Looking for a great weekend getaway in California?  Then Pismo Beach is a great place to go.

Pismo Beach is small, California beach town about 3 hours north of Los Angeles, and 4 hours south of San Francisco.  It’s too far for a day trip, but perfect for a weekend getaway.  

I recently spent a weekend there, and these are my top 7 suggestions for things to do to have fun!  And if you get a hotel downtown, you can leave your car and walk to a lot of these places. 

So let’s get into it!

#1 Explore the Pier and Plaza

Pismo Beach is right on the Pacific ocean, so the first thing you should do is check out the pier.  Completely rebuilt in 2016, this pier opened to the public in 2018.  It’s wide, modern, and extends out over 1,200 feet into the ocean, making it the 16th longest pier in California.  

Enjoy the ocean view from the many benches and picnic tables, or from the 4, large diamond shaped sections to give you an even more spectacular view.

Enjoy fishing?  You can fish right off the pier without a license.

The Plaza has a huge Pismo Beach sign, a playground for children, sand showers, and a parking lot.  

Volleyball nets are setup on the beach next to the pier for your beach volleyball fun!

Information boards along the pier & plaza show you the history of Pismo Beach, and some of its most interesting characters!

#2 Try Some Craft Beer

There are several craft beer spots within walking distance.  I went to the Pismo Brewing Company, The Boardroom Beer Pub, but hands down my favorite place was Kulturhaus.

Kulturhaus brews its own beer on-site and hosts beer from other California craft beer houses.  It’s a small beer house with an outdoor seating area, perfect for warm summer nights, and still comfortable for the mild winter evenings.

They didn’t have a flight, but they had small glasses so you could make your own flight.  

I asked the bartender to create a flight for me, and he selected a light, dark and hazy IPA for me.

The light was their Wassergeist, the dark was from a different California craft beer house, but the hazy IPA was the most memorable for me.

It was their Sonnenschein, which they tout as having hoppy flavors of guava, peach & apricot.  But what I really loved about it was that the flavor changed a little with each sip I took.  They say that as the beer warms, the vanilla flavors start to come through, but I could taste the change with each sip, and it was wonderful!

The bartender was friendly, he knew the beers, he asked me what types of beers I liked, so he could craft the perfect flight for me.  

Great beer, great atmosphere, friendly people – what could be better?

#3  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA)

Have you ever imagined yourself driving on the beach, top down, wind in your hair, laughing as you skim the incoming surf while the ocean spray splashes your sun-kissed face?  

Well … you can’t, because driving on the beach is illegal in California!

Except at Oceano Dunes.

Oceano Dunes SVRA is 5 miles of oceanfront beach and dunes for you and your car!

I could see myself driving my bright, yellow Volkswagon Beetle – the epitome of a California beach car – along the beach.  But their website strongly recommends a 4 wheel drive.  

But do you really need a 4 wheel drive?  Really?

I was still considering this when I got to the beach.  But I watched a poor, Toyota driver spin his wheels, kicking up sand, and going absolutely nowhere.  A 4-wheeler leaving the park took pity on him and pulled his Toyota back to the safety of the parking lot.  Humiliating!

So, yes, you need a 4 wheel drive to enjoy Oceano Dunes.

#4 Pismo Beach State Golf Course

If you’re a golfer, what could be better than golfing right next to the ocean? 

This is a public golf course, first-come, first-serve.  

They rent clubs, so you don’t have to stash yours in the trunk of your car for this weekend trip.  

Then enjoy the 9-hole, 3-par course.

Would you rather putt?  They have a putting green as well.

#5  Ride a Horse on the Beach

Pacific Dunes Riding Ranch will be glad to give you a tour of the dunes and the beach on horseback.

I, sadly, was not able to do this, but I saw the horses and riders, and was instantly envious.  It’s definitely on my must-do list for my next Pismo Beach weekend getaway!

#6  Get in the Water!

Pismo Beach has great surfing, and there are several places that offer surfing classes.

If you don’t think surfing is for you, then get a boogie board and head out.  

Still not convinced? 

Then head back to the pier and ogle the hot-bod surfers as they test their skills against the majestic Pacific.

Pismo is a beach town – that means it’s a surf town, and you’ll have or see some great surfing!

#7  Enjoy the Local Cuisine

Trust me on this, you will not go hungry in Pismo Beach.  Almost every restaurant had an outdoor seating area – beach town, remember? – and the food is amazing.

I had a wonderful and filling bowl of clam chowder at Pismo Pizza and Chowder House.

After going to Kulturhaus, I went next door to The Cracked Crab for some fish ‘n’ chips (delicious).

The next day, I sat outdoors and ate tacos at the Pizmo Cafe.  Oh, so good!

There were plenty of other options to choose from as well.

I confess that I drove a couple of miles outside of town for Starbucks for my morning coffee.  So if you’re not interested in trying local food, there are more traditional options nearby.  

There is really a lot more to do in Pismo Beach.

Other Things to Do

If you’re there between November and February, then head to Monarch Butterfly Grove.

The Monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter, and the Pismo Beach Monarch Preserve is one of their many stops along the way.  

This year, there were over 22,000 butterflies there!

It was truly a spectacular site.  I did a video on the Monarch Preserve.  You can watch it here. 

Do you like to hike or bike?  The Pismo Preserve is 880 acres of hills and hiking/biking trails with spectacular views of the ocean.

The Sand Dunes will make you think you’re in the Arabian desert, with miles and miles of undulating, golden sand dunes.  It’s a desert hiker’s paradise!

There are a lot of public parks in Pismo Beach to explore as well. So head over to one of them to enjoy the sunset.

I’m sure I’ve left something off this list, because Pismo Beach is such a vibrant beach town.

Leave me a comment below if you’ve been to Pismo Beach, or have something for me to try the next time I’m there!