Accommodation in Cambria
• A WorldWeb.com Travel Guide for Cambria, California.
Located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and only an hour’s drive from San Luis Obispo Regional Airport (SBP), is Cambria—an idyllic seaside town located on California’s Central Coast that is surrounded by lush, soaring pine trees and breathtaking beach cliffs. The community is situated along the Cabrillo Highway (Highway 1) and offers a nostalgic visit back in time to an era devoid of chain stores and restaurants, where the pace of life is slower and the beauty of the beach and locally owned shops and eateries takes center stage.
The area’s main tourist attractions are Hearst Castle—a historic, sprawling 56-bedroom estate owned by media mogul William Randolph Hearst in the mid-1900s and located just to the north in San Simeon—and Piedras Blancas—a beach located 15 mi (24 km) north and inhabited by a large group of vocal northern elephant seals. Travelers seeking accommodation in Cambria can choose from picturesque hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts, and private cabins in three main areas.
MOONSTONE BEACH/WEST VILLAGE
Cambria’s most popular area is Moonstone Beach, where visitors can enjoy leisurely strolls on the sand, bike rides or a dip in the Pacific Ocean with or without a kayak or surfboard. There are several beachfront hotels to choose from along Moonstone Beach Drive that offer dramatic views and rhythmic sounds of the Pacific surf. The Blue Dolphin Hotel Inn is a well-appointed, romantic hotel for vacationing couples and the Blue Whale Inn is a semi-private collection of seven luxury suites located on the bluffs.
Visitors traveling with dogs will enjoy canine-friendly accommodations at Cambria Shores Inn and families will feel welcomed at the FogCatcher Inn, which features a large heated pool and make-your-own waffle breakfasts. The more than 20 inns located along Moonstone Beach are all within walking distance of the trendy and slightly more modern shopping area known as the West Village.
HISTORICAL EAST VILLAGE
The historic East Village is Cambria’s “Old Town,” an older area that features upscale eateries and quaint, white-fenced boutique shops filled with unique antiques and locally made keepsakes. The East Village is also home to the Cambria Historical Museum. Most accommodations in the East Village are bed and breakfast inns or quaint private cabins, all of which are located between Main Street and Cabrillo Highway with the exception of the popular Her Castle Homestay Bed and Breakfast Inn, which is located a few blocks southwest of Cabrillo Highway and features its own botanical garden and wildlife refuge. Most bed and breakfast inns in the area offer charming rustic décor and gourmet breakfasts, while some like J. Patrick House Bed and Breakfast on Burton Drive feature in-room wood-burning fireplaces.
DOWNTOWN SAN SIMEON/HEARST CASTLE AREA
Heading north away from Cambria toward San Simeon, travelers will find affordable budget hotels with fewer amenities than those available in Cambria but that offer closer proximity to Hearst Castle. Those seeking more posh alternative accommodations closer to Hearst Castle may enjoy one of the many seasonally available luxury vacation rentals available in northern San Simeon that are frequently advertised by private owners.
The area’s main tourist attractions are Hearst Castle—a historic, sprawling 56-bedroom estate owned by media mogul William Randolph Hearst in the mid-1900s and located just to the north in San Simeon—and Piedras Blancas—a beach located 15 mi (24 km) north and inhabited by a large group of vocal northern elephant seals. Travelers seeking accommodation in Cambria can choose from picturesque hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts, and private cabins in three main areas.
MOONSTONE BEACH/WEST VILLAGE
Cambria’s most popular area is Moonstone Beach, where visitors can enjoy leisurely strolls on the sand, bike rides or a dip in the Pacific Ocean with or without a kayak or surfboard. There are several beachfront hotels to choose from along Moonstone Beach Drive that offer dramatic views and rhythmic sounds of the Pacific surf. The Blue Dolphin Hotel Inn is a well-appointed, romantic hotel for vacationing couples and the Blue Whale Inn is a semi-private collection of seven luxury suites located on the bluffs.
Visitors traveling with dogs will enjoy canine-friendly accommodations at Cambria Shores Inn and families will feel welcomed at the FogCatcher Inn, which features a large heated pool and make-your-own waffle breakfasts. The more than 20 inns located along Moonstone Beach are all within walking distance of the trendy and slightly more modern shopping area known as the West Village.
HISTORICAL EAST VILLAGE
The historic East Village is Cambria’s “Old Town,” an older area that features upscale eateries and quaint, white-fenced boutique shops filled with unique antiques and locally made keepsakes. The East Village is also home to the Cambria Historical Museum. Most accommodations in the East Village are bed and breakfast inns or quaint private cabins, all of which are located between Main Street and Cabrillo Highway with the exception of the popular Her Castle Homestay Bed and Breakfast Inn, which is located a few blocks southwest of Cabrillo Highway and features its own botanical garden and wildlife refuge. Most bed and breakfast inns in the area offer charming rustic décor and gourmet breakfasts, while some like J. Patrick House Bed and Breakfast on Burton Drive feature in-room wood-burning fireplaces.
DOWNTOWN SAN SIMEON/HEARST CASTLE AREA
Heading north away from Cambria toward San Simeon, travelers will find affordable budget hotels with fewer amenities than those available in Cambria but that offer closer proximity to Hearst Castle. Those seeking more posh alternative accommodations closer to Hearst Castle may enjoy one of the many seasonally available luxury vacation rentals available in northern San Simeon that are frequently advertised by private owners.
Scenic Tours
