10 Best Small Towns on the Pacific Coast to Visit in 2024
Ready to hit the Pacific Coast in 2024? You will enjoy beaches with sugar-white sand, small towns with charm-soaked streets, and some of nature’s most pristine backdrops. Although San Diego and Santa Barbara are all packed with swoon-worthy spots to leave one completely blown away, smaller towns provide a more authentic and intimate experience. There is Laguna Beach and its Crystal Cove; Astoria, Oregon, and its maritime museum; and Port Townsend, Washington, with its heart-stirring Victorian architecture. Looking for more options? The following are the 10 Best Small Towns To Visit in the Pacific Coast in 2024.
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is pretty, quiet, and laden with numerous vacation-worthy sites within and around its precincts. It has a nice, sexy beach that has won several accolades — and provides convenient access to nearby worthies such as Dana Point to the south and Newport Beach up north. After enjoying some top-tier beach experience at Crystal Cove State Park, one can head up the hills for some panoramic trails and tasty views. Dartmoor Trail is particularly heart-stirring and provides nice, glistening views of the world’s largest ocean. Sit down with a delicious bowl of clam chowder at The Deck, known to serve the perfect backdrop for a romantic dinner.
Astoria, Oregon
Oregon’s slice of the Pacific coast is incredibly gorgeous. You will do anything in the world to have a bite-sized taste of it. Columbia River Maritime Museum is a huge attraction here, especially for its large exhibit dedicated to shipwrecks, its amazing displays of the Coast Guard activities, and its Japanese flag section, where emotions run deep. This part of the coast used to claim many lives and has been called “The Graveyard of the Pacific.” Head to Pier 39 down the shoreline and enjoy its relaxing atmosphere and nautical charm. There is the Women Cannery Workers Monument at the place, an excellent photo-op — as well as Coffee Girl, a nice place to enjoy smooth coffee and smooth views.
Port Townsend, Washington
Beautiful Victorian architecture should be on your mind as you head to Port Townsend, an aspect of the town that is enhanced by colorful hanging flower baskets. If you have to narrow down on some of the most gorgeous architectural representations, check out The Rothschild House (It opens May through September). The iconic Jefferson County Courthouse, an eye-catching red-brick built in 1892, and the Port Townsend Post Office, on a bluff above Port Townsend's waterfront. Eat at Finisterre, especially if delicious oysters float your boat — before catching a show at the Uptown Theatre, which has been showing movies since when Harry Truman was president of the United States.
Poulsbo, Washington
You can spend the whole day shopping in Poulsbo, so make sure you have enough time and some tidy sum to spend. If you love books, you will find a couple of take-homes at Liberty Bay Books on Front Street, a local independent bookshop that bursts at the seams with a delicious selection of good reads. Just across the street is Boehm's Chocolates, loved for its huge variety of treats, including sugar-free options. There is Nordiska for adorable Scandinavian-themed decor items — and Central Market for a whole world of retail items. Eat at Tizley's, known for its melt-in-the-mouth pretzels, before getting personal with mother nature at Poulsbo's Fish Park.
Coupeville, Washington
For the ultimate Small Town Pacific Northwest vibes, Coupeville provides a vacation experience that is hard to beat. It is on Whidbey Island, smack in the middle of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Ebey is the first historical reserve in the United States, meaning the whole space feels frozen in time. Plus, Coupeville is Washington’s second-oldest town, another feather to its old-timey charm and allure. Spend some time at the Price Sculpture Forest — walking through the woods and admiring all the beautiful sculptures. There is the Fort Ebey State Park, an awesome camping spot — and Front Street Grill, where you will enjoy the most delicious mussels in the world with another feature: a delicious view.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
You can sip your way through Carmel-by-the-Sea, sampling Pinot Noirs, mingling with locals, and enjoying heart-melting sunsets. If this looks like something you can put your money on, De Tierra Vineyards should be high on your list. If the weather acts friendly, you can bring a bottle of wine to the beach, and enjoy some cool breeze and views. Carmel Beach is particularly loved for its sugar-white sand. In the world of golf, Pebble Beach Golf Links is a revered name. We are talking about the first championship golf course in the nation to be constructed with tee-to-green underground irrigation. The course, of course, speaks for itself. Carmel Mission Basilica Museum, with its serene courtyard, has a history that goes back more than two centuries.
Monterey, California
Monterey is the home of firsts: the first capital of California, the first theater, the first brick house, and several others. The most exciting part is that Monterrey is a stone's throw from Carmel-by-the-Sea, meaning one can easily combine the two destinations during a single trip. Tour the Robinson Jeffers Tor House and imagine life in the area about a century ago. You will find a couple of extraordinary stone buildings and friendly, knowledgeable docents. Amble through Fisherman's Wharf and lock eyes with the biggest animals on the planet. You can pick any tour agency for whale-watching, whether the Monterey Bay Whale Watch or Discovery Whale Watch. That said, the Monterey Bay Aquarium effortlessly steals the show. Immerse yourself in the world of aquatic life, from playful sea otters to mesmerizing jellyfish. We are talking about one of the best aquariums in the world.
Pacific Grove, California
From Monterrey, you can make the short drive to Pacific Grove, a quiet, peaceful town with lots of running and biking trails. You will find colorful Victorian homes and shops, a pretty beach, and some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Spots to hit include the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, loved for its fantastic collection of taxidermy animals and well-preserved insects. A mid-morning at Otter Bay, with its coastal views and crashing waves, should leave one’s heart feeling light and giddy. There is the John Denver Memorial as well, the site of a bronze plaque memorializing the crooner of "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
Fort Bragg, California
Although small and home to less than 7,000 residents, time flies fast in Fort Bragg, a diamond in the rough located on California's Mendocino Coast. There is The Skunk Train, which offers nostalgic rides through meadows, canyons, and old-growth redwood forests. For perspective, people have been riding The Skunk since 1885, and the pristine views it serves remain unaffected by time and tide. Amble through Shoreline Highway, a stretch lined on either side with tasty eateries (check out Egghead's Restaurant), watering holes, (check out The Pub at North Coast), and haunts for sweet toothers, particularly Cowlick's Ice Cream. Just don’t miss Sea Glass Museum with its old apothecary bottles.
Morro Bay, California
Rounding off this list is Morro Bay, the perfect pit stop for one’s journey along California's Central Coast. Black Hill, part of the volcanic series before Morro Rock, offers some yummy views of Morro Bay and is a fantastic birding and hiking destination. Catch a movie at Bay Theater, a remodeled, old-fashioned space whose history goes back to 1942. There is a nice Main Street you will want to amble through as you take in the scenery and brush shoulders with friendly locals. Pick some decorative shells at the Shell Shop before crowning the day on a high note at Dutchman's Seafood House — with a bay view table and a scrumptious plate of fish.
The Takeaway
From Neah Bay, located at the far northwestern tip of the state of Washington —- down to San Diego, California, within smelling distance of the Mexico border, one will find many beautiful towns dotting a fairytale coastline that spans more than 1,000 miles. Think of slow-paced small towns with cobblestoned streets, historic buildings, and fantastic beach access. In between, tasty restaurants serve delicious oysters and shrimp while whales and dolphins thunder about in the nearby waters. The breeze parts the hair, the ocean glistens yonder, and the rhythm is slow and soft.
