Our Guide to Westport!

Part of the local culture is that there is are tons of local festivals to check out in Westport! Basically one every weekend. There are a huge variety- from pirate daze to kites to jet ski competitions to fishing derbies to beach combing. We highly recommend to check out the schedule here- https://westportgrayland-chamber.org/calendar.php

This is a very traditional PNW activity and a huge bonus of the Westport beaches. On days when clamming is open people gather on the beach at low tide to spot clam "shows" and dig up the clams underneath them. Once you've caught your clams you can fry them, turn them in to chowder, or add them to your favorite seafood dish to make it even more amazing! For this you need a clam shovel or gun, and a Washington state shellfish license which can be purchased at Englund Marine. Read more about how to razor clam herhttps://wdfw.medium.com/how-to-dig-for-razor-clams-6021ef1788cf

Crabbing from the piers at Westport or Tokeland is another part of the strong fishing culture of this area! If you're new to crabbing we recommend that you go down to the Westport docks and stroll to see what everyone is pulling up in their pots, hoops, and cages. Some people hang traps from the dock while others cast small traps into the water with fishing poles. It's always fun to see what people get! If you'd like to give it a try yourself send us a message on Airbnb and we're happy to talk you through it! This is one of our favorite (and the most delicious) things about Westport!!

Basically just throw on a wetsuit and you're ready to hang ten :) There are 3 different breaks to surf in Westport: The Jetty- beginner to advanced The Groins- intermediate to advanced The Cove- advanced For beginners there are classes (at Bigfoot Surf School), wetsuit and board rentals (at the Surf Shop), and the Jetty has excellent conditions for learning! Curious what the surfing conditions are like right now? Check out the Live Westport Webcam to see conditions right at this minute: https://www.experiencewestport.com/live-westport-webcam

This is so much a tradition in Westport that the town organizes a beachcombing festival every year! Even if you miss the festival, we recommend checking the tide tables and then heading out to the beach for a treasure hunt! To beach comb head out to the beach on the descending tide, a few hours before low, and follow the wrack line — the swath of debris deposited by the previous high tide. Keep your eyes open for sand dollars, sea glass, bullwhip kelp, agates, bottles, Japanese glass floats, buoys, and more! A few times a year there is even a big find like a shipwreck or a whale carcass.

There are several good kite shops along the souvenir shops by the docks. We recommend to pick out your favorite flyer and enjoy the excellent wind conditions on our beaches!

The most important thing to know about Westport weather is that during all seasons but summer it is constantly changing. It is a comfort to know that usually the sun is coming out at some point soon, but we recommend to pack for this when exploring the area!