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ACTIVITIES
Beach Walking
With miles of beach access, ever changing tide pools, romantic evening strolls, dog walks, or morning runs, having the beach as your front yard is sure to delight the whole family. The Central Oregon Coast provides excellent beach combing opportunities especially after our winter storms and during the seasons with the highest tides. From glass floats to rare agates, driftwood to shells, your souvenir collection will expand after every walk on the beach.
Surfing
Agate Beach has long been the local surf hot spot. Ossies Surf Shop is located across the street and offers daily rentals in surf boards, wet suits, boogie boards, sea kayak and any extra gear you might need for the beach. Bring your own or rent from Ossies, but please take part in one of Newport’s favorite activity.
Lighthouse Tour
Other favorite Newport activities include visiting the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and the Yaquina Head Interpretive Center. Climb to the top of the 93 foot Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and see the spectacular view from Oregon's tallest lighthouse. In the Natural Area, visitors can find coastal sea birds such as cormorants, murre, and guillemot, as well as harbor seals, sea lions and grey whales. The Natural Area's system of manmade ocean tide pools at Quarry Cove is an entertaining place to find tiny tide pool creatures, and is wheelchair
accessible. The Interpretive Center has many different displays, from tide pool life to lighthouse life.
http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/yaquina/lighthouse.htm
Oregon Coast Aquarium
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is one of the top visitor attractions on the coast. This 29 acre facility features, more than 190 animal species, including seals, otters, sea lions, tufted puffins and a giant octopus! The aquarium also has six acres of cliffs, rocky caves, tide pools and nature trails. Walk through the largest seabird aviary in North America, or visit the rocky coast exhibit, where sea lions, seals and sea otters splash and play. Many fish tanks, hands on displays and interactive computers are available for visitors use to learn about Oregon's coasts and wetlands.
Biking
The Central Oregon Coast has long been a destination for cyclists from all over the world, making their way up or down the coast along Highway 101. The Agate Beach Motel is located a simple ½ mile bike ride from the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. There are numerous organized rides and maps are available through the The Bike Shop of Newport and Yaquina Wheels Bike Club. As cycling enthusiasts, our favorite Oregon ride is from the Agate Beach Motel down the old bay road up to Elk City and back. This 50 mile ride will take you along a smooth road past the Oregon Oyster Farm, the commercial Fishing Boats, and up to beautiful Elk City area. Click her to see map.
If you would like to use a couple of bikes; there are two available at the motel for your use. A good way to explore the neighborhood; they are on a first-come first-serve basis.
Kite Flying
Lincoln County hosts many kite festivals and is a great place for this increasingly popular activity. With its location halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, Newport has ideal weather for flying kites. The wind here keeps kites flying until the owner brings them in for the day. There are numerous kite shops in the area.
Water Front Tour
Bay Boulevard is a popular tourist area, where restaurants, galleries, shops, and attractions such as Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Waxworks Museum and the Undersea Gardens are side by side with working canneries and fish-packing plants. Visitors can also sign up for bay tours and whale watching tours on the bay front. Crabbing trips are available, and many of the charter boats have facilities for cooking the crabs back at the docks, for an additional fee.
Fishing and Crabbing
Numerous fishing charters are available to take visitors out for salmon and bottom fishing. Crabbing and clamming are also excellent in Yaqina Bay. Crab pots, clam shovels and guns and other equipment can be rented at local tackle shops. They will also offer tips on tides and techniques for a successful trip to the beach.
Storm Watching
A popular and some say ‘romantic’ activity during the winter when the waves are highest, room rates are the lowest and requires no special equipment. Every Agate Beach Motel room has a ocean view for watching the rain fall, the wind blow and the ocean surf dance.
Whale Watching
Another popular coastal activity are year-round whale watching trips, catching a site of the hundreds of whales and other marine wildlife making their home here. March through October are the peak whale watching months and charter companies offer affordable rates. The "Whale-watching Spoken Here" program (March, December) provides volunteers at several sites along Highway 101 to help travelers spot migrating whales. Ocean excursions offer a variety of wildlife according to the season, including seal, sea lions, porpoise and many marine birds.
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