Yachats (pronounced "YAH-hots") calls itself the Gem of the Oregon Coast, and it earns the title. This tiny community, nestled between surf and mountains about 25 miles south of Newport, has the rugged scenery of the coast at its most dramatic — wave-carved tidepools, forested headlands, and a small river meeting the sea at the edge of town.
There are no traffic lights and very few tourist traps. A couple of good restaurants, a food market, some shops, and a scattering of comfortable motels along the beachfront — most with fireplaces for the frequent cool and stormy days — make this a proper retreat rather than a resort. Cape Perpetua, a few miles to the south, has some of the best hiking on the coast, including sea caves and spectacular viewpoints. Beachcombing for agates along the river mouth and nearby beaches is a local pastime.
People come here to slow down, and they usually succeed.