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Newport, located on the central Oregon coast, has been a favorite
tourist destination since the 1860s. The small, succulent Yaquina
Bay oyster made Newport world famous, and a popular destination
for seafood lovers. Now commercially grown, visitors can buy the
oysters and watch them being processed at the Oregon Oyster Company.
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, tidepools 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. It's busy during summer, so
purchasing or reserving tickets in advance is recommended.
Beach enthusiasts will enjoy the variety of beaches in Newport.
South Beach State Park, two miles south of Newport, has a wide
sandy beach adjacent to a picnic area and a campground. Yurt camping
is also available there. Cobble Beach, which is part of the Yaquina
Head Outstanding Natural Area, has abundant sea life in the rocky
intertidal areas. See and touch sea urchins, sea stars, shore
crabs and hermit crabs, and learn about life in tidepools. Nye
Beach is one of Oregon's oldest beach destinations. An expansive
sandy beach is complimented by the shops, restaurants and lodging
in the Nye Beach area.
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 bayfront. Crabbing
trips are available, and many of the charter boats have facilities
for cooking the crabs back at the docks, for an additional fee.
Some lodging establishments have crab rings for rent, as well
as crab cookers for guests to use. Parking can be hard to find,
so it pays to go early, or visit during a walk around town.
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.
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, murres, and guillemots,
as well as harbor seals, sea lions and grey whales. The Natural
Area's system of manmade ocean tidepools 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 tidepool life to lighthouse life.
The variety of places and activities for visitors to enjoy seems
endless - a weekend won't be enough time to see and do all the
Newport has to offer.
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