(Depoe Bay, Oregon) - While Devil's Punchbowl, near Depoe Bay, gets a lot of the attention, there's a stunning, rather unpopulated beach lying just below the cliffs that never ceases to cause wonder.

The swirling, tidal madness of the Punchbowl itself is a stark contrast to the cozy little beach just below – except of course during stormy conditions, when you definitely can’t even venture down there, unless you want to see the place from the vantage point of below the waves.

During lower tide events is when the marine gardens appear. It’s a tide pool hunter’s paradise, with numerous critters existing here.

It’s all accessed via a slightly sloped walkway between the beach and the parking lot, and then the steps to the beach are often non-existent or barely intact, as winter storms tend to ravage the boundaries of this beach and take out the conveniences of Man. So there are often times you’ll have to crawl down the final two or three feet of the concrete walkway.

Once on the beach, you’ll discover a host of oddities and intricate rock structures. Like the monolithic slab of sandstone that looks like a giant boot at the tide line. Or flat rocky spots that look as if Mother Nature is asking you to “please come in and have a seat.”

A mix of sandy flat areas and rocky labyrinths typify this varied place, leaving something  to do for almost everyone.

It’s also a big attraction for surfers at times, although they tend to hit the other side of the headland that creates Otter Rock, walking down an enormous stairway to hit the flat, sandy beach facing Newport to the south.

It's all found by following the signs to Otter Rock when you’re around Cape Foulweather, just south of Depoe Bay.

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