If you love the ocean, any getaway to the Oregon Coast can make you feel like a million bucks. Breathing in the salty air, catching a whale spouting from a cliffside trail, digging clams for an impromptu dinner over a campfire: All these experiences are Oregon luxuries with little to no cost. But for special occasions or just an unforgettable experience, the state’s 363 miles of coastline provide many ways to splurge.
Kayak Among Massive Rocks on the South Coast
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Though a jet boat or float tour on the Rogue River is always fun, adventurous visitors to the South Coast can book nature-focused tours on the high seas. Get up close and personal with rocky outcroppings and marine life — even harbor seals and resident gray whales — by kayaking with South Coast Tours. Paddling trips can be just a few hours around Port Orford Heads or a longer excursion to the Arches territory south of Gold Beach.
Eat
Contemplate the contours of the Coast as you dine overlooking Battle Rock and the cliffs to the south at Redfish. Magnificent sunsets, craft cocktails, and locally sourced seafood come from bays nearby and from the local fishing fleet. Visit the Hawthorne Gallery next door, owned by the same family, if you’re fascinated by the abstract art on the dining room walls. For more seafood and local farms, explore the Wild Rivers Coast Food Trail.
Stay
A grand resort-style destination with a lawn spilling down to the Rogue River banks near Gold Beach, Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge offers every luxury amenity a visitor might want, from peaceful rooms and on-site dining featuring the lodge’s own garden and local seafood to a range of wellness activities. Try kayaking, the wood-burning sauna, quiet forest paths and more, or come for a wine-tasting weekend. Deluxe suites have outdoor soaking tubs that make stargazing and relaxation even more special, and the property also offers more private houses and cottages.
Wellness and Wild Seas on the Central Coast
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Sometimes luxury just means taking a well-needed break. Yachats, a small town on a bend of Highway 101 north of Florence, offers rest and peace of mind in a beautiful oceanside setting. Start your getaway with a reservation for a sea-stone massage and facial at the Overleaf Lodge & Spa after a stop at the peaceful, bath-warm, indoor soaking pool on site. The large windows alongside the pool frame wild waves shooting spray into the air and brilliant sunsets. When you’re ready to explore, cross the lodge’s back lawn for access to multiple trails, or take a stroll through the vibrant Gerdemann Botanic Preserve across the highway. Just south of town, Cape Perpetua’s trail system has even more — from easy hikes to strenuous climbs — for meditative forest bathing and spotting whales at ocean overlooks.
Eat
With a globally inspired menu and dishes featuring healthy grains, farm-fresh vegetables and locally caught Chinook salmon, Ona Restaurant & Lounge is perfect for a quiet supper. Enjoy a glass of Oregon pinot noir in the dining room or enclosed and heated outdoor seating section overlooking the sandy mouth of the Yachats River. Green Salmon, a classic brunch spot just down the street, sells fair-trade, custom-roasted coffee and unique tea blends to stimulate creative work and sweet dreams. The Central Coast Food Trail has many more options to enjoy in the area.
Stay
Overleaf Lodge & Spa offers complimentary use of soaking tubs and steam and sauna rooms to guests 18 and over without an appointment or fee. Guests also enjoy full breakfasts and wine tastings in a cozy lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows and a crackling fireplace — great for watching winter storms. Non-guests may purchase a spa guest pass. For even more privacy, consider booking a cottage on the grounds.
Catch Your Dinner on the North Coast
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Astoria offers multiple ways to experience its fishing heritage via guided trips on small, all-inclusive boats that navigate the surrounding waters and take you to the best fishing spots. Even better — your expert guide provides all the gear, advice, and fillet services when you reel in the big one. Salmon and steelhead still reign supreme on Lower Columbia River charters, but visitors looking for a change of pace might try to navigate the nooks and crannies of nearshore, colorful lingcod or rockfish with a groundfish charter. Want a little history on the river? The historic tugboat Arrow No. 2 offers tours and tales of Astoria’s waterfront, once teeming with fishing vessels feeding canneries lining the sore. Check the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s handy page to see what licenses are needed and what’s biting when.
Eat
Brimming with pescatarian dining options, the North Coast knows its seafood. In Astoria, opt for intimate fine dining at Daphne, which crafts weekly-changing creative cuisine from the docks and farms in the area. Try the set menu for your entire table, with a portion of the proceeds going to local nonprofit organizations, and a bottle of wine off the well-curated list with smaller Oregon and global producers. Another popular option is a fresh, handmade pasta dinner at cheery Fede Trattoria, sitting on the Riverwalk and serving traditional Italian dishes, as well as refreshing spritzes and housemade limoncello.
If you’re in Pacific City for a dory boat charter, you’ll find luxury lodging and dining with views of the unusual sand launch for these boats. Featuring a dining area with exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows and a warming fireplace, Meridian Restaurant and Bar, in the lobby of Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa in Pacific City, is a great place to recap your trip. Ask about the local catch special and dishes sourced from Northwest purveyors. Check out the North Coast Food Trail for other local restaurants and seafood markets.
Stay
Astoria’s luxury hotels offer comfortable beds, maritime decor and dramatic views of ships from river-view rooms and lounging areas. Options include spacious rooms at the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa — situated on its own historic pier next to the Astoria-Megler Bridge — and downtown’s Bowline Hotel. This former seafood-processing plant was transformed into a 40-room boutique property with high ceilings and local art, plus a sophisticated cocktail bar with light eats and outdoor riverfront seating. Head straight down Highway 101 to Tierra del Mar, just north of Pacific City, and you’ll find the brand-new 58-acre Two Capes Lookout property, which includes a year-round waterfall, several floor-to-ceiling mirrored cabins with ocean and forest views and eight geodesic domes designed for stargazing on clear nights.
