The Oregon Coast Town Where Even Restaurants Have Explosive Views Like This

Published 06/03/23 at 5:20 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Depoe Bay, Oregon) – A tiny Oregon coast town that's huge on charm and hidden treasures. And where there's not a bad view in the house, so to speak. (Above: a tsunami of sights in the view from Tidal Raves restaurant in Depoe Bay)

Depoe Bay, sitting essentially halfway between big cities Newport and Lincoln City, is a combination of almost-hidden getaway and bustling touristy hotspot.

This lovely little village curiously straddles the roles of natural wonder and strip mall, while still managing to ooze a strong sense of serenity and beauty. Whatever civilization and commercialism put forth here, nature still more than makes up for it in fun and scenery.

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Along Highway 101, countless shopping and eating opportunities populate the landward side, while the seaward side makes for some amazing discoveries. Numerous curio shops, art galleries, wine tasting and scrumptious eateries may give it touristy edges at times, but its overall vibe is a virginal sampling of coastline. Besides, in those shops you can often find oddities and pleasantries you can't purchase anywhere else.

Courtesy Tidal Raves

Among them: the aptly named Tidal Raves. If yumminess was measured on a Richter scale of earthquakes, these delicate dishes of wowing seafood register a 10.0 magnitude. One recommended item would be the cioppino, where a melange of various former ocean dwellers come together like symphony in a soup.

Just as amazing is the central Oregon coast dining hotspot's view. The top shot is an actual view from Tidal Raves. Don't be surprised to be surprised by a whale from here, either. Sometimes the entire restaurant stops eating and gets up to gawk. 279 NW Hwy 101. Depoe Bay, Oregon. 541-765-2995. www.tidalraves.com

Whale watching tours abound along the bay, as well as fishing charters.

Then there's the rugged, wild side, all within view of those curio shops.

Phenomenal stuff lurks along this shoreline and behind the seawall.

It's here where spouting horns will wow you with their enormous power and propensity for pounding. Under the right tidal conditions, fissures in the rocks below the seawall will squeeze the water into one giant launch, spouting seawater high into the air. Occasionally you'll catch the delightfully surreal sight of the main spouting horn shooting high enough to soak cars on the highway. Be prepared to get soaked if you're parked near them and venture outside your car.

The Depoe Bay Whale Watching Center caps the entrance to a little park, a large lighthouse-looking building which sports some pretty nifty viewing areas and comes complete with guides pointing out to you the great beasts of the central Oregon coast. Interestingly enough, this was in the '90s a thing called the Oregon Coast Aquarium Store, which sold various Oregon-made items to help support the big attraction to the south. Whale watching was largely the attraction in here as well as gazing at those crazed winter storms.

Watching the boats exit the bay or maybe even just cuddling is the big pastime out on these viewpoints.

Venture onto the grassy spot just below the seawall for more interesting discoveries. But you don't want to get too close to that unpredictable surf or fall into one of the hard-to-spot crevices. Be careful.

There's much more to Depoe Bay hiding in little corners. Check them out at the Depoe Bay Virtual Tour.

Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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