Luxury holidays in San Luis Obispo

Halfway between LA and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo – SLO to the locals – serves up the Central Coast’s classic free-spirited fun with an added dash of rural charm. Pacific-kissed Pismo Beach and Morro Bay promise golden sands, great surf and stacks of freshly caught seafood; inland, forest hikes abound. Handily, the city is home to one of the state’s finest farmers’ markets, so you won’t be short of adventure fuel. Haute-Californian restaurants and hill-clinging wineries showcase the city’s Sunday best, but life in the SLO lane isn’t strictly strait-laced – catch its quirky side at fuchsia-hued kitsch-a-thon Madonna Inn, or add your sticky signature to Bubblegum Alley.
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When to go

Blessed with a Mediterranean-style climate, SLO’s summers and autumns are sunny and mild. November to February can be on the soggy side.

Getting there

  • Planes

    The city has a small regional airport, with quick but pricey connections from LAX and San Francisco International Airport. Your best bet is to touch down in LA or San Francisco then strap in for a scenic coastal drive.

  • Automobiles

    Downtown SLO is easy to stroll around, but you’ll need to bring some wheels or hire a car at the airport to reach the best local beaches and wineries. It’s around a three-hour drive from Los Angeles and slightly longer from San Francisco.