, but if you do grab a cardboard box and give it a try. We walked it instead and even slipped a few times, it really is steep.
We then headed along the road toward Avila. If you would rather not walk the 1.5 miles to Avila you could easily head back down the mountain to Sycamore Mineral Springs and drive.
Avila is one of the many hidden gems of California. Its popularity has only grown over the past 10 years. A quaint seaside town, Avila can easily be managed by foot or bike. Since there are rarely large crowds this is the ideal place to relax and unwind. You will see locals throwing footballs, kicking soccer balls or even playing
the new hit beach game Spike ball. On this trip we decided to lay out on our ginormous boho beach blanket and soak in the sun. After an amazing nap which was aided by our own personal sleep machine called the ocean we decided it was time for some Doc Burnsteins ice cream. Instead of us giving you the play by play for the rest of our trip we have selected some of our favorite things to do in Avila and listed them below.
1. Avila Valley Barn: If you have children you will not want to miss this place. It has a large petting zoo with all types of farm animals. It is also a working farm with lots of organic and natural products for sale. There is a cafe on site that serves some testy treats and ice cream as well. “The Bob Jones trail runs all the way here from Avila”
2. Sycamore Hot Springs Hot Tubs: “Escape the world outside, leaving all of its stresses and distractions behind, and immerse yourself in the waters at Sycamore. It’s an authentic mineral spring experience that not only has the power to transform your physical body; it envelops the magic to awaken your soul.” (http://www.sycamoresprings.com/) The atmosphere almost feels like you are in a magical Lord of The Rings elven forest. We make time for a nice hour long soak in the natural hot spring tubs here whenever we can. If you are looking to experience a relaxing detoxification experience we highly recommend Sycamore hot springs.
3. Doc Burnsteins Ice Cream: Doc Burnsteins ice cream is legendary and we cant help ourselves after a day at the beach. They always have a great selection of flavors to entice your pallet. If you are in Avila make time to grab a scoop of Doc Burnsteins.
4. Wine Bars in Avila: We are no strangers to the wine bars of Avila. One of our current favorites is Wood Winery tasting room. Sit and sip a flight of wine or share a pitcher of sangria as you people watch and overlook the sparkling Pacific. For a list of some of the other great wine bars check out http://www.avilabeachpier.com
5. Old Port Inn Restaurant: This is a wonderfully located restaurant at the end of the old pier. They have excellent seafood and beautiful ocean views. They have tables that allow you to see through the floor into the ocean as you enjoy your dining experience.
6. Bob Jones Trail: Head down the Bob Jones trail for a relaxing walk or bike ride in the tranquil forest that follows the San Luis Obispo Creek to Avila Beach. Sycamore Hot springs rents bikes for a reasonable fee. We have rented bikes here before and headed all the way to Old Port Inn and back!
7. Krava Bowl: On our latest trip we decided it was time to try a Krava Bowl. Every time we drove by there was a crowd gathered around this small unique shop. I thought it was Frozen Yogurt at first but I was pleasantly surprised to learn it was actually an Acai bowl concoction. Instead of me butchering their amazing creation please click on their site for more info.
8. Avila Restaurants: Ocean Grill has been our favorite restaurant here lately. They have a nice menu and the service is excellent not to mention it has a beautiful view of the Avila Pier and Ocean. For more restaurants click here for a list of the top 20 restaurants in Avila on TripAdvisor.