Morro Bay and Cayucos Day Trip Itinerary from San Luis Obispo

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When visiting the San Luis Obispo area, a day trip out to coastal towns of Morro Bay and Cayucos is a must! These historic towns are so quaint and offer everything from coastal walks and hikes to wildlife viewing and delicious seafood dining. With both of these towns being just a 15 to 20-minute drive away, it’s a no-brainer to pop on over!

This post details an easy itinerary for visiting both Cayucos and Morro Bay, with a mix of everything the area has to offer – nature, wildlife, and tasty seafood dining.

Grab Breakfast in SLO

Before heading to the coastal towns, I suggest grabbing a quick breakfast at a local spot in San Luis Obispo. We stayed at the Garden Street Inn, where breakfast was provided, but you could also pop into spots like SloDoCo for a donut to take for the road or a local taqueria or coffee shop for a breakfast sandwich or burrito.

Estero Bluffs State Park

The first stop on this day trip itinerary is a visit to Estero Bluffs State Park – a beautiful, peaceful space located along the cliffs of the coast just north of Cayucos. You could spend hours here taking a leisurely walk along the trails, admiring the views and keeping an eye out for seabirds and seals bobbing in the ocean.

The landscape views around these coastal towns are simply beautiful – even on cloudy days like we experienced. If you aren’t super into the outdoors, I still recommend including some type of coastal walk or hike to really see the best of what the coast has to offer!

For Estero Bluffs, there are different access points to get to the trails. I recommend starting at the Cayucos access and parking area, which is the southernmost access point for the park. From the Cayucos entrance, you can take a walk straight out to see views of a local shipwreck.

Then, make your way back to the parking lot and over to the trailhead to the right of the parking area that will lead you along the cliffside path. This coastal walk is suitable for nearly any level of fitness, with most of the trails being relatively flat.

If you’re an avid birdwatcher, be sure to bring along some binoculars for viewing. And if you’re into photographing wildlife, definitely bring a lens with long enough range! I had a 24-120mm with me and I could barely get some clear shots. Even without tools for better birdwatching, there’s still plenty to see and enjoy with your eyes here.

Brown Butter Cookie Co.

After working up an appetite on the trails at Estero Bluffs, head down into Cayucos and pick up a little snack at the Brown Butter Cookie Co. Their cookies are staple in San Luis Obispo county and the Cayucos location is their flagship store! It’s my favorite cookie shop in California.

My personal favorite cookies here are the original and cinnamon. I’ve tried several of their other cookies, and those two remain at the top of my list. These cookies are salty and sweet and firm but crumbly – a texture that I personally love, but is kind of hard to describe. You just have to try some for yourself!

Brown Butter Cookie Co. also has shop locations in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, so if you miss out in Cayucos, there’s a couple more opportunities to pick some up.

There is plenty of street parking along the main street here and tends to be less busy than the neighboring Morro Bay.

Street parking along Embarcadero has free three-hour parking, and there is also parking available around the surrounding blocks on side streets. Morro Bay can get pretty busy in the summer, especially on weekends. So, be prepared to be patient when searching for parking.

Seafood Lunch at Giovanni’s

Make your first stop in Morro Bay Giovanni’s Fish Market for a seafood-filled lunch. I highly recommend a bowl of clam chowder and some fresh oysters. Sit out on their patio and chow down! Just keep your eyes open for pesky seagulls waiting to swoop in on your fries.

Keep your eyes peeled for sea lions sleeping on the rocks below the sidewalk near Giovanni’s. They blend in really well and don’t move around much while they are napping! This is your best chance to see them up close and personal unless you take a kayak out on the bay. Just be sure not to disturb them.

One thing about California coastal towns is you can always count on a saltwater taffy shop to be around. Pop into Carousel Taffy and get a pound of their many different flavors. You’re allowed to sample them to find out what you like best!

Morro Rock & Otters

To finish up your time on the coast, drive over to Morro Rock for the best sea otter viewpoints. You aren’t able to get real close to them – and for good reason. You don’t want to disturb these little cuties while they’re in their natural habitat. Walk along the designated path or pick a bench and have a seat. This would also be a great time to bring out binoculars or that long-range camera lens to see them better.

While you’re enjoying watching the little otters float around the bay, you’ll probably hear the sound of rocks knocking together. This is because the sea otters use rocks to break open the tougher shellfish that they can’t chomp through with their teeth.

Otherwise, the sea otters are the definition of chill, floating in the water on their backs, giving each other cuddles, and just looking dang cute.

There are also a lot of ground squirrels scurrying about too. I’m guessing a lot of visitors feed them, which is why they hang around. They are also very cute to watch bounding over the rocks, but please don’t feed them.

After your seafood and nature/wildlife-filled day trip to Morro Bay and Cayucos, head back into San Luis Obispo and catch a happy hour spot like Luna Red. A plate full of nachos and a refreshing margarita hits the spot after a fun day trip!