Cambria, CA Travel, Photos Information and News

Cambria, California on the Central Coast features Monterey pine trees that frame an ocean setting. The country-style drive along Interstate 1 includes gently rolling hills that are lush green in the spring, and sometimes include cattle grazing in the expansive fields overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

For tourists, the draw to this city is Moonstone Beach where many hotels with ocean views are situated on the hill above the ocean just across the street from Moonstone Beach Drive.

Just staying in ocean view hotels might be enough, but the location also is close to three attractions--downtown Cambria, Hearst Castle, and Piedras Blancas beach where hundreds of seals can be seen and photographed.

Cambria combines gourmet cuisine in eclectic restaurants and tea houses featuring ample charm, with large selections of locally crafted wines from the Central Coast wine region, to make for a vacation that doesn't just wow the senses, but also relaxes the mind.

On Central Coast time things move a bit slower than the major cities no more than 250 miles away in Los Angeles and San Francisco. And in Cambria, time is your best friend as you stroll the boutique shops, decide where you want to eat, what you want to visit and see, and what beach you'll get your feet wet on as you walk barefoot. Driftwood, seashells and sand are the setting for the beautiful Cambria beaches.

Once you visit this Central Coast destination, you'll be yearning to return for the much needed break.

What to take: Clothing attire is casual. Jeans and slacks are fine. Wear comfortable shoes for walking. Bring a jacket, definitely, for cool nights.

Temperatures: Cambria summers are pleasant and rarely does the temperature get above 78 degrees during the summer. The coolest night time temps throughout the year can reach in the low 40s in winter and 50s in summer, with slight variations. Ocean temps range from around 65 degrees at peak to the 50s.

Getting to Cambria: You'll need to fly into the major airports and make connector flights into San Luis Obispo or Santa Maria, then rent a car. Driving to Cambria takes approx. four hours on a good day from L.A. The favored and most direct route is Interstate 101. Turn west to Highway 1 intersection when coming from either San Francisco or Los Angeles.