This SLO County coastal town was voted one of the best in the U.S.
Los Osos is one of the 10 best coastal small towns in the United States, according to USA Today readers.
They selected the San Luis Obispo County community as part of the publication’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2022.
“Forget about Miami and Laguna Beach!” USA Today said. “The 10 Best Coastal Small Towns — each with a population of fewer than 25,000 people as of the last census — offer unpretentious and affordable seaside fun without the crowds, proving that bigger isn’t always better.
Travel experts and 10Best editors originally came up with a list of 20 locations that was whittled town to 10 finalists based on popular vote.
Los Osos ranked No. 8 on the top 10 list, which included Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Bandon, Oregon, and Rockport, Texas. Only two California towns — Half Moon Bay and Los Osos — made the list.
The North Coast town “seems to have it all,” Sherel Purcell wrote in the USA Today article.
“Small sophisticated restaurants and coffee shops sit on the quiet seaside that offers the best views of (Morro Rock, which) appears to rise out of the sea to the north,” she wrote. “A hillside golf course overlooks a sleepy bay and the beautiful Montaña De Oro State Park.”
Here’s the full list.
- Ocean Springs, Mississippi
- Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
- Georgetown, South Carolina
- Rockport, Texas
- Nags Head, North Carolina
- Bandon, Oregon
- Half Moon Bay, California
- Los Osos, California
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Cape May, New Jersey
To read more about the the 10Best Coastal Small Towns, go to 10best.com/awards/travel/best-coastal-small-town.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
