An eco-adventure resort on the rugged San Mateo coast, offering a mix of lodge rooms, Douglas fir cabins, and canvas glamping tents.
Costanoa Lodge, established in 1999 on a portion of the historic Cascade Ranch, represents a pioneering effort in California's eco-tourism movement. Developed in part by boutique hotelier Chip Conley of Joie de Vivre after years of environmental negotiations, the resort was designed to integrate with the windswept marine terraces of the San Mateo coast. The property spans a wide coastal bench just north of Año Nuevo State Park, where the architecture deliberately yields to the elements. Buildings are constructed with natural materials like Douglas fir and stone, weathering to a silver-gray that mimics the surrounding Monterey cypress and coastal sage. The layout encourages a slow, foot-traffic-oriented pace, with gravel pathways connecting the main lodge to various outposts of canvas and wood.
Accommodations at the resort cater to varying degrees of outdoor immersion, ranging from a traditional forty-room lodge to rustic tent bungalows. The main lodge features comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, fireplaces, and private balconies or patios looking out toward the coastal hills. For more privacy, the freestanding Douglas fir cabins offer cozy wood-paneled interiors, fireplaces, skylights, and dedicated outdoor picnic areas with grills. The canvas tent bungalows, which helped popularize the concept of luxury glamping along the Pacific coast, are set on raised wooden platforms and come equipped with queen beds, electricity, and heated mattress pads to combat the damp coastal fog. Guests staying in the bungalows utilize shared, well-lit comfort stations that feature indoor and outdoor showers, saunas, and stone fireplaces.
Dining on the property centers around Cascade Restaurant and Bar, which serves farm-to-table California coastal cuisine. The menu focuses on locally sourced ingredients, featuring dishes like fresh Pacific halibut, grilled artichokes, and grass-fed burgers, alongside regional wines and craft beers. During the summer season, the outdoor Pine Tent operates as a casual gathering space, hosting rotating Bay Area food trucks, live music, and local draft beers. Wellness amenities include a dedicated day spa offering deep-tissue massages and botanical body treatments, as well as a large outdoor hot tub overlooking the grassy hills. For recreation, the lodge provides mountain bike rentals, guided nature hikes, and direct access to miles of trails that wind through the adjacent state parks down to the secluded beaches of Franklin Point.
When booking a canvas tent bungalow, opt for one with a heated mattress pad to ward off the damp coastal fog, and pack a headlamp and a thick fleece for the night walk to the comfort stations. For a private bathroom and a fireplace, book a Douglas fir cabin instead.
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