SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT AVILA BEACH, SAN LUIS OBISPO

With one road in and one road out, Avila Beach is a pretty unique place to visit. With its boutique surf shops, amazing dining, breathtaking beaches and activities for everyone, you’ll be glad you stopped by to witness it all for yourself.
Avila Beach is a popular destination for a wide variety of beach activities including surfing and swimming. The beach is relatively small and generally warmer weather than most other central coast beaches because it is south-facing and sheltered by Point San Luis.
Where to stay? We have passed by the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa many times but have never stopped, we are so glad we decided to this time, it’s a beautiful resort! Their rooms are great, each one with a mineral springs hot tub. They also offer massage therapy in their spa, which includes access to their larger mineral spring hot tubs. It truly feels like a special shangri-la! There are various types of lodging, from regular hotel like rooms to more upscale rooms set in the middle of their woodsy environment. Our room was super clean, with lots of towels and very spacious! We had a wine refrigerator and a small regular fridge in a wet bar area, a microwave, Keurig with coffees and teas, bottled waters. There was a living room area with a huge TV and a switch-controlled fireplace. The separate bedroom had a king bed, a cushioned seat by a window that looked out onto a wooded area, and a closet with 2 robes. The bathroom was separated into a double sink area and a toilet/huge double-rain shower head shower area. Both the living room and the bedroom had sliding glass doors leading to a private patio where our huge, pre-filled and pre-heated hot tub was – covered, but ready for us! Definitely a great place for a romantic weekend.
We dined at the onsite restaurant, Gardens of Avila and it was amazing, most of their herbs and vegetables are grown on the premises making their meals truly farm to table. We found the staff to be the friendliest, especially the guys that shuttle you to your room, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them, and they were the first to give you advice about the surrounding area, where to go and what to do.
Please visit sycamoresprings.com for more information.

WINING-and-DINING in & around avila beach

Gardens of Avila Restaurant:
Located at Sycamore Mineral Spring Resort: Meet Chef Eddie Ruiz, a lifetime resident of the Central Coast. Chef Eddie has been cooking up a storm at the Gardens of Avila for the past 5 years, he sources many products locally from breads, proteins to produce to help support the local community. There is also a 2 acre farm located on the property that provides the restaurant with vegetables throughout the growing season. For an amazing fine dining experience please call 805 -595-7302.

Mersea’s Restaurant:
3985 Avila Beach Drive,
San Luis Obispo
You can’t beat the view from the pier as you eat out over the water. You will often if not always see Sealions and Otters on your way out to the restaurant. Their fish tacos, shrimp tacos, and clam chowder are out of this world, and they have a full bar! For reservations please call 805-548-2290.

Biddle Ranch Vineyard:
Perfectly situated in the heart of the Edna Valley, just south of San Luis Obispo, where wine and fruit benefit from early morning fog, cool ocean breezes, and sunny afternoons. For a great wine tasting experience ask for Addie pictured above. call 805-543-2399 to make a reservation.

Tolosa Winery: Tolosa vineyard uses cutting-edge technology, such as infrared vigour mapping and detailed soil exploration to better understand the vineyard and even the individual wines. Their team pinpoinazts the attention needed throughout the growing cycle. At harvest, the grapes are picked by hand in the cool, dark hours of the morning and transported to the winery in small bins. Wines are an exploration of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Edna Valley. Tolosa’s vineyard, Edna Ranch, is a sustainable farmed and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified with roots back to 1988 when vintner Robin Baggett began winemaking. Call 805-782-0500 for a wine tasting experience.

Sinor-La Vallee Tasting Room: Founded in 1997 by Mike Sinor – pictured right – and Cheri LaVallee-Sinor. Mike was awarded San Luis Obispo County Winemaker of the year in 2012. Mike and Cheri purchased the 112 acre Bassi Ranch in 2013 where there are 30 acres of grapes that his team farm using Biodynamic principles.
In 2021 the Sinor-LaVallee tasting room launched “The Shuck Shack.” which features fresh local oysters from Morro Bay. Buy the oysters and shuck them yourself while enjoying the beach, Sinor-LaVallee wine and friends! Call 805-459-9595 to make a reservation.

GREAT PLACES
TO VISIT

Avila Valley Barn: 560 Avila Beach Drive, San Luis Obispo
Avila Valley Barn is a delightful rustic destination. Visitors and locals are invited to pick the freshest fruits and vegetables grown locally, as well as a chance to hang out with goats, sheep and other farm animals. Enjoy locally made ice cream, baked goods, jams, flowers and seasonal activities such as hayrides and u-pick apples in the fall. Visit avilavalleybarn.com for more information.

Hearst Castle: 750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon
From experiencing what life was like as a guest of W. R. Hearst to exploring his personal collection of rare and ancient works of art, encounter the majesty and beauty of this historical treasure first-hand with a guided Hearst Castle tour. Visit hearstcastle.org for more information.

Bob Jones Trail: Trailhead on Ontario Road, Avila Beach
The Bob Jones Trail is the “City to the Sea” bike trail. Used as a hiking, jogging and biking route, the paved trail winds through the forested valley alongside San Luis Obispo Creek towards Avila Beach. From the trail are views of bridges spanning the wide creek, the Avila Beach Golf Course, the town of Avila and the Pacific Ocean. For more information visit bobjonestrail.com

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