Morro Bay: Central California is underrated but there’s plenty to see

Three stacks and a rock overlook the town.

As taglines go, Morro Bay’s declaration that it’s “three stacks and a rock” possibly needs some tweaking. Not that it’s inaccurate.

The “stacks” – the chimneys on the defunct local power plant – tower over most things… except, of course, the “rock”: a 576ft tall volcanic plug at the mouth of Morro Bay’s harbour, which gives it its other, and I’d argue equally unappealing, descriptor: “The Gibraltar of the Pacific.”

Morro Bay

For a more accurate term, I’d lean towards one you’ll spot on local T-shirts: “Not LA, not The Bay.” The Central Coast, where you’ll find Morro Bay, sits equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles, and is a part of California that’s happily doing its own, very relaxed, ultra-local thing. It’s almost impossible not to be charmed, not least as Morro Bay is where they apparently keep their sea otters…

As delightful as sea otters are, however, you can’t realistically spend more than several hours squealing with glee at their fuzzy faces and the way they hold paws and float on their backs and ooh look at the babies! Ahem. Excuse me a second…

A cloud passes over Morro Rock in Morro Bay, California.

As delightful as sea otters are, they’re perhaps not reason alone to earmark a few days in Morro Bay but you don’t have to look deeply for more. At the least, it’s a great seafood detour while cruising the Pacific Coast Highway but give yourself over to its low key, easy-going charms and you’ll find there’s so much more to Morro Bay than just great seafood. Although we should definitely talk great seafood.

Harbour road, the Embarcadero, is dotted with seafood restaurants. In a lesson the UK could certainly learn, they’re supporting their local – as in right outside the door – fishing industry. It’s not so surprising in the case of Tognazzini’s Dockside. “My 54th year of fishing, my 20th of restaurants,” explains founder Mark.

We’re lunching in their second location, metres from the original and craftily named Dockside Too; a hybrid fishmonger and restaurant that’s just doing it right. The origin may have been necessity – “adapt and survive,” explains Mark – but the result is superb, and understandably rammed.

Order the fish sandwich and you’ll be guided to the display case to select which of that morning’s catch you’d like crisply coated and fried as the filling. It’s not rocket-science but it is ludicrously and oh-so-simply delicious, ditto the fresh and the fried oysters. Mark, having clocked the British accent, drops by to show some photos of his mother, a Pearly Queen.

It’s somewhat surreal, discussing cockney traditions in the California sunshine, on the Pacific, listening to a local musician perform Eagles covers, while the local sealions honk contentedly in the background, but it’s also pretty damned perfect.

Switch off and relax

Those last three words come up a lot over the next few days, as we simply switch off, kick back and enjoy Morro Bay and its surrounds.

From lunch, we drop our bags at the charming Anderson Inn – great views, ultra-chilled, spacious, comfortable rooms with a suitably aquatic vibe – and, well, just fall back into Morro Bay life starting, perhaps inevitably, with a boat cruise around the bay.

We hire an electric boat from Estero Adventures and cruise, silently and blissfully, around for an hour, observing wildlife and enjoying the air.

Morro Bay is excellent for wildlife spotting.

A natural promontory – now mostly a State Park – sits between Morro Bay and the Pacific, providing calm waters for all sorts of boating activities, as well as perfect conditions for oyster beds and an incredible array of wildlife.

Indeed, every January, Morro Bay hosts one of the world’s biggest birdwatching festivals – morrobaybirdfestival.org – where you’ll potentially see some 200 species.

Local produce on sale at a street market.

Take a short stroll away from the ocean and you’ll find a small town that punches way above its weight. There’s a charming movie theatre, a little local retail, assorted bars and clubs with active live music and comedy programmes, a healthy craft beer scene – and yes, the Three Stacks And A Rock Brewing Company does exist – a fine smattering of restaurants, and a buzzy café/coffee scene: Scout Coffee, in particular, is excellent by any city’s standards. Push a little further afield, and you’re in some of the most beautiful hills and scenery California has to offer.

But, inevitably, it’s the water that draws us back, time and time again. A gondola ride – on a gondola imported from Venice – is utterly charming.

We also push out into the Pacific for some (failed) whale watching (wrong time of year) and some (successful) dolphin spotting and the guys behind the excellent Morro Bay Oyster Co very graciously take us out to their oyster beds on our final morning. Each experience borders on the magical.

Morro Bay’s newest tagline is “Come get salty” and that feels like the one that should stick. We got salty, not to mention truly relaxed and very well fed – and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Factfile

For more information on Morro Bay, take a look at www.morrobay.org. Rooms at the Anderson Inn – andersoninnmorrobay.com – start at around £220 per night.
Morro Bay is nestled around 200 miles/four hours’ drive from both Los Angeles and San Francisco. Flights to both cities from Scottish airports – via Heathrow or another US hub airport – start at around £700 return per person.
Gondola tours start at $130 per hour. Cruises and dining experiences can be booked via Central Coast Gondola at centralcoastgondola.com.
Estero Adventures electric boat cruises start at $100 per hour and can be booked via esteroinn.com/estero-adventures
Details of The Morro Bay Oyster Company can be found at www.morrobayoysters.com