Dustin and I both love abandoned places and things. We love to see past the destruction and visualize the memories that are distilled in these places and things. Therefore, when we found out about the shipwreck in Cayucos on our road trip along the California Coast, of course, we had to go see for ourselves. The shipwreck in Cayucos is an interesting quick stop along Highway 1, a perfect place to stretch your legs on a long road trip!
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Actual shipwreck: 35°26’51.0″N 120°55’08.4″W
Parking Coordinates: 35°26’58.1″N 120°55’05.5″W
Parking
Small, dirt parking lot
Restroom
There is no restroom
Fee
Free
Pet-friendly
You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leashed.
Distance
500 ft to the viewpoint
Elevation Gain
150 ft
Level
Easy
Time:
20 minutes – 1 hour
Ideal Time
Check for the tide before you go. You won’t be able to go down closer to the ship if the tide is too high.
Weather
Video
The Adventure
Getting to the Cayucos Shipwreck
If you don’t know where it is, Cayucos Shipwreck is not the easiest to find. We drove past it the first time since we didn’t have the exact coordinates. The instructions we had at the time took us about a mile down the road on Highway 1. After spending 30 minutes hiking around, trying to find this boat, Dustin remembered seeing something sticking up the hills right outside the town. We all thought it was part of a windmill or something. However, with a closer look, it turned out to be the mast of the ship. So on the second attempt, we found what we were looking for.
The entrance to the parking lot is at the corner of North Ocean Ave. and Highway 1. You should be able to find it with the coordinates above. As soon as you turn onto North Ocean Avenue, there is a small dirt road that will take you to the dirt parking lot. The dirt road is lined by trees on one side. Once you find this parking lot, you are pretty much guaranteed to find the remains of the doomed S.S Point Estero.
Hiking to the Viewpoint
Once you park, it is an easy 500 ft walk along a small dirt trail to the viewpoint over the cliff. From the top of this cliff, you can see the doomed vessel basking in the water. Once here, you can either take your photos and turn back, or you can also summon your inner pirate and take a short hike down the ship. Remember, only go down if the tide is low. When it is too high, the little cove will be buried underwater.
Getting Down to the Shipwreck
If you want to go down to the ship, look for a small trail near the viewpoint. This trail will lead you down to the small ravine below. Once you get to the bottom of the ravine, follow it toward the ocean and climb down the rock ledge to the boulders beneath. At this point, depending on the tide condition, you have two options. If the tide is low, you can go the easier route. With the easier route, you can get down to the beach and walk around the big boulder to the ship. If the tide is too high, the beach will be underwater. Then, you’ll have to climb over the big boulder to the small little cove on the right. Be careful if you climb over the boulder, it can be slippery.
The Shipwreck at Cayucos
The first time we stopped here, the tide was high. The water covered half of the ship. It was also quite cold. The second time we visited, the water was ankle-deep. We were able to get all the way to the ship. As we made our way to the ship, there were tons of sea anemones buried under the shallow water. It was kind of neat to see but also tricky because we had to try our best not to step on any of them. If you decide to check out the ship, you need to be really careful. It has seen better days and is a little bit rickety. The engine and all of the steering components have been removed, but it is just a fascinating sight to see.
Legend or Fact?
After we left the abandoned ship, we ran into a local man fishing off of the point. According to him, there are several urban legends about the Cayucos Shipwreck. One of them is about the ship being caught in a massive storm surge, where its crew had to abandon the ship and leave it on a course of destruction. Another story is about a man borrowing his friend’s ship for a night of drinking with his buddies. After one too many cocktails, he passed out and ran the ship into shore. Regardless of what exactly happened, the ship will stay here for a while. You can read about its story here.
Once you finish with the Cayucos shipwreck, don’t forget to make a quick trip to the Brown Butter Cookie Company. It is less than a mile from here, on North Ocean Ave. They make the best brown butter cookies. The entire shop smells like butter cookies. If you’re traveling along California’s Coast, don’t forget to check out the hidden swing at the Davenport Pier or the beautiful beach at Shark Cove. If you like abandoned or interesting things and places, there are a few good ones in California such as Bombay Beach at the Salton Sea, Slab City, Bottle Ranch on Route 66.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
This is our favourite hiking shoes. We use them for canyoneering as well. Lots of traction. Vy’s version.
Dustin’s version for La Sportiva shoes
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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One Comment
Heather Mora
This post was so helpful, thank you! I see we adventure at a lot of the same places 🙂 Our homeschool group read Swiss Family Robinson and I am going to bring the group out to view the shipwreck for our book celebration!