The Central Oregon Coast: Where to Go, Eat & Stay from Lincoln City to Newport
Last Updated on August 19, 2026 by Lauren Belzer Sanford
For some of the first moments of my life, I slept with the window open to the sound of the waves. My parents, my twin sister, and I lived at my family’s beach house in Gleneden Beach — a small town just south of Lincoln City — and while I don’t remember a single minute of it, I never once questioned why I love the ocean the way I do. It was decided for me early on.
Many times after that, when my family moved inland to Camas, Washington, we continued to make the drive to this stretch of the Oregon Coast. Two and a half hours, over the Coast Range, until the trees thinned and the air changed and you could smell the ocean before you could see it. Fourth of July at the beach house. Sandcastles, bike rides, marshmallows being torched black over the fire (just the way I like them), the Gleneden Beach parade we marched in more than once in our younger years. Thanksgivings with family friends. Cozied up around a tiny table in the black-and-white checker-floored kitchen. Birthday weekends with friends. The Salishan Spa to celebrate those milestone moments. The Central Oregon Coast a pillar of many moments throughout my life and my family’s.
And then in 2021, Max and I got to live there for just over a year. A much slower pace than either of us was used to day-to-day, and exactly what we needed at the time.
All of this to say: I’m not going to pretend to be objective about this stretch of Oregon coastline. But I do know it deeply, and if you’re planning your first trip to the Oregon Coast, this is the 25 miles I’d send you to.
Before you scroll: The stretch of the central Oregon Coast between Lincoln City and Newport is the one I’d send anyone to first. About 25 miles of Highway 101, covering four distinct towns, roughly 2.5 hours from Portland, Oregon. Lincoln City for beaches, kites, and outlet shopping. Gleneden Beach for slowing down. Depoe Bay for whale watching, which is genuinely world-class here. Newport for the working waterfront, the lighthouse, and Dungeness crab. Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach as the anchor stay. Three nights (minimum).
Getting to the Oregon Coast
If you’re from out of state, the easiest way to embark on your Oregon Coast adventure is to fly into the Portland International Airport (PDX) and rent a car. Lincoln City and Newport are both easily accessible by car, located along Highway 101, which runs parallel to the coastline.
Traveling from the Portland area, the drive takes roughly 2.5 hours through the various terrains of western Oregon. If you’re not in a hurry, there is a more leisurely route available via the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, winding through quaint seaside towns.
A note on a car: you need one, so be sure to plan for a rental car. No version of this trip works without it. The towns are strung along a single highway, and the best parts are the pull-offs between them.
Where to Stay
I’m going to keep this relatively short since I’ve written a full roundup of coastal stays from Astoria to Gold Beach, but if you only want one answer for this stretch…it’s Salishan.
Salishan Coastal Lodge
Salishan Coastal Lodge sits on 200+ acres in Gleneden Beach, between the forest and the Siletz Bay, and it’s been the hallmark of this stretch for decades. It’s now a part of SCP Hotels, but still has the same warm wood and coastal quiet-luxury bones. It’s ultimately still the place everyone here means when they say “the lodge.”
Full disclosure, since it matters: I haven’t stayed overnight at Salishan (yet). Our beach house was just down the 101, so I haven’t even needed to, but I’ve wandered through its grounds, been to the spa, and explored The Marketplace more times than I can count. So this is a lifetime of knowing the lodge from the outside in, rather than a review of the rooms.
The dining at Salishan has changed over the years. Provisions Market is open daily with smoothies, coffee, and an all-day menu. The Attic opens in the late afternoon and early evening for dinner, cocktails, and a great wine list. And the outdoor patio at sunset is definitely a reason to go. There are also other options just down the way at The Marketplace!
There are plenty of things to do at Salishan, too. Tee off on the 18-hole golf course that winds through the coastal forest. Book the aerial park and ziplines if you’re up for a little outdoor adventure through the trees. And if relaxation is what you’re after, The Spa at Salishan is the epitome of just that, with treatments inspired by the Oregon Coast. You do not need to be staying at the lodge to visit the spa, but you do need to book your treatments in advance, because it books up fast!
Visiting the Coastal Towns
The coastal towns are what make this stretch of the Oregon Coast so fun to explore. They’re all full of character — so similar and so different, all at once.
Lincoln City
Nestled between the Pacific and the coastal forests, Lincoln City is the busiest of the four and the easiest place to land if you want miles of open beach with somewhere to eat afterward. It’s home to the world’s shortest river, the D River, which runs all of 120 feet from Devils Lake to the Pacific — a fact I have deployed at parties with mixed results.
It’s also the kite town. The wind here is pretty relentless ( in the best way), and there are two kite festivals a year to prove it. And from mid-October through Memorial Day, local artists hide hand-blown glass floats along the beaches for anyone to find and keep!
Dining in Lincoln City: One of my family’s favorite spots on the coast is in Lincoln City and has been there since I was extremely young: Kyllo’s Seafood & Grill. Perched over the beach with views of the Pacific, Kyllo’s is known for its seafood and has never once let us down. It’s a favorite on my running list of the best restaurants on the Oregon Coast, and the one I’d head to first if you’re only eating out once in Lincoln City. Just keep in mind that they do not take reservations and operate on a walk-in-only basis.
Shopping: For those seeking a bit of retail therapy, Lincoln City Outlets has the usual suspects — Nike, Coach, The North Face — plus a handful of specialty stores. Probably not why you came to the coast, but a useful rainy-day option.
Gleneden Beach
Gleneden Beach is where I’d tell you to go to slow down all the way. It’s a serene, secluded stretch just south of Lincoln City with almost nothing to do (outside of Salishan, of course), which is exactly the point. Walk the shoreline. Collect shells. Fly a kite. Sit on a deck or patio with a glass of wine. And let the day get away from you.
Summer Celebrations: Growing up, the beach house in Gleneden Beach became synonymous with summertime. Each year, as the Fourth of July approached, my family would pack up the car and make the 2.5-hour journey. From building sandcastles and taking bike rides to roasting marshmallows around a crackling fire, our early July days were filled with cherished traditions that created lasting memories for all of us, including Gleneden Beach’s special 4th of July parade, which we participated in a few times in our younger years!
Dining in Gleneden Beach: Small as it is, Gleneden Beach is home to one of the best restaurants on this coast: Side Door Cafe. It’s a cozy spot serving delicious seafood, salads & some of the best homemade desserts of all time, with locally sourced ingredients and warm hospitality. Brooke, the owner and chef, makes the best Marionberry cobbler I’ve ever had. This is not up for debate.
Depoe Bay
Between Gleneden Beach and Newport is Depoe Bay, home of the world’s smallest harbor and the title of Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast — which is not just marketing.
Whale watching: From mid-December to mid-January and again from late March into June, thousands of gray whales pass along this coast on their migration. Depoe Bay’s proximity to deeper waters and its natural seawall make it one of the best places on the entire coast to see them. Several charter companies here run whale-watching excursions with captains who’ve been doing this for decades, and watching a gray whale surface twenty feet from the boat is one of those things people talk about for years afterward.
If you’d rather stay on land, the Whale Watching Center is perched right on the seawall with panoramic windows, outdoor decks & volunteers who will happily tell you everything about migration patterns while you scan the water. It’s free, and on a calm day you really can spot spouts from the deck.
Dining in Depoe Bay: Tidal Raves is the spot in Depoe Bay that I’d point you to time and time again. Dungeness crab, halibut, salmon, and a dining room practically hanging over the water? It’s a good one. Book ahead; it fills up.
Otter Rock & Devil’s Punchbowl
Between Depoe Bay and Newport is a turnoff that a lot of people just blow right past, and it’s one of the coolest stops on the drive.
Devil’s Punchbowl is a collapsed sea cave: the roof of two caverns caved in at some point and left an 80-ish-foot “bowl” that the ocean pours into. At high tide, the water churns inside the bowl and looks genuinely devilish. This is kind of niche, but it slightly reminds me of the scene in Disney’s The Rescuers (1977) when Penny is sent down to retrieve the “world’s biggest diamond.” At low tide, you can go down into it and stand inside. Definitely check a tide table before you go if you want to be able to walk around inside of it! Just north, the tide pools are very cool to see, too.
And just steps from the Punchbowl viewpoint, there’s a winery. Flying Dutchman Winery is not what you expect to find in the middle of the Oregon Coast, which is exactly why Max and I went. We wanted something different to do on a summer afternoon while we were living there, and this was it. The grapes come from elsewhere in Oregon and Washington rather than anywhere nearby (the coast is just too cool and wet), so think of it less as wine country tasting and more as a tasting room that happens to have a great view of the Pacific from its outdoor space out back – a very different afternoon from the one you’d have in Napa Valley.
I will warn you: parking in Otter Rock is extremely limited due to surfers and sightseers, so go early in peak seasons.
Newport
Continuing south, Newport is the biggest town on this stretch and the one with a real working waterfront — sea lions hanging out under the docks, fishing boats coming in, the whole thing. Known as the Dungeness Crab Capital of the World, it’s paradise if you love seafood. But there’s plenty here beyond it.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse: For history buffs, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse is a must-see, with guided tours of Oregon’s tallest lighthouse and views of the coast. Be sure to explore the surrounding Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, where you can hike along scenic trails, observe wildlife, and enjoy the cliffs that line the shore.
Yaquina Bay: No visit to Newport would be complete without exploring its iconic Yaquina Bay Bridge, a huge bridge that spans Yaquina Bay and offers views of the surrounding coastline. Take a stroll across the bridge, or book a boat tour to experience it from the water!
Oregon Coast Aquarium: If you’re interested in the fascinating world of marine life, take a visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, located in Newport. Sea otters, sharks, jellyfish, a walk-through tunnel, dive shows & feedings. Especially with kids, a visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium is sure to be a highlight of your Oregon Coast adventure! It’s somewhere we’d go often in my earlier years, and I have very fond memories.
Dining in Newport: Newport, Oregon, is where fresh seafood takes center stage. Eat on the bayfront, order the Dungeness crab, add oysters, and pair it with something from the Willamette Valley. Newport is also home to the annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival!
From the sandy shores of Lincoln City to the historic waterfront of Newport, the Oregon Coast is rich in experiences waiting to happen and full of endless opportunities for adventure. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful seaside retreat or an action-packed outdoor getaway, this region offers something for everyone to enjoy. So pack your bags, hit the road, and prepare to be captivated by the wonders of the Oregon Coast!
Extending the trip? Portland is 2.5 hours inland and makes a very good bookend on either side of the coast. If you’re thinking of adding a night or two, check out my top recommendations for hotels in Portland.