Guadalupe (California)

By plane

• Santa Maria Airport, about 8 mi (13 km) southeast of Guadalupe, is a one terminal airport. Scheduled flights are available to and from Los Angeles (5-6 flights per day on United Airlines) and Las Vegas (Sunday, Wednesday and Friday service only on Allegiant Air.

By car

Nipomo is 8.5 mi (13.6 km) west of Highway 101 on Highway 166

By bus

• Amtrak has bus service to Guadalupe a couple of times a day.

• Guadaulpe-Nipomo Dunes Center

  phone: +1 805 343-2455
  address: 1055 Guadalupe St
  Housed in a restored 1910 Craftsman-style bungalow, the Dune Center offers a look at the history and ecology of the Guadaulpe-Nipomo Dunes, one of the largest remaining natural dune areas on the California coast.

• Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge

  phone: +1 805 343-9151
  An 18-mile stretch of sand dunes on the coastline. Hiking, wildlife viewing to surf fishing. The Dune Center (see above) offers guided walks of the dunes. Cecil B. DeMille filmed the 10 Commandments on these dunes then buried the set pieces in the sand. As the dunes blow in the wind, the sets are revealed then reburied so keep an eye out for "ancient Egyptian" architecture during your visit.

• Santa Maria - Eight miles east of Guadalupe, Santa Maria is the largest city in the county, and is probably best known as the original home of barbecue tri-tip, now referred to as Santa Maria style barbecue. The area is also one of the state's largest wine-producing regions, and has been a filming location for films ranging from The Ten Commandments to Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Pismo Beach - This tourism-focused coastal town is located 16 miles north of Guadalupe. It has more than 65 restaurants and 30 lodging options, and draws visitors with its beautiful coastline, annual clam festival, and the thousands of monarch butterflies that gather to spend the winter in a grove at the edge of town.
• Lompoc - 31 miles south of Guadalupe, Lompoc is nicknamed the "City of Arts and Flowers", with more than half the world's flower seeds grown in the fields around the town. The city celebrates its association with flowers every June during the Lompoc Valley Flower festival. The area is also home to Vandenberg Air Force Base, America's west coast spaceport, where rocket launches can sometimes be seen.