Port San Luis Harbor District

Great view. Great for hanging out with family and friends. Enjoy fishing off the port. Enjoy a good walk along the boardwalk or on the beach. Dog beach is very accessible and clean. Just be careful when crossing the street if you park across the street.

I grew up in the Central Coast and one of the things I wanted to do when I «grew up» was drive a car on the pier! Long a go my parents drove us kids down the Santa Barbara Pier and when I spied the opportunity to do it here at the harbor I HAD to do it! It feel REALLY weird like my big heavy Tahoe is going to crack a board and we are all going to drown… then I see a big heavy maintenance truck and think oh we are fine… wait… why was there a big maintenance truck on the pier!!! Yikes… now I get it!

We RV camped at this place recently. It’s not worth the $ 65 a night. The spaces were tight, the hookup’s difficult, and it was a sandy area-​not paved (messy in the rain). The area is beautiful and the beach great to walk on, but you might as well boondock and pay nothing.

I’m currently here for camping. We came a few days early and set up since its first come first serve. Our spot on the side of the main road looks directly out too the beautiful harbor. There are few places this beautiful and yet accessible anymore. Dogs run off leash, there are fire pits on one of the two beaches, it’s not as crowded as the big beach in Avila, there are Kayak rentals and good restaurant’s within walking distance plus a fish market. We don’t live far so we come here often to spend a few hours playing in the water, searching for crabs and poking the sea anemones. No alcohol allowed on the beach so hide your liquor ;-) oh I almost forgot, the kids love the seals that hang out at the pier and often times come swimming by. The birds here are pretty incredible too. I must say I do love this place.

Hidden Gem on the central coast.
RV overnight spaces, charter fishing, seafood market, restaurants, dog beach, boat yard, and mooring.
Very clean, well maintained, and plenty of parking.
There is plenty of beach, and street side parking. We enjoy making a day trip out of it. You can pretty much set up camp for the day and enjoy the scenery.
Bob Jones Trail, pier walking, Avila Beach Boardwalk, Golf Course, Pirates Cove, fishing, kayak rentals, and my favorite. Farmers Market on Friday afternoon.

Great place to bring the family, dogs, bring a date, or just to spend some time reflecting by yourself.
They have 2 beaches where dogs can run off their leashes all day. On Avila you can too, but only early and late in the day.
You can do fish many different ways; on the pier, with Patriot Fishing, or on your own boat.
It is the best place in the Central Coast to learn and do stand up paddle boarding and kayaking. You can also paddle out to the beach inside the breakwater and hike up to the lighthouse. They also have tours of the lighthouse on Wednesdays and Saturdays which you can reserve a spot on a trolley out there or have a hike led by a docent.
There are RV camping areas, some of it is dry camping, but some has hook ups.
There are a few places to eat, there is Olde Port Inn at the end of Harford Pier, and Portside Coffee and Fat Cat’s on the landing.
The pier is a nice place to take a stroll and check our the sea lions, fish markets, and fishermen.
Regarding the guy complaining about the «sea lion platforms», those are work docks for the boats, they were not put out for the sea lions comfort.

This beautiful crescent-​shaped beach, just past the Avila Beach pier, was recommended by locals. It is a half mile of wide, glistening sand that’s fine grained, firm, smooth and flat. Perfect for small kids, as there aren’t waves or current issues here. And if you have dogs, bring them here and they’ll go crazy. Our smallest one won’t get her feet wet — ever! But here, she was romping down the beach and frolicking in the inches-​deep water.
Campfires allowed in rings, trash free, no services (bathrooms are being rebuilt), no food or drink vendors, so BYO!
This is a 5 star beach!

I loved the beach here! It’s great for dogs (off leash allowed), kids, family, etc. It’s a wide beach, the waves were calm and the water was shallow enough for kids to play in the ocean. This was a clean beach, clear water and soft, fine sand. There’s plenty of free parking on the street.
You can also have a campfire on the beach but you may encounter a lot of Cal Poly students gathering here too.

I LOVE this place. It’s so transcendental, in that Emerson/​Thoreau kind of way. It’s one of my favorite places where I can totally get lost in nature and be at peace.
Take a leisurely stroll on the pier.
Get lost in a trance from watching the swaying waves.
See the elusive sea otters groom themselves as they float on their backs.
See barking California sea lions lie around below the pier.
See harbor seals swim, well, in the harbor!
See gray whales breach (when the season is right). They are NOT shy. :)
Smile at the pelicans as they hang out on the pier railing.
Watch the midday feeding frenzy take place not too far from the pier. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen! Sea lions, cormorants, seagulls, and pelicans, and sometimes great white sharks (they are common here), all creating a big splash as they feast on the thousands of sardines in the water. It’s almost too frightening to watch!
Oh, yeah. It’s also worth eating a meal over at The Olde Port Inn for some excellent seafood and drinking some excellent local wines. And while at the restaurant, if sitting in the patio area, you can still enjoy the view of the water.
Go at night, and it’s still pretty mesmerizing.
Situated near Avila Beach, this pier, known as Port San Luis Pier or Harford Pier has been around since 1873! Well, at least the original. The one that now stands is from 1915. It had to be rebuilt since the original pier was destroyed by a tidal wave in 1878. So, it’s pretty old.
Usually, parking is not a problem here. There is a huge lot near the pier, and often I have been able to find a parking spot easily.
This place is a MUST whenever on the Central Coast. At least for me it is. Every person I have brought here seem to really like it, too. :)

Overall, the Harbor Commission does an okay job with Port San Luis, which is just a mile north of Avila Beach. Although yesterday it was a little disturbing to see the seal platform with little to no space for the seals to hang out. They were almost fighting for their spaces and there was a fence only leaving them with about a foot of space to jump onto. The laundromat these guys provide though is nice and cheap and I do laundry out here when I get away to Avila for the day sometimes.