A weekend on the California central coast should be part of any California road trip. The California central coast spans from north of Los Angeles to Monterey. It is one of the lesser-known California wine regions and has a ton of cute towns to explore. The California central coast makes for a fun romantic weekend away or a great place to head with a group of friends.
I recently spent some time exploring the area with Meghan of The Traveling Teacher and Shannon of Traveling Teacher Girl. We met on Instagram and now run a Traveling Teachers Facebook Group together. It made for the perfect girls’ weekend getaway and we had a fun time road tripping up the coast.
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History of the California Central Coast
The area was originally inhabited by the Chumash and other Native Americans since around 10,000 BC. Later in 1542, Juan Cabrillo visited the area. Around that time is when Spain claimed California as their own. In the late 1700s, the area became developed by the Spanish when they began to set up their 21 missions. Present-day, there are 6 counties that make up the central coast with a plethora of cities scattered throughout the area.
Best Time to Visit
The California central coast boasts gorgeous weather all year! In the summertime, the weather is much cooler than in other parts of California, even if the temperatures get warmer. The weather is consistently sunny with foggy mornings. I love visiting in April or September as the weather is gorgeous, but you do not get the crowds of summertime. No matter what you cannot go wrong with a weekend on the California central coast.
How to Get to the California Central Coast
To get to the California central coast, you will want to fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Although there are other airports in the area, they are a lot smaller and flights are very expensive to fly into. LAX consistently has the best flight deals from all over the United States.
From Los Angeles International Airport, you will drive the 101 North up the coast. Along the way, the views are spectacular, especially for sunset.
Where to Stay
The California central coast has a ton of cute boutique hotels as well as larger chains. I recommend staying in a variety of hotels. The following are some of my favorites and perfect for a weekend on the California central coast.
Madonna Inn: An adorable themed hotel with unique guest rooms. Plan to spend $125 and up a night.
Hampton Inn Santa Maria: A great budget option that includes breakfast and is located next to tons of wineries. Rates usually run around $115 a night.
The Kinney San Luis Obispo: A super cute resort-like hotel with a fun pool area in the heart of SLO. Rates are around $150 a night.
Santa Ynez Marriott: Located right near Solvang and Los Olivos, this hotel boasts a nice location to base yourself at. Rates normally run around $200/night.
Pea Soup Anderson Inn: A more budget option, but a very cute hotel located in Buellton. Comes with free pastries for breakfast!
The area also has a ton of AirBnbs which are great if you have a larger group. We stayed at this Airbnb in Santa Maria.
Why Visit the California Central Coast?
The California central coast is a fantastic weekend trip from Los Angeles. It has a ton of gorgeous beaches, numerous hikes, endless wineries, and a variety of other activities. Something can be found for every type of traveler on the California central coast.
California Central Coast Itinerary
The California central coast has so many adorable small towns and amazing places to see. The following itinerary highlights some of the most popular places as well as some of my favorite stops. You can easily spend way longer than a weekend exploring what the Central Coast has to offer.
Day 1: Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, and Santa Maria
To start your weekend on the central coast, head to the Pismo Beach Area. Pismo Beach is known for its gorgeous beaches and wineries in the surrounding region. It is one of the more touristy beaches in the area but it still has a ton of cool things to offer.
Old West Cinnamon Rolls
Cost: $4 and up
Start off the morning by grabbing a cinnamon roll from Old West Cinnamon Rolls. These delicious cinnamon rolls will melt in your mouth. You can get it plain, with frosting, or with a variety of nuts on top. It is so worth a stop here. Afterward, take a stroll on the beach or the pier and walk around town.
Pismo Preserve
Cost: Free
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Next, head to the Pismo Preserve for a nice easy morning hike. The Pismo Preserve takes up 880 acres and has over 10 miles of hiking trails. Some of the trails offer amazing views of the ocean and surrounding area. Besides hiking, you can also opt to mountain bike or horseback ride on these trails. We opted to go on the Vamanos Canton to High Road Trail. This was only a 1.3-mile loop trail with 200 feet incline and offered some cool views.
Splash Cafe
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 9am-7pm, Fri-Sun: 9am-8pm
Grab lunch at Splash Cafe in the downtown of Pismo Beach. This is a great stop for seafood lovers as their clam chowder is one of the most popular on the California central coast. You can also opt to get a burger or their chili is quite popular as well.
Wine Tasting at Sextant Winery
Cost: $20
Hours: 10am-5pm
Disclaimer: Thank you to Sextant Winery for hosting us! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you have time, you can head to a winery or two this afternoon. Santa Maria has a ton of great wineries around the region. I recommend heading to Sextant Winery’s Edna Valley location as they also serve food there.
Although the family began growing grapes in 1977, Sextant Winery did not begin until 2001. It was founded by Craig and Nancy Stoller. Sextant opened a tasting room in the townsite of Old Edna in 2009. This eventually expanded into the entire property in 2019. Today, you can wander around parts of the property to see the old town buildings. They even have two vacation rentals you can rent out by the night and also a space available for special events.
In 2011, Sextant opened their Paso Robles tasting room. There is also a vacation rental on this property as well. It would be a great place to stay for a weekend in Paso Robles with a large group.
A tasting at Sextant costs $20 for a mixed flight of 5 wines. My favorite was their Cabernet Sauvignon. If you have a larger group, you can book a private tasting with more library vintages. Make sure to check their website for other special events.
During a visit to Sextant Winery, I also recommend grabbing lunch from their Gourmet Deli -the onsite restaurant. All of the food was delicious and cooked with fresh ingredients daily. My favorite was the Peep Flatbread and the Sextant Bars.
Sycamore Mineral Springs
Cost: $22.50-$27.50/person
Hours: 9:30am-10:45pm
Spending an hour relaxing at the Sycamore Mineral Springs is the perfect way to chill after a busy day! As part of the resort, there are 24 Hillside Hot Tubs that are rented out for 1-hour sessions. They cost $22.50/person Monday through Thursday or $27.50 Fridays to Sundays. You can have groups of 1-6 people in them.
If you have a larger group, you can reserve the Oasis Waterfall Lagoon for up to 20 people. This costs $28/person Monday through Thursday or $33/person Fridays to Sundays. You must have a minimum of 4 people during the week or 6 on the weekends.
The Mineral Springs were well worth the price and the perfect way to wind down after a long day. Make sure to make a reservation in advance as they do fill up in the peak season.
Dinner in Avila Beach
Cost: $$
Avila Beach is one of the smaller seaside towns on the California central coast. The town was named after Miguel Avila who helped establish the town in 1842. Make sure to spend some time wandering around the little shops in town. Then, grab some dinner to take with you to have a picnic on the beach. Mission Pizza is a good place to grab food as they have a fun assortment of pizzas that are perfect for a picnic.
Sunset at Pirates Cove
Pirates Cove is a small beach located near Avila Beach. It is a short walk to get from the parking lot to the beach. You can opt to head left along the trail to the beach, or right to take in the view from a cave. I recommend heading towards the cave as it is a bit more secluded and has gorgeous views from there.
Note that the parking lot for Pirates Cove is not paved or smooth. If you do not have a 4-wheel drive car, opt to park closer to the road and not closest to the trailhead.
Day 2: Los Olivos and Los Alamos
Today will be a day full of wine tasting. Wine tasting is a must-do activity when spending a weekend on the California central coast. This morning head to the adorable little town of Los Olivos. Los Olivos is a town full of wine tasting rooms and a small number of shops. I recommend the following for tasting room stops! I recommend bringing a picnic lunch with you to eat at one of the wineries. Los Olivos does not have a lot of food options.
Tensley Wines
Cost: $10
Hours: 11am-5pm
Tensley might be my favorite stop in Los Olivos. It was founded in 1998 and has grown a lot since then. I love their “fundamental wines” line as it is inexpensive (less than $20/bottle) and delicious. It costs $10 for a tasting of 5 wines… also super affordable!
Solminer
Cost: $15
Hours: 11am-5pm
Solminer is one of the newer wineries in the area… established in 2012. They produce biodynamic and organic wines, which means more natural wines that are less likely to cause headaches. It is another reasonable tasting that costs $15 for 5 tastes.
Stolpman Vineyards
Cost: $20
Hours: 11am-5pm
Stolpman was founded over 20 years ago in the hills of the California central coast. They have an adorable patio tasting room located in Los Olivos. You can make a reservation online (recommended) or show up and see if they have a spot. Tastings cost $20 a person and you get to taste 6 different wines.
The Santa Ynez Valley also has a ton of other amazing wineries in the area. Fess Parker Winery is a popular one located close to Los Olivos. I recommend heading to Brewer-Clifton, Sanford Winery, or my personal favorite Spear Vineyards and Winery. You could easily spend a weekend on the California central coast just in this area!
If you want a restaurant to eat at rather than packing a picnic lunch, head to the nearby town of Buellton. Here you can find the infamous Anderson’s Pea Soup, which is famous for… its pea soup! Burrito Loco also has some amazing burritos and Mexican food.
Eat dinner at Pico
Cost: $$$
Hours: Sat-Sun: 12pm-3pm, Wed-Sun: 3pm-9pm
Pico is located in Los Alamos, another cute little town located on the California central coast. This will definitely be a “splurge” meal but it is well worth it. Both of the pasta dishes were delicious and the ambiance was super cute. It is a great date spot or place to go with a group of friends.
Day 3: Solvang and Santa Barbara
Today, spend the last part of a weekend on the California central coast with stops in Solvang and Santa Barbara.
Solvang
Start the morning in Solvang, a small Dutch town located near Los Olivos and Buellton. It was established in 1911 from a Mexican land grant by a group of Danish immigrants. Much of the town is modeled after Copenhagen in Denmark. It even has a replica of the Little Mermaid statue!
First, grab a coffee from Good Seed Coffee. This coffee shop has some delicious options to wake you up. You can also grab a pastry or some food from there as well. When in Solvang though, you should stop at one of their many bakeries to grab a pastry or a Danish. One of my favorites is Mortensen’s Danish Bakery. Everything I have had from there is delicious.
Next, spend some time wandering around the town looking in the small shops. You can also relax in the Hans Christian Andersen Park or head to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. At the museum, you can learn about Hans Christian Anderson’s life and his works. Make sure to stop at the Solvang Windmill for a picture with the icon of Solvang.
Mission Santa Ines is also an interesting stop. It is part of the 21 missions set up by the Spanish in the 1700-the 1800s. This mission was founded in 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis to help relieve the overcrowding of the other missions in the area. You can go on a self-guided tour for $6 Monday-Saturday.
Stop for lunch at the Copenhagen Sausage Garden or the Solvang Restaurant. The Copenhagen Sausage Garden has a variety of sausages and a beer garden. It is a great casual place to eat and chill for a while. The Solvang Restaurant is popular due to its assortment of Danish food and cozy atmosphere.
After lunch, you can also grab a beer from the Solvang Brewing Company. The Solvang Brewing Company has a nice outdoor beer garden that is a great place for chilling.
Santa Barbara
After spending the morning in Solvang, head south to Santa Barabara. Santa Barbara is a gorgeous coastal town surrounded by the Santa Ynez mountains. The adobe and stucco buildings showcase the Spanish influence of the town. It is a must-stop on any California central coast road trip.
Santa Barbara has a ton of delicious restaurants to eat at. You could easily spend an entire weekend just exploring Santa Barbara as well. Make sure to check out Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio for some good barbeque or Los Arroyos for Mexican food.
When spending time in Santa Barbara, you will for sure want to check out Mission Santa Barbara. Mission Santa Barbara was one of the 21 California missions and was founded in 1786. It costs $15 to take a self-guided tour of the mission. In front of the mission is an adorable park that is great for a picnic and a small rose garden.
Stearns Wharf is another place worth checking out. The wharf has a ton of restaurants and shops as you walk around. It is also a great place to take in the coastal views and the ocean.
One of the most popular photo spots in Santa Barbara is the Chromatic Gate. Located along the road near the water, you can get an awesome shot of this colorful gate.
Other fun things to do in Santa Barbara include the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Lotusland -a botanical garden, and Chumash Painted Cave State Park. The area also has an abundance of wineries if you have not gotten tired of wine tasting yet.
Other Spots Near the California Central Coast
The California coast is the perfect place to spend a weekend and see some more unique places in California. If you have extra time, make sure to spend time exploring Los Angeles, or head up the coast to drive highway one to San Francisco.
Paso Robles is another fun wine tasting area if looking for other California wine regions. You can also easily head to Lompoc for more wine tasting. Near Santa Barbara is also Channel Islands National Park which is a fun day trip from Ventura. No matter what, you cannot go wrong with a weekend on the California central coast.
Love the California central coast! Sunsets are indeed so beautiful there.
This is such a great article Francesca! I loved exploring this area of California this past summer. Next time, I definitely want to get back and stay at the Madonna Inn. 🙂