Costanoa Coastal Camp and Lodge—A Great Resort for Both the Luxury Traveler and the Environmentalist
Written: Jul 31 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful coastal setting, great tourist attractions nearby, environmentally-sensitive, luxurious lodge rooms
Cons: Expensive choice for camping, limited dining options
The Bottom Line: This is a rare place that my wife and I both enthusiastically enjoyed. We want to go back!
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| ericgoldman's Full Review: Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Resort |
With California’s post-WWII population explosion, the gorgeous California coastline became a huge target for development. Recognizing the potential long-term impacts of overdevelopment, California voters created the California Coastal Commission (CCC) in 1972, giving the CCC near-absolute power over any developments near the coastline. Since then, the CCC has made it virtually impossible to do a large-scale coastside development. As far as I know, there have only been three new developments between LA and San Francisco in the last couple of decades—the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, Bacara in Santa Barbara, and Costanoa, which opened in 1999.
The saga of Costanoa Coastal Camp and Lodge reflects the difficulty of running the CCC gauntlet. One newspaper article described it as “the product of 12 years of lawsuits, negotiations, land sales, development plans and one bankruptcy.” [See http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1999/08/23/focus1.html?t=printable for a good history of the property.] Fortunately, Costanoa’s developers clearly recognized that they were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a large coastside property. Thus, they made their choices with extraordinary thought and care. This is one of the most “intelligent” resorts I’ve ever seen.
It is also one of the most environmentally-aware. The CCC imposed many restrictions on the development’s operations to reflect its environmentally sensitive coastal location. The developers developed only about 40 acres of the original 4,000 acre property—the remainder being left as permanently undeveloped open space. (Prior to Costanoa, the property was slated to be divided into 35 ranchettes). To protect endangered indigenous animals from harm, pets are not allowed. Guests are constantly reminded about water conservation. To minimize in-and-out traffic (and probably to save water), the on-site café cannot serve sit-down meals. At every turn, I was struck by how many efforts were made to reduce the environmental impact of the property. This development is a great example of how environmental restrictions can be good business. Thanks to the CCC for their great stewardship of this property.
Getting There
Costanoa is located on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) about 25 miles (30 minutes) from both Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. Although in other parts of the state, the PCH has many cliffside hairpin curves, this stretch of Highway 1 is largely straight and wide, making the ride a pleasure. From San Francisco, get on PCH at Pacifica. From the Silicon Valley, go over the mountains on Highway 92 through Half Moon Bay (my preferred route from San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County) or on Highway 17 through Santa Cruz (I hate the 17 and try to avoid it if I can). If you are feeling adventurous, you might choose to take Highway 84, Highway 9 or any of the other bucolic twisty backroads between 92 and 17. Wherever you are coming from on the Peninsula (San Francisco, Palo Alto or San Jose), it should take you less than 90 minutes of driving if you take the 92 or 17.
The San Mateo Coast is surprisingly undeveloped (thanks again, CCC!). The nearest towns to Costanoa are Pescadero and Davenport, each about 10 miles away. Both Pescadero and Davenport are tiny towns with limited services. Otherwise, there is surprisingly little development between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz.
Some might quibble with Costanoa’s location on the non-beach side of PCH. Getting to the water requires a short hike or even a drive, and most accommodations don’t have an ocean view. This doesn’t bother me a bit—the views of the mountains are still top-notch, and you get glimpses of the ocean throughout the property.
What to Do
A lot of Bay Area residents don’t realize all of the great resources along this stretch of the San Mateo Coast. It’s a great tourist destination. My wife and I had done a few day trips to the coast, so we had seen most of the attractions before staying at Costanoa. Yet, we still had a blast staying overnight, and we found a lot of neat things to do that we had overlooked on our day trips. There was so much to do, we ran out of time to do everything we wanted.
Ano Nuevo State Park
Costanoa is next door to Ano Nuevo State Park, home of a major rookery of Elephant Seals. During the peak season (December-March), the elephant seals come to fight, mate and raise pups. This is incredibly popular, and you need to make reservations for tours to see the seals. Even during other times, though, you have a good chance at seeing some seals.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Just up the road is Pigeon Point lighthouse. The lighthouse offers a nice tour and fantastic views. There are also some interesting historical features.
Big Basin Redwoods
One of the top redwood parks in California, Big Basin has it all. Massive redwoods, beach access, pine-covered peaks with panoramic views, a series of waterfalls. Go to the visitor center and walk among the massive ancient old-growth grove. Take the long hike to Berry Creek Falls (and its companion falls). Hike up to the panorama at Buzzard’s Roost (2,200 feet). You can’t go wrong.
Butano State Park
Butano is overshadowed by Big Basin, but I’m not sure why. Butano is an outstanding destination for redwoods and everything else. It’s less crowded than Big Basin and, in many ways, just as nice. Don’t miss it.
Davenport
There is something incredibly alluring about Davenport. I can’t really articulate it. Despite the hideous cement plant north of town and the train tracks cutting between the town and the ocean palisades, it remains one of the prettiest spots in California—a stunning mix of bluffs, hills, cliffs, forest, grasslands and ocean. Davenport has a tiny artist community (just enough for a few minutes of window shopping) and the Davenport Cash Store, a classic restaurant with hearty meals and a funky gift store. But sunset is the real reason to go to Davenport. Watch the sun dip into the Pacific from the Davenport bluffs and you’ll be in romantic heaven.
Pescadero
A tiny farming community a few miles inland from PCH, Pescadero has retained its time-has-passed-it-by charm. Driving through its small commercial district is like driving back in time. You almost wonder if there’s a phone in town. There’s a tiny artist community here, wonderful artichoke bread from the local bakery, and fresh cheeses from the local goat farm. Duarte’s Tavern is a historical landmark and extremely popular with motorcyclists who ride the twisty mountain roads from the Valley. However, like Davenport, you can only spend a few minutes window-shopping.
Beaches
Right across PCH is the northern part of Ano Nuevo (the seals are in the southern part), including stunning Franklin Point. My wife did yoga on the point, overlooking the azure ocean and scenic shoreline, while I poked around the tidepools. There are also wide sand beaches in Ano Nuevo and the many other coastal access points along PCH. Personally, I like Pescadero Beach—a beautiful spot at sunset, and wonderful tidepools and seastacks.
Estuaries
There are several estuaries and marshlands in the area, offering hiking in wetlands, kayaking and bird-watching.
Farmer Stands and Pick-Your-Own
Some of the local farms have stands or allow you to pick-your-own. Very close to Costanoa are Coastways Ranch and Swanton Berry Farm (with ollalieberries, blackberries, strawberries, pumpkins and kiwis). Yummy!
Onsite Activities
Although there are so many fun things to do in the local area, you could have a great time without leaving Costanoa.
· hiking. There’s a nice trail on the property, with good views of Ano Nuevo Park. Plus, staffers lead guided fitness and family nature hikes.
· horseback riding.
· mountain biking. You can rent bikes (or bring your own), and staffers lead a guided ride.
· massage/spa treatments. Book in advance!
· yoga. Staffers lead yoga sessions.
· Kid’s Camp. They have programs for kids.
· Sitting in the sun and gazing at the ocean or mountains.
Note that almost all of these activities require an additional fee. The fees struck me as reasonable compared to other first-class resorts, but they are definitely not cheap.
Accommodations
You can choose between three types of accommodations—a lodge room, a cabin/tent bungalow or a camping spot.
Lodge Rooms
We stayed in the lodge. We had a large room with a fireplace, a balcony, a mini-fridge, a two-person tub, nice bathrobes and access to an outdoor hot tub. (Note the rooms do not have a TV, which enhances the restful feeling). Every surface was high-quality stone or wood—modern, classy and tastefully done. My wife is a Four Seasons aficionado and she liked the room a lot. Compared to her typical luxury tastes, the room rate of $145/night (midweek in summer, and I think she found a special) was a bargain.
Cabins/Tent Bungalows
These are single room accommodations but they are not rustic. Cabins have power, heat and a mini-fridge, and their décor is modern and tasteful. Tent bungalows are little more rustic (no heat, no fridge, less noise-proofing, and the cheaper bungalows don’t include bedding) but they still have power and are decorated in an upscale fashion. While you are definitely not roughing it with either choice, the downside is that you have to trek outdoors to a shared bathroom. The cabins and bungalows aren’t cheap either, so the lodge is a better value in my opinion.
Campsites
The campsites are in a pretty setting and they have electricity, but they are significantly more expensive than state campgrounds (the website currently publishes the camping rate as $55/night on a peak season weekend!). Also, open campfires are not allowed, which surely disappoints some campers. I tend to be a pretty rustic camper, so I can’t imagine paying the premium to camp at Costanoa. I’d rather camp at Butano State Park or Big Basin (not as close to the coast, but gorgeous redwood settings), or if proximity to the coast is important, there are a number of state beaches along the San Mateo Coast that offer camping.
The Shared Bathrooms
Like everything else at Costanoa, the shared bathroom facilities are classy and tasteful. They are large, clean and well-done. They even have heated floors, fireplaces and saunas. But, they are still shared, they still require a walk from any cabin, bungalow or campsite, and they will still be cold in the winter.
Food
Every type of accommodation comes with a free breakfast buffet in the café. The buffet includes hot and cold items and was better-than-average compared to typical hotel offerings.
Other than breakfast, my only quibble with Costanoa is the vegetarian food options. Meat eaters probably wouldn’t even notice, but vegetarians have very limited options. The café offers gourmet lunches and dinners (mostly the sandwich and salad variety), including a few vegetarian choices. Otherwise, there are perhaps 10 restaurants along the entire coast between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, none of them particularly vegetarian friendly. (Admittedly, there is great vegetarian choices in Santa Cruz, a half-hour drive each way). While the food situation is passable for a couple of days, we definitely noticed the limited options.
Note that the general store offers some food as well, heavily emphasizing s’mores fixin’s and California wines. They seemed to have a pretty good handle on what their customers want!
Weather
The San Mateo Coast is blessed with lots of sunny days, but fog is always possible, especially in the morning and late afternoon/evening. There is often a strong wind blowing in from the water. I think staying in the tent bungalows (or camping) during the winter could get a little chilly.
Conclusion
Costanoa has marketed itself as a destination for upscale eco-tourists and families with kids. Although Costanoa is a great choice for those groups, I don’t think it needs to be positioned so narrowly. This is the perfect destination for just about everyone. In particular, this is the ultimate getaway for stressed-out Silicon Valley/San Francisco professionals. It’s only an hour away but, once there, you feel like you’re thousands of miles away from corporate rat-race. I think too many Bay Area residents overlook this gem in their backyard. They are missing out.
Because my wife and I have different objectives for our vacations (she likes to be pampered in luxury, I like to hike in wilderness areas), it’s very rare for us to come back from a vacation equally enthusiastic. Indeed, it has only happened twice—a trip to Santa Fe, NM and Costanoa. Because it’s a place we both enthusiastically liked, we will be back.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ericgoldman
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Member: Eric Goldman
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 32 members
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