Pismo Beach Elopement and Honeymoon

When you are having an elopement, you can plan your day exactly your way! This is one of the fun parts of having an elopement. When getting married in Pismo Beach, there's so many beautiful locations foYou can get married with your toes in the sand or overlooking the ocean. If Pismo Beach is going to be your new special place, why not honeymoon to Pismo Beach after the wedding or spend a few relaxing days before the wedding soaking in the sun. Just make sure it’s not too much sun because you don’t want a wedding day sunburn.  

Pismo Beach is located in the area called the Central Coast. There's miles of coastline in the Central Coast and each town is unique.  The towns in the Central Coast have a small town feel with a lot of local shops and places to eat.

The first beach town you'll come to is Oceano. The Oceano Dunes is the only place where you can drive on the beach in California. You may want to check the tides, turn off on Grand Ave. and head West to drive on the sand in Oceano. To check to see if you can drive on the beach in Oceano, click here . If you are looking for a local Mexican food restaurant, visit Old Juan’s Cantina in Oceano.  

Turn back on Grand Ave and head East and you’ll be in the cute little town of Arroyo Grande. Looking for some coffee? Here’s some local favorites to check out. Cafe Andreini, one of the local coffee shops is in the heart of the town of Arroyo Grande. So, park close by and walk the streets for local shops and eats. Klondikes Pizza is a local favorite and Rori’s Ice Cream shop is across the street. Pizza and ice cream for a honeymoon - yes please! There’s also a cute little local hotel located in downtown, The Agrarian Hotel that gives you that small town feel. Located next door is a delicious place for dinner, the Mason Bar, with steak, seafood and even lobster corndogs. It’s a great option for dinner.

Head North on the beach and you’ll be in Pismo Beach. Pismo Beach is one of the last quaint beach towns in California. It still has a small town charm to it and history. Pismo Beach has the Southern California feel of a sunny, white sandy beach. The average temperature is 70 degrees and sunny. Most of the town is located off of the Pismo Beach Pier. There’s public parking and hotels with ocean views. Some places to stay that are walking distance from the pier is Inn at the Pier, Vespera, and Sandcastle. There’s also some classic beach motels like the Edgewater and Sea Gypsy. All of the pier hotels and motels will have you steps away from the beach. I’m all about a beach walk and from the Pismo Beach pier you can walk in either direction for a nice nature stroll.  

Lunch favorites in Pismo Beach would have to include Splash Cafe for their famous clam chowder. For an ocean view lunch Woolies gives you a pier view. My best friend is all about eating at Brads - it’s a must when she comes to visit.  

For dinner in Pismo Beach I have a few favorites - Vista with an ocean view and menu with a variety of food options, Giuseppe’s for Italian food, McLintock’s for famous BBQ with an ocean view, and Oyster Loft for seafood and an ocean view. These four restaurants are also good options for dinner after your Pismo Beach elopement.

If you want to be a bit more active during your stay in Pismo Beach, hike the Pismo Preserve or rent a kayak from Central Coast Kayaks.  

When you are staying in Pismo for your Pismo Beach elopement, you may want to take a day trip or two and head North. The locations worth visiting are - Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Los Osos, Cayucous and Cambria.  

San Luis Obispo is home to Cal Poly State University. This college town has a fun and funky downtown with Bubble Gum Alley, local mom and pop shops, San Luis Rey Mission, and the Thursday Night Farmer’s Market. Check out Firestone Grill for tri-tip sandwiches, Luna Red for tapas and Lure for a variety of fresh fish dishes. For Thursday Farmer’s Market, they close down Higuera St. (one of the main streets in downtown) and booths are set up with local produce, places to eat, and entertainment. You can walk the few blocks and get a feel for the town and Farmer’s Market.  

Avila Beach is another small beach town located next to Pismo Beach. If you bring your furry friend to your elopement, there’s an off the leash dog beach. The beaches here are also more kid friendly since they don’t have as large of waves. Also, on your way into town, stop by Avila Valley Barn. The Barn is stocked with produce, their famous pies, and an ice cream shop. There’s also a few farm animals that you can feed and a spot for lunch. During sometimes of the year there are hay rides and you pics. f you like to bike or walk trails, the Bob Jones Trail starts right next to Avila Barn. The trail is an easy paved trail that you can walk and it leads you right to the beach.

If you love wine, Paso Robles is the place to go with over 200 wineries.  

If you want to spot sea otters, head over to Morro Bay. You can spot them on the opposite side of Morro Rock. If the tide is low, you can also collect sand dollars. Stop into town for seafood and shopping. You can also catch a boat and take a tour of the harbor for more sea life to spot.

If you like a little more history, a short drive to San Simeon will take you to the famous Hearst Castle. There are daily tours of the Castle and the Visitor’s Center is also packed with interesting facts about the castle, how it was built and the history.  

Venture a little past San Simeon and you’ll find the giant elephant seals.

For more to do in Cambria and San Simeon scroll down to the bottom of this post we wrote here.  

If you are traveling to Pismo Beach from Southern California, you may want to stop off for a side trip to Solvang and Buellton. Solvang is a Danish themed town with bakeries and shops to stroll around. Catch lunch at Ramen Kotori for ramen or the best spicy chicken sandwich at Craft by Corque.  

If you are a beer drinker, stop off in Buellton at Firestone Brewery. They have over 20 beers on tap and also feature their sour beers. Firestone Brewery also has lunch and dinner.