Santa Maria Valley

03/26/2025

Time for a little sand in your sandals?

Just a short drive from Santa Maria Valley, the Pismo Dunes and Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes offer a breathtaking coastal escape where rolling sand dunes meet the Pacific.

Choose your adventure:
🏕️ Camp under the stars
🐴 Ride horseback along the sandy hills
🚲 Hike the scenic Pismo Dunes Trail
🦅 Spot native wildlife like the Western snowy plover
🏎️ Rev up an ATV at Oceano Dunes SVRA
📸 Capture stunning nature photography

🤯 Fun Fact: The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes' vast, 22,000-acre stretch of pristine landscape is the largest intact coastal dune ecosystem on Earth and has served as a backdrop for Hollywood classics like "The Ten Commandments" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End."

For a more tranquil experience, visit Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, where you’ll find towering dunes, freshwater lakes, and miles of untouched beach just 20 minutes from Santa Maria.

Make Santa Maria Valley your home base, fuel up with legendary Santa Maria Style barbecue, sip world-class wine, and then head out for an unforgettable day at the dunes.

Timothée Chalamet's got nothing on our dune adventures!

Learn about the Dunes:
1️⃣ https://bit.ly/4k9DYrL
2️⃣ https://bit.ly/4k6Qrwm

03/14/2025

Did someone say, "Spring Break?"

Santa Maria Valley has you covered! From hiking scenic trails and picking fresh strawberries to exploring interactive museums and enjoying delicious eats, there’s something for the whole fam (without breaking the bank).

🍓 Pick fresh berries at U- Pick Blueberries
🥾 Hike through Los Flores Ranch Park or Oso Flaco Lake
🦋 See the monarch butterflies at Monarch Dunes Butterfly Grove
🎨 Get hands on at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum

Your perfect Spring Break vacation is waiting in Santa Maria Valley! Start planning your trip today: https://bit.ly/3X9l3DE

03/07/2025

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Inspo in your inbox: https://bit.ly/3X9kR7o

02/19/2025

Extra! Extra! 🗞️ The Sacramento Bee recently featured Santa Maria Valley as a must-visit destination. 🎉

Follow along as Allison Palmer highlights why our region makes for the perfect off-season getaway! With fewer crowds, mild weather and affordable accommodations, you’ll have more space to sip, savor and explore.

Read the full feature here:
https://bit.ly/4b4sguD

01/28/2025

Fill your next Santa Maria Valley itinerary with these wineries, restaurants, hikes and more! 📆

Where should you eat, play, stay and drink? 👀 ⬇️

Fill Your Itinerary: Where to Play, Eat, & Drink Anytime we host a media familiarization tour (aka, a FAM), we curate a special itinerary showing off

01/20/2025

Enjoy exclusive wine, beer, and dining deals when you present your Santa Maria Valley hotel key card at participating locations on your next trip.

Show us your key card! ⬇️

Do More For Less Show Me Your Key Card Promotion During your next trip, enjoy exclusive wine, beer, and dining deals when you present your hotel key card

01/16/2025

This land is your land. This land is our land.

As we soak in the beauty of our Central Coast home, we’re reminded of just how precious that home is and how much it means to so many. From all of us here in Santa Maria Valley to the Los Angeles area, know that we’re with you.

Our hearts are with those affected by the ongoing fires in Southern California. We’re committed to supporting relief efforts, local businesses, and community initiatives working to aid in this time of need.

If your business or an organization you know is lending a hand, tag us, and we’ll help get the word out.

01/11/2025

To Those Impacted by the Los Angeles Wildfires: We've Got Your Back

Our hearts are with everyone affected by the L.A. wildfires and Santa Maria Valley is here to support those in need of a safe place to stay.

Through partnerships with local hotels, we're offering wildfire relief accommodation rates to those who have been displaced during this difficult time. If you or someone you know is looking for a comfortable space to settle in, we welcome you with open arms. (Furry friends are included, too!)

Check the link in our bio for details on evacuee and first responder rates. Sending strength, gratitude, and love to those impacted and to the brave first responders protecting lives and communities.

01/07/2025

Hit pause and catch some ZZZs for less than $100 per night on your next trip to Santa Maria Valley at one of these seven hotels. 🤩

Check them out below!

Sometimes, you just need to hit pause and dive into relaxation mode head-on. Whether that means sampling new wines and chowing down on local bites, or

12/18/2024

‘Tis the season to spend time cheers'ing with loved ones. 🍷 🍾 🍇

📍 Andrew Murray Vineyards
📍 Cambria Winery
📍 Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard & Winery
📍 Demetria Estate
📍 Dovecote Wine
📍 Fess Parker Winery
📍 Firestone Vineyard and Winery
📍 Foxen Canyon Wine Trail
📍 Koehler Winery
📍 Petros Winery
📍 Rancho Sisquoc Winery
📍 Riverbench Vineyard and Winery
📍 Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estate Wines
📍 Zaca Mesa Winery
📍 Costa De Oro Winery
📍 Presqu'ile
📍 Amplify Wines
📍 CNAGY WINES

And so many more! Find a comprehensive list through the link and sip your way through it this holiday season: https://bit.ly/3AY90kS

12/05/2024

We invite you to spend some quality time in Santa Maria Valley. Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is a part of Oceano Dunes SVRA, a California State Park, located in Santa Maria. It's Walking Wednesday!

This freshwater lake whose name means “skinny bear,” covers 75 acres and is the perfect location where several diverse natural habitats unite to create a safe haven for more than 200 species of birds and an abundance of wildflowers. The park also offers a view of the tall willows and wax myrtle trees, which serve as the home to many of these birds.

Oso Flaco Lake Trail is an easy, 1.7-mile, famous out and back trail located in the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. This trail features a lake and is good for all skill levels and perfect for families. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. California State Parks Foundation

https://youtu.be/cIBuHvkWl0w

See more about this and other California's hidden gems on Best of California, this Sunday morning at 7:30a.m., on KAZA Channel 54, (MeTV) Los Angeles.
www.BestofCal.tv
Oso Flaco Lake
Oceana Dunes
California State Parks
Santa Maria Valley
Santa Maria Valley Chamber

12/03/2024

Give the gift of Santa Maria Valley 🎁

1️⃣ Hit some local shops like these to pick up something unique: https://bit.ly/415trqB
📍 nipomo.luffa.farm
📍 Deasee's Boutique
📍 Paradise Records and Trading Post
📍 Deja Vu Antiques at the Loading Dock

2️⃣ Gift a wine tasting or two 🍇 : https://bit.ly/419dUWL

3️⃣ Plan a trip with our Visitor Guide—built with YOU in mind—and lean into leisure, sunshine, ocean spray and more R&R ☀️: https://bit.ly/3ANaC0Q

4️⃣ Download and share the FREE Santa Maria Style barbecue cookbook and pick up some authentic Susie Q's Brand seasoning while you're at it 🥩: https://bit.ly/415jBoP

Flex your gift-giving skills!

11/25/2024

Aviation History Month has landed!

✈️ Celebrate at the Santa Maria Museum of Flight, where you can learn about the Central Coast's contributions to flight: https://bit.ly/3AcjUTF

✈️ And did you know that Vandenberg Space Force Base is just a photogenic 20-minute drive from Old Town Orcutt in Santa Maria Valley? ➡️

Though it is closed to the public, it's both an impressive and important site for military and civilian space missions. It plays a key role in launching satellites into polar orbits, missile testing, and space exploration, giving it a crucial role in Earth observation, communication, and national security: https://bit.ly/48yTV5L

11/20/2024

This season, we're thankful for...

🍷 Full glasses
🌅 Beautiful sunsets at the beach
🔥 Sauce-less barbecue
🍇 Fruitful harvests
😊 Good company
🍽️ Delicious food

What are you grateful for?

Plan your next trip: https://bit.ly/4eS4seh

11/12/2024

Did you know that the Chumash people were (and still are) among the most advanced groups to live on the continent? 🤩

Santa Maria Valley used to be made up of Chumash trade and travel routes! These trails led to salt and water and were used for military expeditions and tolls.

Of the 21 missions along California’s Historic Mission Trail, La Purisima Mission State Historic Park is the most fully restored and pays homage to the first inhabitants of California’s Central and Southern Coasts, and it's right here in Santa Maria Valley. Check it out on your next visit.

Follow the link to learn more and celebrate them during this Native American Heritage Month: https://bit.ly/4eV8xOZ

11/01/2024

🥳🍷 Santa Maria Valley’s very own Presqu'ile is being recognized as this year’s recipient of the Honorary Winery Award at the biennial Santa Barbara Wine Auction on November 8-9 at the The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara!

The Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation said that Presqu’ile exemplifies its mission, “Grounded in Giving,” with significant contributions to improving access to healthcare and education in the local community.

Read more below.

*Proceeds from the auction will benefit local nonprofits, Direct Relief and Community Health Centers Of The Central Coast.

Santa Maria Valley's beloved Presqu'ile Winery will be honored at the 2024 Santa Barbara Wine Auction that will take place on November 8 and 9, 2024.

10/29/2024

Imagine sippin’ your favorite grape juice while enjoying these views. 😍

Visit one of our wineries, say goodbye to pretentious tastings, and hello to affordable, flavorful sips and smiles.

Check out our wineries here: https://bit.ly/3Z5VaGP

10/18/2024

Hiking views 🤝🏼 Autumn hues

Get your steps in at one of 24+ trails. Find our top picks here: https://bit.ly/4dru1BG