Stunning views of the Pacific Ocean are the trademark of Pismo Beach. As you veer around Highway 101 on the Central Coast, you'll suddenly notice hotels situated on cliffs overlooking the water. Beauty and the beach: it's the stuff travelers' dreams are made of. Top photo shows Best Western Shelter Cove location and bottom two show Best Western Shore Cliff. Another great hotel on the beach near the Pismo Beach Pier is the Sandcastle Inn.
Pismo Beach is charming city with an active downtown that includes shops, restaurants, hotels and a beautiful pier. Take a stroll on one of the best piers for sightseeing. We rate it with high marks because the walk back toward land is special in its own right. In Spring, the sun shines on green, gently rolling hills that frame this picturesque city while seagulls on the pier stand at attention and watch. Locals are especially proud of the pier, itself, and tell us that it cost over $1 million to build and is sturdy enough to carry the foot traffic of over a million guests who visit annually.
When you visit Pismo Beach, you may notice clam insignias on things, and there's even a clam monument. Pismo Clams were once as much a part of the city as seals were to Seal Beach. In both places, the icons are more of remembrance than a day to day occurrence. Although, a sign with a sculpted clam greets visitors to the city, you can't dig for clams unless you purchase a license. Even then, you are allowed only a certain number per day, if you find them. There are plenty of other activities to keep you busy, however.
Themed weekends such as the Clam and Jazz Festivals, shops, restaurants, bicycles, a factory outlet and 12 miles of camping, hiking and surf fishing on the State Vehicular Park make this one of the top vacation spots on the Central California Coast. Just being in love keeps romantics occupied in Pismo Beach.
The name "Pismo" originates from a Chumash Indian word, meaning "blobs of tar". Yuck! Actually, the blobs of tar found naturally along the California coast were very useful for building boats, the Chumash prized possession. Pismo was part of the original Rancho Pismo when founded by developer John Price over 100 years ago. His El Pizmo Company recorded a sale of a downtown lot in 1881 for $5.00. The piece of land now known as Dolliver Street is lined with shops and buildings and is one of the city's primary arteries. And though we don't have recent prices on the cost of that land today, we know that houses perched on hills overlooking the ocean can range in the +million mark.
A piece of Pismo land is valuable today but selling beach property wasn't as easy at the turn of the century so Price built a hotel overlooking San Luis Bay. His plans included a wharf and a railroad stop to lure newcomers. Growth through new construction and discovery of oil and tourism carried El Pizmo Company into the 20th century and helped put Pismo Beach on the map. Clams which were plentiful in the region during those years, did their part in creating an image for the town, as well.
Pismo Things to Do
