South of town, and not obvious from the highway, are miles of sandy beaches broken by outcroppings of towering rocks; these are home to myriad sea birds, sea lions and tide pools. Look for whales in spring.
At Coquille Point, at the end of SW 11th St, steps lead down to a beach interspersed with rocky crags and monoliths. Table Rock lies just offshore and is protected as the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
A few blocks to the south is Face Rock , a huge monolith with a human profile. Native American legends tell of a maiden and her pet kittens turned to stone by an evil sea god; they all now rise as sea stacks. A path winds along the headland and to the beach.
