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Avila BeachCalifornia

Wispy morning clouds over flowers and the town of Avila Beach

Town & Beach Life

Surfers, shorebirds, the pier and the town, photographed by Jay Olson.

Morning over town
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Not every good morning in Avila is about the sky. These photos are of the town and the beach itself: surfers by the pier, sandpipers working the tideline, ducks under the pilings and the beach grass catching the light.

Tap any photo to see it full-screen. Every photo here is available as a print.

Surfers in the water beside Avila Pier under a pink sky — Surfers at first lightBuy print

Double rainbow over Avila Pier and San Luis Bay — Double rainbow over Avila PierBuy print

Ducks on the water under Avila Pier at sunrise — Ducks under the pierBuy print

Morning sun shining through beach grass at Olde Port Beach, with Harford Pier on the horizon — Sun through the beach grassBuy print

A wave rolling under the pilings of Avila Pier — Wave under the pierBuy print

Sandpipers reflected on wet sand at Avila Beach — SandpipersBuy print

Wispy morning clouds over flowers and the town of Avila Beach — Morning over townBuy print

The paved Bob Jones Trail winding under an arch of coast live oaks — Oak tunnel on the Bob Jones TrailBuy print

Sunbeams streaming through fog and twisted oaks beside the Bob Jones Trail — Sun rays through the oaksBuy print

The fishing boat Saturnia beached at blue hour, with the lights of Harford Pier behind it — Saturnia at Port San LuisBuy print

Wide view of Avila Beach, both piers and San Luis Bay from the hills above the golf course — San Luis Bay from aboveBuy print

Colorful houses and palm trees along Avila Beach leading to the pier — Houses by the pierBuy print

The beachfront hotels, Avila Beach and the pier from the hill above town — Beachfront and pierBuy print

Surfers carrying their boards up Avila Beach in golden morning light below the headland — Surfers heading inBuy print

The painted lifeguard tower and the lawn at Avila Beach Park at sunrise — Lifeguard tower and parkBuy print

The sun setting behind Port San Luis with Avila Pier and Harford Pier stretching into the bay — Both piers at sundownBuy print

Morning mist drifting past the headland and Avila Pier — Misty morning at the pierBuy print

The Avila Beach Landing Passage sign pointing to shops and restaurants at sunrise — Landing Passage signBuy print

A child in a striped hoodie looking through the pier telescope at sunrise beside a parent holding a baby — Telescope on the pierBuy print

The swirling tile mosaic and a palm tree on the Avila Beach promenade at dawn — Promenade mosaicBuy print

Wet pebbles and shells at the water's edge with Avila Pier under a cloudy sky — Pebbles and shellsBuy print

Pink and blue clouds over the beach houses, palm trees and pier along Avila Beach — Beach houses at duskBuy print

An empty restaurant deck under string lights on Harford Pier at dusk, boats moored in the bay — Deck lights on Harford PierBuy print

Houses climbing the hill above Avila Beach in late-day light, with the pier at right — Town from the bluffBuy print

A glass of red wine and a bottle on a railing above Avila Beach, with Harford Pier behind — Wine by the beachBuy print

Golfers on a green beside San Luis Obispo Creek, with geese, a footbridge and hillside resort behind — Golf by the creekBuy print

A pickup basketball game at Avila Beach Park, with the beach and pier behind — Hoops at the parkBuy print

A volleyball game on a busy summer day at Avila Beach, with the pier and headland behind — Beach volleyballBuy print

A crowded summer day on Avila Beach, with swimmers, bodyboards and a surf lesson in the water — Summer beach dayBuy print

A private hot tub on a deck among the oaks at Sycamore Mineral Springs, the sun low through the trees — Hot tub in the oaksBuy print

Three anglers in a small boat heading out past moored boats at Port San Luis in golden light — Heading out to fishBuy print

The carved Port San Luis sign above the bay, with Avila Pier and moored boats in the morning light — Port San Luis signBuy print

Avila Pier and Cal Poly Pier on a clear day, with Point San Luis and Harford Pier beyond — Two piers and the pointBuy print

The Welcome to Harford Pier sign listing the fish markets, restaurants and sportfishing, with the sun bursting behind it — Welcome to Harford PierBuy print

The sun glittering on the water beside Harford Pier and its sportfishing office — Harford Pier from the rocksBuy print

A wave breaking near Harford Pier under streaky clouds, with Whaler's Island in the distance — Wave at Harford PierBuy print

A group of kayakers paddling through kelp toward Cal Poly Pier as fog rolls over the hills — Kayaking the bayBuy print

Paddleboarders on calm water in front of Harford Pier and Whaler's Island — Paddleboarding by Harford PierBuy print

Fishing boats moored off Harford Pier, seen from the shaded pier deck — Boats from the pier deckBuy print

Pumpkins and hay bales stacked under the Avila Valley Barn sign in fall — Pumpkins at the barnBuy print

Strawberries, citrus, avocados and dried fruit under the Farmer's Market sign inside Avila Valley Barn — The barn's farm standBuy print

Picnic tables under a sycamore and string lights in the yard at Avila Valley Barn — Barn picnic yardBuy print

Fog rolling over Avila Beach seen from a hilltop, with the golf course, San Luis Obispo Creek and Avila Beach Drive below — Fog over the valleyBuy print

Late sun through eucalyptus trees over a green at Avila Beach Golf Resort — Green under the eucalyptusBuy print

Avila Beach, the golf course and both piers from a hillside trail on a clear blue day — Avila from the hillBuy print

Sun glittering on San Luis Bay and Avila Pier, framed by oaks on the hillside above town — Overlook through the oaksBuy print

Beachgoers on Avila Beach in hazy late-day light, with Avila Pier and Cal Poly Pier behind — Late afternoon on the beachBuy print

Artists selling paintings and sculpture along the Avila Beach promenade on a sunny day — Art on the promenadeBuy print

The tiled mosaic circle and stone pillars on the Avila Beach promenade on a clear morning — Promenade tile circleBuy print

A tug-of-war on the wide sand at low tide, with a dog walker, tide pool rocks and the town behind — Low tide on Avila BeachBuy print

A striped shore crab tucked into a rock crevice in the Avila tide pools — Striped shore crabBuy print

Sea lions swimming through clear water and kelp beside mussel-covered pier pilings — Sea lions by the pilingsBuy print

Wildflowers on the bluff above a busy Avila Beach, with tide pool rocks and the pier — Avila Beach from the bluffBuy print

The palm-lined promenade along Front Street, with the Landing Passage shop sign and the beach — Front Street promenadeBuy print

Purple flowers framing the basketball court and lawn at Avila Beach Park, with the pier and ocean beyond — Park by the beachBuy print

The promenade railing above the beach, with Avila Pier, Cal Poly Pier and green spring hills behind — Promenade and both piersBuy print

Clouds over San Luis Bay, with Avila Pier, Cal Poly Pier and Port San Luis from the grassy bluff — Clouds over the bayBuy print

Morning sun over the headland and the tiled circle on the Avila Beach promenade — Tile circle in the morningBuy print

The houses of Avila Beach on the hill above the beach, seen across the bay with green hills behind — Town across the bayBuy print

The beach playground swings and slide below Front Street in early golden light — Swings on the beachBuy print

Waves washing over the rocks at the east end of Avila Beach, with the busy summer beach, the town and the hills behind — Avila Beach on a summer dayBuy print

Tall palms and treetops on the hillside above Avila Beach, looking out over the bay to the piers and the Port San Luis hills — Palms above the bayBuy print

A brown pelican perched on a piling at Port San Luis, with moored boats and the hills behind — Pelican at Port San LuisBuy print

The long sandy stretch of Olde Port Beach below the hills, with fire rings, the parking pullouts along the road and Avila Pier in the distance — Olde Port BeachBuy print

Toasting marshmallows over a fire ring on the sand at Olde Port Beach, with a beach chair and the bay behind — Marshmallows on the beachBuy print

The sun rising in a golden haze over the rocks at Olde Port Beach, with Harford Pier and anchored sailboats across the water — Golden sunrise at Olde PortBuy print

A pile of fresh red rock crabs just off the boat at Port San Luis — Fresh rock crabsBuy print

Fish and chips with tartar sauce and a cold beer on a railing at Port San Luis, with boats moored in the bay behind — Fish and chips by the bayBuy print

A plate of fresh fish ceviche with peppers, cilantro and artichoke hearts, with San Luis Bay behind — Ceviche with a viewBuy print

An outdoor concert on the big lawn at The Avila, with a crowd near the stage, white tents, palms and green hills behind — Concert on the lawn at The AvilaBuy print

A pickup basketball game on the court at Avila Beach Park, with the beach and the ocean right behind — Basketball by the beachBuy print

Families at the pirate ship playground in Avila Beach Park, with a sand pit, climbing rocks, a basketball hoop and green hills behind — Pirate ship playgroundBuy print

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