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Ponytails, United States

Stay in Cambria: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Cambria

Watch this spot We email you when Ponytails is worth the trip.

BurtonDrive CambriaCA
Cambria, the nearest town, 6 km away. Photo: San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conventions Bureau, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Ponytails

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Cambria, 6 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 9 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MRY, direct.

    See flights ORD → MRY · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 30 from the airport to Ponytails.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in CambriaAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Cambria · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Cambria · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ponytails on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 19Oct345 ft11 ssoft532kJ20°C
Tue 20Oct356 ft10 ssoft628kJ19°C
Wed 21Oct426 ft10 ssoft632kJ16°C
Thu 22Oct184 ft8 smushy139kJ19°C
Fri 23Oct346 ft6 smushy244kJ20°C
Sat 24Oct356 ft7 smushy298kJ22°C
Sun 25Oct143 ft9 scrumbling117kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct214 ft7 smushy146kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct113 ft7 smushy61kJ22°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Tue 20 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Tue 20 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 2h 30 by road. About 9h door to door

  2. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Leffingwell Landing

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  3. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  4. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Leffingwell Landing

    Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 6 ft at 6 s, wind 1 kn (1 km/h).

  5. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Leffingwell Landing

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sun 25 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  7. Mon 26 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 2h 30 by road. About 9h door to door

The plan picks the best of 5 spots near Cambria each day: Cliffs, Leffingwell Landing, Moonstone beach, Moonstone, Ponytails.

The trip from Cambria, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,845 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£465
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,020–£1,845

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Cambria

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.