Eco-Friendly Lodge Resort with Lavish Views and Amenities

During winter, a group of plump elephant seals comes to lounge on a rocky shore below California’s Highway 1. Año Nuevo State Park is one of largest rookeries for these long-snouted mammals. Just north of this site, the Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp is perched on finely manicured grounds amid the thick of the gorgeous surrounding wilderness. It’s a rustic lodge with upscale accommodations, and it nurtures the utmost respect for its setting. You can find wooden adirondack chairs peppered throughout the property from which to look out onto the landscape.

Situated amid a grove of pine trees at the southern end of the acreage, the Lodge buildings at Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp feature layers of knotted wooden beams that ascend majestically. Inside, stone hearths accent the organic décor. The carpeted Lodge king rooms feature double french doors that open up onto private furnished balconies or patios, some looking out to the rolling meadows. The Lodge quarters can enjoy the invigorating water jets of an outdoor hot tub.

The Spa at Costanoa offers integrative massages, which comibine traditional techniques with Japanese pressure methods. Meanwhile, Cascade Bar & Grill serves up California cuisine alongside a regional wine list. There, chefs combine sustainable seafood and organic produce to whip up clam steamers or grilled artichokes.

Costanoa, California: Undisturbed Wilderness Along the Scenic Pacific Coast

Below the rugged bluffs and undulating hills near California's scenic Highway 1, Costanoa is adjoined to 30,000 acres of diverse hiking trails peppered with scenic lookouts to the shore. The forested paths weave in and out of the San Mateo Coast's back hills, where native birds flit by exotic plants such as blue sea rocket and yellow lizard tail. On guided naturalist hikes arranged by Costanoa, you can learn about Native American history and coastal ecology. Mountain-biking tours take you through the backcountry, past towering redwoods and fossilized Clif bars.

Two miles east of the resort, steelhead trout mingle with coho salmon in the streams of Año Nuevo State Park, which has preserved coastal terrain including native dunes, freshwater marsh, and wetlands.