Romantic, Cuddle-Inducing N. Oregon Coast Sizzling Spots You Don't Know

Published 03/21/22 at 5:55 AM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast) – Here's a new way to fall head over heels with the Oregon coast.

Perhaps it's your idea of a first date – or a second or third? Or maybe you've been together for quite awhile as a couple and you're looking for a romantic getaway. But what about something not overdone – or overcrowded?

Get thee to the Oregon coast – and soon. Here's a few ideas for beachy romance that you may not have thought of, at least on the northern third of the shoreline.

Seaside's Beaches and Promenade

Hold on, we hear you saying. Seaside? Crowded Seaside, where everyone else goes?

Yes, but there's plenty that does not meet the eye here.

For one thing, there's hardly anything more romantic on the coast than Seaside's promenade, a paved pathway which stretches over a mile from end of Seaside to another and overlooks the sand. Especially at night this place is enchanting, with those lights bathing the walkway in a vibe that's decidedly turn-of-the-century and the surf in the distance making a soft roar. Hit those beaches after dark – when everyone else is snug in their hotel beds – and you'll find a mesmerizing new world to explore. It's even better if you just let your eyes adjust to the night.

There are ways of getting more alone time here during daylight, however. At 12th Avenue, and you'll end up at the northernmost end of the Seaside Promenade where hardly anyone else goes. Here, a huge parking lot allows access to a large concrete viewing platform - which is rather high, so it takes a bit of stretch of the legs to hop on it. It is shielded from the wind by big Plexiglas panes, however, which is nifty.

To the north, there are sizable dunes, plenty of Seaside's typically sandy beaches and the Estuary Trail

Walk down about a quarter mile and you'll find the Turnaround, which is close to all the goodies in downtown Seaside (including the "million-dollar walk" of lights, which is also quite cuddle-inducing at night.)

Along the way are plenty of benches for sitting and watching the sunset or just nuzzling up together.

More beaches and more cottages occupy the southern half of the Promenade, and here it's a little less populated than near the Turnaround, though not as empty as the 12th Avenue area. Eventually the wall stops altogether and the path gives way to a pleasant beachside sidewalk.

Between here and the beach are some interesting groves of trees, however. Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours

Arch Cape

A couple of miles south of Hug Point (just south of Cannon Beach) you'll encounter the lovely little beach interlude known as Arch Cape. It's a tiny community that consists of a few homes and one or two businesses right on 101. But mostly it's a couple of beach accesses hidden behind some neighborhood streets - and it's one truly romantic beach walk.

The northern section has broad, sandy beach reaches all the way to near Hug Point (which is totally accessible at low tide - after a two-mile walk.) However, its south side is rather thin and not advisable in stormier weather. But most times of the year it's a mesmerizing beauty.

At the southern edge, you'll find a small grouping of rock structures hugging a basalt point. At lower tides, you can walk between these and the cliffs and explore a rocky beach full of boulders (including the secret arch that it the name), dramatic structures and that serious standby of great dates: snooping around tidepools. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Short Beach Near Oceanside

This fairly hidden spot is not as sequestered as it once was, yet this gem near Oceanside (just west of Tillamook) is guaranteed to get eyes sparkling.

Most obvious is the large, bulbous rock structure plopped at the tideline, sporting a small patch of trees on top. At the northern end sits the Cape Meares lighthouse and another small sea stack. A massive waterfall spills gently into the ocean - just out of reach of the beach, and there's also a rocky cove within this cove.

Access to the beach is via a long, long stairway, but there are little landings along the way with scenic overviews – perfect for romantic little moments. Next to the path sits a large concrete and steel structure jutting out over the beach - a trippy and intriguing monstrosity which allows you to walk out above the beach a little ways and take in the view.

Short Beach lurks on Meares Loop Rd. (which runs between Cape Mears and Oceanside) near Radar Rd., just a tiny bit north of Milepost 4. Follow the signs to Cape Meares from either Oceanside or Tillamook - it's just south of the cape.

Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

Oceanside

What at first appears to be just another wayside with a collection of weather-beaten homes as a backdrop turns out to be a starkly beautiful village and intricate beach of the north Oregon coast. Oceanside is out of the way, nestled up against the hills of the Tillamook Forest at the edge of the Three Capes Route, and it's filled with a myriad of obvious and secret delights. It's an old, rustic hamlet that smacks of another time, dripping with weather-beaten cuteness and charm - and there's an amazing tunnel going through the headland here that leads to an unbelievably pristine beach.

For added delights, a walk up these steep hills and through the tiny streets full of beautiful homes is a sure thing for hand-holding. Then there's that cool tunnel going to the semi-secretive Star Trek Beach (originally known as Tunnel Beach). It's dark and spooky in there, a bit like a haunted house attraction at Halloween, and if that isn't cause for grabbing hold of each other's hands then who knows what is.

Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours

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