Cambria town

There are two sides of Main Street, Cambria East and Cambria West. Burton Drive, a side street in Cambria East is the nicest spot, with the deeply wooded hillside always in view. Prices are high here, but since almost everything is expensive nowadays, it feels worth it to eat at Robin's, which has a lovely garden in the back. Spellbound is an adorable gift shop with gemstones and fairy items inside and a magical garden in the back with flickering hanging circle mirrors casting light as if fairies are flying around. Butterflies flitter about. Bring your child here! Boys like the garden too, becuase there are dragons. Cinnabar Boutique is a gift shop with colorful ceramic lizards, pigs, fat little birds, for your garden. It is a joy to browse. Inside, the lighting is gorgeous, as are the gifts from around the world. Walk around the patio of the Cambria Historical Museum- what a cute little house, built in 1870! The Squibb House has a spooky look, especially in October.
At night there are glowing lampposts, and the atmosphere is romantic. The vegetation is almost tropical in some spots. On sunny July and August afternoons and evenings, the town is at its best. if you can splurge on $30 a plate, eat at Robin's (they stop seating people around 2:30pm and then open again at 4:30pm), which has dining in three areas: a glorious garden patio with huge flowers, an upper garden room that feels like you're outside, and a darker interior room. I like the upper garden room the best, but if you're warm enough to be outside, the garden is very lovely. The restaurant is run by a Thai woman who cooks fusion, and the food is good! It is popular, but there is often a spot in the garden room. On Monday nights at 5:30pm in summer there is live music in the garden at Robin's, for a $7 cover charge.
On Main Street in Cambria East, cars whizz by and it's not as lovely as Burton Drive but there are some nice things. A health food store called Soto's True Earth Market is a good place to grab some fruit and an individual-sized kefir to keep your energy up. There is a deli in the back. French Corner Bakery isn't French nor that good, though the lady at the counter is friendly. Linn's Restaurant, in the attractive brick building, serves good bread and soup at the side counter of their restaurant, in the touristy knickknack entrance. There is a fantastic yarn shop called Ball and Skein, with beautiful displays of yarn and thread, and great books.
Bridge Street is a lovely side street if you head north on it, with little cottages and lush gardens. It is a joy to examine each house, and admire the designs of the patios, doors, fences. Linn's Easy as Pie Cafe is here (not to be mistaken with Linn's on Main Street). The back patio is a nice spot to sit, with colorful cactus plants and trees. It is counter-service, fast, and easy for a family, and the food is good for a touristy spot. The cafe has a bookstore next door, with toys and clothes as well- a nice spot to browse. Behind the bookstore is a gourmet grocery gift shop, also owned by Linn's. Check out all three! Brydge Cafe, in a historic red house, is known to have good though pricey food.
Back on Main Street, a steep driveway leads to Old Santa Rosa Chapel. It is open for prayer Sat-Wed, though currently closed for renovation (Oct 2025). In October, Olallieberry Inn's pretty garden is decorated to be quite spooky!
Between Cambria East and Cambria West is a barren strip of Main Street, with a few places to stop. Cambria Center for the Arts (open Tues-Sun 12-4) has local art exhibits. Drive up a steep side street, Tamson Drive, to The Spot, where you can drink a juicer juice on a balcony with great views, or Luigi's Pizza. Luigi's Pizza is a super cute place to eat with kids. They have an anamatronic minion, and at Christmastime, they have mickey mouse and donald duck sculptures and decorations. Their pizza is delicious and the views from high up of the forest are lovely. Back on Main Street, outside the Veteran's Memorial Building, see the original fresnel lens, constructed in France in 1872, from the Piedras Blancas Light Station, in a beautiful glass case at 1000 Main Street. Next door is a small-scale wild west town that is fun for kids.
Further down Main Street is Cambria West, with half-timbered storefronts. I haven't checked it out yet but there is Cambria Coffee Company and Caren's Corner ice cream shop, plus many touristy gift shops. On Sundays 2-4pm in summer there is live music at Moonstone Cellars, and on Wednesdays 6-8pm open mic night.
In October you can find scarecrows in front of businesses all around town, called the Cambria Scarecrow Festival. The best are at the Cambria Historical Society, dressed in historical dress on the front porch. The society also has a scarecrow gardener, and two Raggedy Ann doll scarecrows! The most beautiful scarecrow is an elegant lady outside Spellbound Gift Shop, and a similar, amazing one outside the Luxe Ranch clothing store across from Rigdon House on Burton Drive.
At Christmastime you see lights strung prettily from the historic buildings. There is a real chill through your bones in Cambria in winter so come prepared with a puffer jacket and beanie that covers your ears! At Christmastime, you can visit the expensive Cambria Pines Lodge Christmas Market, where there are millions of LED lights that take about an hour to walk through. You reserve online and then take a shuttle bus from Burton Drive. It's a little too crowded which takes away some of the magic.
If you want to check out only the Christmas Market without the crowds, come to Cambria Nursery and Florist in October, when it is quiet and magical! They also have an amazing garden that is almost like visiting a botanical garden. The nursery is perched on a hill above the town, across the street from Cambria Pines Lodge.
Cambria East and Cambria West are a little inland- the coastal part of Cambria is Moonstone Beach Drive. Here, a wooden boardwalk takes you along the cliffs over the ocean. It's wonderful on a sunny day!
If you take Burton Drive up the hillside, you come to Cambria Nursery and Florist. DO NOT MISS this beautiful spot!! It is almost like a botanical garden, with statues, a little fairytale house, a Buddhist gazebo with water features. In October it's particularly lovely, with pumpkins piled up, and the Christmas market open to browse without the crowds!
Excellent violinist Brynn Albanese organizes summer concerts at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Saturdays at 2:30pm, one each month, for $30 per person. The Big Sirs of Swing is a Gypsy Jazz Quartet playing this summer (2024). Check her website.
Stolo Vineyards have summer Music in the Meadow, Thurs 4-6pm and Sun 1-3pm, July to Sept, free, with online reservation.
Head eleven minutes south to my absolute favorite, Harmony Town. What a delight to see the glassworks store, to step into the profoundly peaceful chapel, and to eat at a picnic table under umbrellas at the ice cream or lunchtime food truck (Sat and Sun 11:30-4:30, weather permitting). Harmony town is much warmer than Cambria because the mountains block the harsh sea wind and fog.
Further south you find two more coastal towns: Cayucos, a small beach town with coffee shops, a bakery, and a pier with an ice cream shop. The pier is lovely on warm summer afternoons. And Morro Bay, which is a laidback maritime town, with sea otters and a wonderful boardwalk to Morro Rock.
To the north is San Simeon with its Elephant Seal Vista Point. You can walk Boucher Trail from there to see the elephant seals from more secluded viewpoints. Also wonderful for seeing the elephant seals is old Piedras Blancas Motel site, now a ranger station.
Make sure you tour the Piedras Blancas Light Station while in the area! You must reserve ahead online. It is very worth it! The ranger talks to you outside for less than half an hour, and then you are free to go inside the buildings, and walk the amazing loop boardwalk trail.

Linn's Restaurant at Christmastime.

Cambria town

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