Tucked in tidily around the edges of Yaquina Bay, the city of Newport, aka "Dungeness Crab Capital of the World", is all about the sea. The Bayfront, a street of quaint pubs, restaurants and shops backing the bay, is the town's cultural heart and home to the majority of its tourist attractions (though you'll need to get out on the ocean to see the region's natural sights). Whether souvenir shopping for a locally made piece of art, sampling fresh seafood, watching the resident sea lions or catching a sunset from the brewery across the bridge, a stop in these parts is definitely a treat for all senses.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium, once home to Keiko the Whale, is an extensive facility that gives visitors safe views of sharks, sea otters, puffins and octopus. If you'd rather do some wildlife sighting without the crowds, check out the Marine Hatfield Science Center run by Oregon State University or head out to sea on a chartered fishing, crabbing or whale-watching trip.
For those left altogether too try by passive wave watching and tidepooling, find on hand plenty of places to rent a surfboard for sociable surfing with the locals on swells at Agate Beach or farther up the coast at Otter Rock.
In addition to the expected scenic sandy beaches, Waldport, just south of Newport offers excellent clamming opportunities. The lighthouse at Yaquina Bay State Park, just north of Newport, is small, but the views around are, not surprisingly, expansive. There are numerous opportunities to pull out and enjoy the beaches on the way to Lincoln City, 25 miles north on Highway 101.
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