A Travel Community for San Francisco Bay Area Families
Costanoa: Upscale Camping on the Santa Cruz Coast
Have your kids been asking when you are going to take them on a camping trip? Do you dread the thought of pitching tents and cooking over a fire?
Location. Costanoa is about an hour drive from most urban spots in the Bay Area. Twenty-five minutes south of Half Moon Bay, it is strategically located south of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and just north of Ano Nuevo. While the fog may hang over Half Moon Bay all day, down at Costanoa it burns off earlier and often is sunny all day.
Costanoa is nestled at the base of the hills about a half-mile back from Highway 1 and offers striking views of the ocean and the hills. I’ll let the pictures do the talking but I think this one of the best spots to enjoy all the natural beauty the Santa Cruz coast has to offer.
Activities. The resort takes advantage of this setting and provides hiking and biking trails as well as a range of local activities. With our kids (5 and 7) we did the Ohlone Ridge hike that was about 3.8 miles and afterwards headed down to the beach. Gazos Creek Beach is about a half-mile walk from the parking off Highway 1 but you’ll be rewarded with a sheltered, relatively sunny beach with active tide pools and frolicking seals. Go at low tide to best enjoy the sea life.
Your kids won’t lack for things to do at the resort. There is a playground and giant chess set in a grassy play area just outside the restaurant, an awesome climbing tree (just over the hill from the playground) and bike paths around the property that are perfect for kids. Kids can go to kids camp, take horseback riding lessons, enjoy face painting and participate in guided hikes. Note the kid’s camp, horseback riding and face painting are extra and not particularly inexpensive.
Accommodations. Costanoa bills itself as upscale camping and there is a range of options for true campers and folks like me who want the outdoor experience without the hassle. If you really don’t want to sacrifice modern amenities (namely your own bathroom), you can stay in the lodge. If you are staying with the kids, I recommend a room on the ground floor opening out to the grassy area in the back. The kids can frolic in the grass and you’ll have an excellent view of the hills and great access to a big stone fireplace for s’more roasting.
If you don’t mind sharing the “comfort station” (ie communal bathrooms complete with hot showers, heated floors and saunas), you can stay in the cabins. They offer a configuration with two double beds for a family of four or if you want a bit more room, you can rent both sides of a cabin (they are duplexes) and put parents in one side and kids in the other. It’s a short (2 minute) walk to the restrooms and at least for my kids, they enjoyed the adventure of the cabin and didn’t mind the walk to the bathroom. From the back porch on the cabin you have a postcard-perfect view of the hills that will make you want to linger there for hours.
Finally, for the true outdoors folks, you can camp, either with your camper or by pitching your own tent or renting a tent bungalow. While I stayed in the cabins, I heard from some folks that pitched their own tent say that the campgrounds were a bit crowded with tents close together. There was also an issue with clever raccoons that made short work of campers’ food.
Accommodations run $365 for a suite in the lodge, $250 for a double room in the lodge and $190 for a double cabin and $130 - $155 for a Tent Bungalow. Check the website for seasonal specials.
Food. The food choices are pretty limited at Costanoa. They have a nice, sit down restaurant that has good food, and a kid’s menu (with coloring for the kids) but is on the pricey side. Also, on weekends, they only serve a full buffet breakfast. If you want less than that you can walk over the campgrounds where they serve up pancakes and breakfast burritos as well as coffee. You may either want to bring some of your own food to cook on the outdoor grills or consider heading off the resort for some of your meals. They do offer snacks, good bottles of wine and s’more fixings in the general store.
Pros: One hour from the Bay Area, naturally beautiful spot, great activities for kids, a variety of options for accommodations.
Cons: Rooms are on the pricey side for what you get (remember, you’re paying for location), not a lot of dining options, nothing is included in the room (not even a cup of coffee in the morning), the service was uneven
Location. Costanoa is about an hour drive from most urban spots in the Bay Area. Twenty-five minutes south of Half Moon Bay, it is strategically located south of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and just north of Ano Nuevo. While the fog may hang over Half Moon Bay all day, down at Costanoa it burns off earlier and often is sunny all day.
Costanoa is nestled at the base of the hills about a half-mile back from Highway 1 and offers striking views of the ocean and the hills. I’ll let the pictures do the talking but I think this one of the best spots to enjoy all the natural beauty the Santa Cruz coast has to offer.
Activities. The resort takes advantage of this setting and provides hiking and biking trails as well as a range of local activities. With our kids (5 and 7) we did the Ohlone Ridge hike that was about 3.8 miles and afterwards headed down to the beach. Gazos Creek Beach is about a half-mile walk from the parking off Highway 1 but you’ll be rewarded with a sheltered, relatively sunny beach with active tide pools and frolicking seals. Go at low tide to best enjoy the sea life.
Your kids won’t lack for things to do at the resort. There is a playground and giant chess set in a grassy play area just outside the restaurant, an awesome climbing tree (just over the hill from the playground) and bike paths around the property that are perfect for kids. Kids can go to kids camp, take horseback riding lessons, enjoy face painting and participate in guided hikes. Note the kid’s camp, horseback riding and face painting are extra and not particularly inexpensive.
Accommodations. Costanoa bills itself as upscale camping and there is a range of options for true campers and folks like me who want the outdoor experience without the hassle. If you really don’t want to sacrifice modern amenities (namely your own bathroom), you can stay in the lodge. If you are staying with the kids, I recommend a room on the ground floor opening out to the grassy area in the back. The kids can frolic in the grass and you’ll have an excellent view of the hills and great access to a big stone fireplace for s’more roasting.
If you don’t mind sharing the “comfort station” (ie communal bathrooms complete with hot showers, heated floors and saunas), you can stay in the cabins. They offer a configuration with two double beds for a family of four or if you want a bit more room, you can rent both sides of a cabin (they are duplexes) and put parents in one side and kids in the other. It’s a short (2 minute) walk to the restrooms and at least for my kids, they enjoyed the adventure of the cabin and didn’t mind the walk to the bathroom. From the back porch on the cabin you have a postcard-perfect view of the hills that will make you want to linger there for hours.
Finally, for the true outdoors folks, you can camp, either with your camper or by pitching your own tent or renting a tent bungalow. While I stayed in the cabins, I heard from some folks that pitched their own tent say that the campgrounds were a bit crowded with tents close together. There was also an issue with clever raccoons that made short work of campers’ food.
Accommodations run $365 for a suite in the lodge, $250 for a double room in the lodge and $190 for a double cabin and $130 - $155 for a Tent Bungalow. Check the website for seasonal specials.
Food. The food choices are pretty limited at Costanoa. They have a nice, sit down restaurant that has good food, and a kid’s menu (with coloring for the kids) but is on the pricey side. Also, on weekends, they only serve a full buffet breakfast. If you want less than that you can walk over the campgrounds where they serve up pancakes and breakfast burritos as well as coffee. You may either want to bring some of your own food to cook on the outdoor grills or consider heading off the resort for some of your meals. They do offer snacks, good bottles of wine and s’more fixings in the general store.
Pros: One hour from the Bay Area, naturally beautiful spot, great activities for kids, a variety of options for accommodations.
Cons: Rooms are on the pricey side for what you get (remember, you’re paying for location), not a lot of dining options, nothing is included in the room (not even a cup of coffee in the morning), the service was uneven
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