Avila Beach Piers – Everything You Need to Know

Avila Beach is home to three piers – Avila Beach Pier, Harford Pier and California Polytechnic State University Pier. All three piers are popular attractions and offer visitors to the area unique experiences.

Both Avila Beach and Harford Piers are open to the public, while the Cal Poly Pier is part of the university’s marine research program. In recent years the piers have become a site for whale watching as grays and humpback whales often come into the bay during feeding season.

What should you expect during a visit to each pier? Read on to find out!

Avila Beach Pier

First constructed in 1908 and extending almost directly south from the main beach in Avila Beach, the Avila Beach Pier stands 1,685 feet in length and is open for tourist strolling and recreational fishing. As a public pier, fishing from the pier is free and doesn’t require a license.

During Avila Beach’s heyday as a bustling import and export hub, the pier welcomed passenger ships and fishing vessels. The pier still sits at the center of Avila Beach today, offering stunning views of the bay and surfers, and a spot to watch migrating whales and other wildlife.

Close to Front Street and the Avila Beach Promenade, plenty of street parking is available or find a spot in the pay lot on First Street. If you’re staying at Cobbo’s Beach House the structure is in walking distance from the property or jump into the complimentary golf cart for a scenic ride to the popular landmark.

Harford Pier

Also known as the Port San Luis Pier, Harford Pier was built in 1868, and the historic landmark remains one of the last drivable piers in the United States. The 1,320-foot structure has been used for commercial fishing boats to offload their wares since 1873, serving the exporting of San Luis Obispo County products across the world.

To this day Harford Pier is a working harbor. Visitors can walk or drive the pier to visit the fish market and restaurants. Like the Avila Beach Pier, fishing is allowed without a license.

The Harford pier sits at the end of Avila Beach Road, west of Highway 101. Free parking, tackle shops and fish cleaning stations are available on the pier. Merseas and Olde Port Inn are popular dining spots on the pier.

Cal Poly Pier

Built in 1914, this educational pier was originally owned by the Pacific Coast Railway Company for commercial shipping. Years later, Union Oil Co (Unocal) leased the structure to ship crude oil, and eventually purchased the pier, which continued to export oil until a massive storm damaged it beyond repair in 1983.

Unocal replaced the wooden pier with a 3,000-foot-long concrete and steel version and gave it to nearby Cal Poly State Polytechnic University in 2001 as a gift for marine research. Located between the Avila Beach Pier and the Harford Pier, Cal Poly Pier is a functioning research station with a classroom/dry lab facility, a second-floor conference room with 360 degree views of San Luis Obispo Bay, a flowing seawater system with wet-lab and aquarium space.

Student classes and researchers working on approved projects have access to the pier. Unfortunately, the pier is not public so if you wish to tour it, you must talk to the Pier Manager to arrange a special visit. 

All three piers are just a short distance from Cobbo’s Beach House. Plan an afternoon to visit each during your stay.