About This Site

How it started

In 2009 I started Wave Jammers Jet Ski with my friend Ed Coppola, right here in Avila Beach. Spending my days on the water, I kept noticing the same thing: in the off season the town was nearly empty, even on the most beautiful days of the year. There wasn't much about Avila online, and nothing at all on social media. So I built a website.

That site was AvilaBeachPier.com, and the town got behind it right away. About 90% of the local businesses supported it. For the next 15 years it was one of the main places people found out what Avila had to offer.

Why a new site

Avila has changed a lot since 2009, and the old site was overdue for a fresh start. Avila-Beach.com covers the whole town, not just the pier: the beaches, places to eat and stay, things to do, events, and everything you need to plan a visit. My goal is the same as it was back then. I want people to discover how special this little town is, in every season.

My mornings in Avila

I lived in Avila for 10 years, and my favorite part was the mornings. From 2015 to 2018 I was out on the beach at sunrise almost every day with my camera. I love the peacefulness, and the way every sunrise is different. Those mornings became hundreds of photos and videos, and many of them are on this site.

These days I live just down the road in Arroyo Grande, and I miss those mornings. Building this site is my excuse to get back out there, so expect new sunrises soon.

Jay Olson Photography

Every photo and video on Avila-Beach.com is my own work through Jay Olson Photography. If one of them makes you want to bring a piece of Avila home, prints are available here.

Sleepless Interactive

By day I'm the owner and lead designer at Sleepless Interactive, a web design studio here on the Central Coast. It's the same team that designed and built this site. Avila Beach businesses get a special discount, so just mention this site when you get in touch.

Thanks for visiting, and I hope to see you on the beach some morning.

— Jay Olson