ROADTRIP BY THE COAST OF OREGÓN

If we wanted something to visit in Oregon (with the permission of Crater Lake) it was its coast. He is not surrounded by the fame of other sections such as the Big Sur of California, or the Great Ocean Road of Australia, however he has nothing to envy at all. This tour goes through state parks, viewpoints on the rugged and powerful Pacific coast, villages of charming wooden houses and lots of other attractions. Next we tell you our roadtrip along the Oregon Coast, with all the sites to visit, tips and useful information to plan your trip.

This is the map of tour the Oregon coast:

Our day started waking us up at Motel 6 of Seaside and ended up contemplating the stars from an “Airstream” caravan in front of the Coquille River in the immediate vicinity of Bandon. More than 400 km of panoramic road that, for us, is one of the best in the world. We have fallen in love with Oregon !! And that we have not yet seen the sun!

But it all started the day before. We make sure we get to Cannon beach with enough time to enjoy one of the most charming villages on the entire Oregon coast. It was named "Playa del Cañón" after a cannon of a navy ship appeared on the beaches of this community at the end of the 19th century (today you can visit it in the Village Museum).

But the truly recognizable thing about Cannon Beach is the Haystack Rock, a rock of more than 70 meters that suggested a few meters from the seashore. This, along with the rest of the stone needles of this beach, make the environment a super cinematic place! In fact, scenes as important as the last one of the movie The Goonies!

In addition the little village of Cannon beach It is very interesting (along with tourist). It is best to park in the public parking (free) on the main street and take a walk, among wooden houses, shops, cool cafes and of course ... the beach! That is what we did, before going to our Seaside motel and recovering energy for the next day. If you had time or the next day you didn't have much trouble, we have seen that everyone recommends the Ecola State Park, north of Cannon Beach, with beautiful views of the coast and several trails that can be cool.

Loaded with the first morning coffee, we approach until Hug Point State Recreation Site To taste it without hurry. It is already known that in the roadtrips the days begin calmly, but as the hours go by, one gets into the rush and ends up arriving almost at night to the end point. Before this wild beach, with a cave in the rock wall on the right, we had stopped at one of the many viewpoints that are distributed along the scenic road 101 (we have marked them on the map you see above).

Another of these viewpoints is the Neahkahnie Viewpoint, which is located just past the Cape Falcon, in the Oswald West State Park. The only way to visit it is through walks along its many trails. If you have followed our roadtrip so far you will know that this is a tonic that is repeated a lot. And it is that in the United States they have the good habit of enjoying nature the first time they have a holiday at work. We agree this day with the Memorial Day and the parking lots at the beginning of the trails were packed. However, we have no time to lose and we continue south, traveling the Oregon coast, one of its seven wonders.

Little Apple It was the first of the charming villages we crossed. Manzanita, or "Little Apple", as it appeared on the sign of a souvenir shop. It gave us the feeling of being second-home villages, very careful and with an atmosphere of tranquility and peace that conveys good vibes. It will be its position next to the beach, it will simply be the character of its people ... Whatever it is, we really enjoyed walking, even for a little while, through its streets.

The next town, very close there, was Wheeler, and this has the other version of Oregon coastal towns: far west buildings (such as the small train stop), which seem trapped in time for decades. Equally attractive to others, but with a different style.

In Rockabay beach We attend an unexpected show. In the distance, before arriving, we saw how a cloud of smoke left the town ... Who was going to tell us that it came from the engine room of the Oregon Scenic Train, an old train that makes a panoramic tour of the Oregon coast, imitating the historic trains that made this route. In summer it goes out every day, you can see schedules and more info here.

The road continues south, surrounding the Tillamook Bay. One of the most magical places of the whole day was in the viewpoint The Three Graces, just at the beginning of this bay. These types of rock formations that are born from the ocean are the hallmark of the Oregon coast.

The scenic train that we talked about before has its end in the population of Garibaldi, a very suggestive name the truth. And it is that the year of its foundation (1870) was the same in which Garbaldi helped to finally unify Italy. The town itself does not have too much milk, beyond the huge fireplace, the only remainder of the Whitney Mill that opened in 1918 as a timber factory.

Tillamook It is one of the largest towns where they pass on the route, and is famous for the Tillamook Creamery, the largest dairy factory in North America with more than 100 years old, where you can make a self-guided visit to learn more about its production, or simply go to its restaurant to try some specialty, such as ice cream. It is a very good way to recharge energy, we anticipate that the day would be long!

In a scenic route along the coast from anywhere in the world you can not miss the historic lighthouses. On the Oregon coast they go through a good number of them, although three They are the most representative:

The first one is found on Cape Lookout Road, a road that borders three capes and offers some of the best views of the entire trip. Specifically it is the Cape Meares Lighthouse, a small lighthouse from 1890. To get there you have to go down a short path from the parking lot, with great views of the bay. Do not leave the place without visiting the Octupus Tree, a strange tree of more than 300 years, with an inverted octopus shape, without a central trunk and with several branches as a tentacle. It is certainly not known if the form is a whim of nature or was forced by the tribes that inhabited this place in the past.

The next two ends are the Cape lookout and the Cape Kiwanda, which we visited from the car following this scenic route. Before, at the height of Netarts Bay and on the other side of the tongue of water, look closely at the figures that appear lying on the sand: they are a huge colony of sea ​​lions relaxed, watching how fishermen work collecting oysters and other shellfish underground. Small animals!

There are a couple of points with Panoramic views interesting, where to stop for a moment: Winema Wayfinding Point and another just past the bridge over the Silent river, in Taft.

This before reaching the town of Depoe bay, which has the smallest navigable port in the world, in a truly beautiful cliff area. There are lots of excellent panoramic spots to freak out with the landscapes here. We did: Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint Y North Point Scenic Area before reaching the town, and on the main road there are also several. From here several tours leave to see whales, for which they will have to cross a narrow channel on the way to the high seas.

But the surprises do not finish here, A few miles from there you will have to leave Highway 101 again to take a new scenic Loop: the Otter Crest Loop. And what a wonder! Take your time to discover it at your own pace, but for nothing in the world you skip a stop at the Lookout Observatory, a small wooden house on top of the cliff, which serves as a souvenir shop and visitor center, with great views. You will also have the possibility to use binoculars and try to find whales without going out to the open sea.

A second essential stop before finishing this loop is the Devils Punchbowl Arch, literally "The devil's punch bowl". It is a mound of rock that collapsed being in this beautiful arch, where the water rises and falls depending on the tides. You can visit from the viewpoint that is next to the road, and you can also go down (only at low tide) to explore it from the inside.

Cerquita from there stands out at the end of a ledge the second of the lighthouses that we recommend in this itinerary: Yaquina Head Lighthouse. It is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, with 28 meters, and since it was built in Paris and mounted on its site in 1873, it is operational and with the original lens. He became even more famous after being the Lighthouse of the Moesko Island, in the movie The Ring. To enter there is an access fee of $ 7, or buy a pass for Oregon State Parks valid for a week, which costs $ 10.

Time to eat? And so much! At this point they gave us and at half past 3 in the afternoon! The best option is to look for a restaurant with fresh fish, you will see that it is not difficult to find, it is the specialty! We stop in the flirtatious but highly recommended South Beach Fish Market, with quite honest prices. We also had the Luna Sea, in Yachats.

With a full stomach and renewed energy, we continue exploring the Oregon coast, along its scenic highway 101, and the next stop was the Cape Perpetua. There are two interesting images: the Devil's Churn and the Thor's Well. As you can see, we continue with the epic names. They are capricious formations on the cliffs, where the waves of the Pacific hit hard and rise in the air. The second of them has a very cool effect at high tide, being an open well, when the water covers it it looks like a sink that takes the water, that I ... to the center of the earth.

We reach the third of the historic lighthouses, the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It was built in 1894, and from its 17 meters, it emits the most intense light signal in the entire state of Oregon. Its name honors the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who toured the Pacific coast in the 18th century. To get there you have to park at the bottom and go up the road for approx. 1 km The use of parking costs $ 5 (an excuse to collect money for going to see the lighthouse), which must be paid at a machine.

If you don't feel like climbing the road or paying (or both, as in our case), a little further along the road there is an excellent viewpoint over the bay and the lighthouse at the bottom at the top of the cliff.

Quiet, that there are not too many things left to visit in this route along the Oregon coast. In fact, if it is already after 17, you will find the next one closed. We talk about the Sea lion caves, which apparently are the largest sea caves in the United States. In them lives a colony of sea lions (you guessed it!) And to be able to visit them you will have to do it through the gift shop that is on them. We do not arrive on time for a little ... so we can not tell you how it went, but it sure impresses!

And now, we arrive at the last stop of the day. The vegetation is changing at times, from the green and huge forests we now cross a thicket of bushes and low shrubs. It is the beginning of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest extension of coastal dunes in the entire country, with about 60 km. There are companies that rent quads and make excursions through the huge dunes (some 150 meters above sea level), although if you just want to take a quick look, there is an area of Day use, with a viewpoint (there is a price for using this area of ​​$ 5 that is paid on a machine).

From here, the road continues through the interior without anything too attractive. We passed by Coos Bay and, although we have pointed the Simpson Reef, the forces do not give for more and we go straight to our accommodation tonight, in Bandon. And it is none other than a super cool Airstream caravan! From here we write these lines and say goodbye to the Oregon coast, tomorrow we will go out to explore its Crater Lake (hopefully it doesn't rain!).

But before the adventure, we will pass through the town of Bandon which, although tiny, has a roll of far west that is cool. But nothing compared to its cliffs and huge beaches !! They are a damn past !! Of the best of all the roadtrip along the Oregon coast without a doubt. There are two panoramic points to see them: the Coquille Point and the Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, perfect places to get a coffee and start a big day.