Newport has always been one of our favorite spots on the Oregon Coast, with its busy working waterfront, beautiful bay and bridge, and just the right number of nearby attractions.
We spent two days here recently, exploring the bayfront, watching sea lions, sampling local seafood, enjoying the beaches and soaking up the coastal views.
Here’s our complete 2-day itinerary including what we did, where we stayed and where we ate to inspire your next Newport getaway.
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Otter Crest Loop Scenic Drive
After a brief mandatory stop at Ainslee’s for saltwater taffy, we continued southward down Highway 101 a few minutes to the Otter Crest Loop. We highly recommend taking this scenic route between Depoe Bay and Newport if you want to take your time and see the coastline.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
The Otter Crest Loop merges with Highway 101 again after Devil’s Punchbowl. Continue south on Highway 101 about 15 minutes and take the exit for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area to see the lighthouse and explore its surrounding beaches and tidepools.
The tallest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, Yaquina Head Lighthouse has been guiding ships since 1873 and is still in operation today. The Interpretive Center is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily. You can only go inside the lighthouse with a guided tour and tours are limited. It’s recommended to check the Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses website for current tour information.
Another lighthouse with a similar name, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse looks like an old house with a beacon on top and is located on Yaquina Bay (not Yaquina Head). It is the only wooden lighthouse still standing in Oregon and is currently closed for construction until September 2025.
Other highlights of the park include Colony Rock, home to one of the West coast’s largest nesting colonies of Common Murres. Down below the lighthouse, Cobble Beach is a great spot for exploring tide pools during low tide, just be aware that there are quite a few stairs to get down to the beach and the beach itself is made of smooth, round stones that are a little awkward to walk on (wear sturdy shoes).
Quarry Cove is another viewpoint and seal-watching area with a trail leading down to the beach. Mobi Mats are available here offering 145 feet of beach accessibility along with an accessible parking area. The interpretive center at Yaquina Head is also ADA wheelchair accessible.
This natural area is operated by the BLM and honors all America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes and Oregon Pacific Coast passes. Parking fee: $7
Oregon Coast Travel Essentials
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Hallmark Resort Newport
4:00 p.m. – After a full day of seeing the sights, we arrived at the Hallmark Resort in Newport. Check-in was seamless and the staff was very friendly and welcoming. We reserved the limited-edition king spa top-floor room featuring a private beachfront balcony, kitchenette and spa tub.
Here’s a quick walk-through of our room:
We had plenty of time to relax before dinner at Georgie’s, the restaurant on site. It was very nice to have the option to stay in after a full day of driving and they also offer room service if you don’t even want to leave your bed. We made a reservation for a window table with an ocean view for 7:00 p.m.
Day 2: Oregon Coast Aquarium and Newport Historic Bayfront
8:00 a.m. – Before heading to the aquarium, we picked up a quick breakfast sandwich and burrito from Nye Beach Cafe and enjoyed breakfast in our ocean-view room.
Our kitchenette came with a Keurig coffee maker and locally roasted coffee from Sleepy Monk in Cannon Beach, as well as a fairly generous basket of free snacks (those blackberry apple chips from Sisters Fruit Co. are amazing!).
Other nice-to-haves in the kitchen included a dishwasher, nice sized fridge, microwave, toaster and a sink with filtered drinking water perfect for filling up water bottles.
Oregon Coast Aquarium
10:00 a.m. – We pre-purchased tickets online for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and after a post-breakfast beach walk, we headed over to see the jellies, puffins, otters and other sea creatures. It was busy at the aquarium on a Monday morning at the peak of summer, but we were still able to walk in with our prepaid tickets without waiting in line.
Many of the most popular exhibits like the moon jellies and underwater tunnel were crowded but with a little patience it wasn’t a problem to see everything we wanted to see (the octopus eluded us). Standouts included the touch tanks, sea lions, otters, and the sea bird area was welcoming some new chicks, including a baby puffin. Cost: $60 (for 2 adult tickets, see website for more prices and special tours)
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Newport Historic Bayfront
Newport’s Historic Bayfront district is a bustling tourist area on Bay Boulevard lined with gift shops, restaurants, and attractions with picturesque Yaquina Bay and Bridge in the background. It’s also a working commercial fishing and crabbing hub with seafood processing facilities loading and unloading pallets (we walked on the opposite side of the street when necessary to stay out of their way).
12:00 p.m. – Our first stop was Port Dock 1 to see the resident barking sea lions. Note: Parking on Bay Blvd. is now paid metered parking (pay at kiosk), $1/hr (4-hour maximum stay) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week from May to October. From November to April, paid parking is required on weekends only.
After watching the sea lions for a bit, we browsed a few gift shops offering the usual T-shirts and souvenirs, but Oceanic Arts really stood out with their selection of local art, jewelry and handmade gifts if you’re looking for something beyond the usual.
Though there are plenty of great restaurants in Newport to choose from, we decided to skip a sit-down lunch and head back to our room to save our appetites as we had dinner reservations at Local Ocean later that evening.
The Allred Hotel
2:00 p.m. – On the way back to the Hallmark, we decided to stop in to check out the new Allred Hotel Bites + Bar, their sister property on the oceanfront along Elizabeth Street.
The hotel just opened in March 2025 following a full remodel and renovation of the old Whaler Motel. Beautifully designed, the modern lobby bar and restaurant offers comfy couches, direct ocean views, an indoor fireplace, upstairs seating, and a covered outside patio with cozy firepits. It was the perfect place to relax after a full day of sightseeing and we can’t wait to stay here and see what the rooms are like.
Local Ocean Seafoods
7:30 p.m. – Local Ocean is probably the most talked about restaurant in Newport and highly acclaimed for sourcing its catch directly from the local docks. Reserve a table in the upstairs dining room for a gorgeous view overlooking Yaquina Bay, or sit downstairs near the open kitchen and seafood market.
We tried several things on the menu including: Veracruz shellfish cocktail, halibut ceviche, Dungeness crab cakes, and a delicious Brazilian seafood stew with rockfish, scallops, wild prawns, crab, shitake mushrooms and green curry broth.
Everything was so thoughtfully prepared and fresh— the locally sourced fish and seafood really stands out here. Bonus: Looking out over the glassy bay at sunset and watching the surf perch jumping out of the water.
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and stopped in the lobby gift shop to browse the movie selection. The hotel doesn’t offer streaming services, but the DVD selection wasn’t too bad and its fun and free (there was also free popcorn in our goodie basket).
Check-Out Day
8:00 a.m. – We picked up some excellent breakfast sandwiches from local coffee shop Coastie Roasties and enjoyed breakfast in our ocean-view room one last time.
The checkout time at the Hallmark Resort is noon, which is nice for late risers (which we are not). Still, it was a relief to have plenty of time to get going slowly in the morning and sit on our balcony without worrying about the time. We noticed how quiet the hotel was that morning, without the usual vaccuum cleaners buzzing and housekeeping cart noises. Overall, our stay was excellent here and we didn’t want to leave.
Highlights of Our Room:
- Large king suite with plenty of space for two
- Jetted spa tub with robes and bath salts
- Plush, thick, fluffy towels (not scratchy!)
- Unobstructed ocean view
- Kitchenette with dishes, dishwasher, microwave, Keurig coffee maker, refrigerator
- Comfortable bed and room temperature (keep the mini window open all night to hear the waves crashing)
- Clean and quiet – room was reset while we were out, no noise (top floor)
- Easy beach access
Other Places to Stay in Newport
Newport has a variety of hotels and vacation rentals within walking distance to the beach. Here are a few of the other top picks in town:
For more hotel recommendations, see:
Feel free to bookmark this itinerary so you can plan and customize your own trip to Newport!
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