Less than two hours from LA, Santa Barbara is an upmarket coastal town with Spanish architecture and Californian lifestyle - cafes, bars and restaurants mix in with museums and art galleries. Further north, the university town of San Luis Obispo has a lively atmosphere and a great farmers market once a week

Pacific Highway 1 hits the ocean once more at Pismo Beach, a relaxed town with a lazy atmosphere and a seaside feel making it a great base for exploring the region. By San Simeon the landscape has become more dramatic and dolphins can often be seen just offshore, while at Point Piedras Blancas a huge colony of elephant seals is a major draw

Pismo Beach, San Simeon & the California Coast

The California Coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco is packed with interest, and is a perfect place to start a California fly-drive holiday. North of Los Angeles the Central Coast takes in the beach resorts on the edge of LA such as Santa Monica and Malibu, before heading in to a more peaceful and less developed area.

Getting to Pismo Beach

Primary airport Los Angeles
Flight time approx 11 hours
Time difference GMT -8

Driving times (approximate)

Pismo Beach to Los Angeles

- 3 hours 30 mins / 185 miles

Pismo Beach to Monterey

- 3 hours 15 mins / 150 miles

Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara

- 1 hour 30 mins / 95 miles

Pismo Beach to San Simeon

- 1 hour / 60 miles

Suggested Itineraries

Suggested places to stay

Seacrest Oceanfront Hotel

Pismo Beach

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Dolphin Bay Resort

Pismo Beach area

****

San Francisco, California Coast & Los Angeles Fly-Drive holiday

San Fran, Cali Coast, Los Angeles, Palm Springs & San Diego Fly-Drive holiday

LA, California Coast, San Francisco, Yosemite, Death Valley & Vegas Fly-Drive