| Bandon Oregon is proof-positive that wonderful things come in small packages. Also known as Bandon-By-The-Sea, you're going to discover a community of warm and friendly town folk that welcome visitors from around the world. Located in Coos County and on the south side of the mouth of the Coquille River, with a population of only 2900 people, this Oregon Coast city provides it's guests with a wonderful home-away-from-home.
 Situated 90 miles north of the California border and a casual 5-hour drive from Portland, the Bandon Oregon Old Town area is made up of cozy restaurants serving up mouth-watering seafood, interesting curio shops and art galleries, antique shops and more for the couple wanting to find a nice place to cozy down for a few days.
Within a short walking distance of the boat basin, you'll be able to catch beautiful views of the ocean whenever your heart desires. It is also home to two of the premier golf courses in the world, the Bandon Dunes Golf Course and the Face Rock Golf Course. If you're an avid golfer, you've got a couple of great places available to you. Bandon Oregon was founded by Irishman, George Bennet, who came with his two sons from Bandon, Ireland. In 1874 the name of the town was changed from Averille. Mr. Bennett introduced Gorse into the area. The shrubs flourished and grew wild throughout the city and countryside. Unfortunately, on September 26, 1936, embers from a fire from a local logging crew ignited the Gorse and set the entire city ablaze. The entire commercial district was completely and utterly destroyed. 11 people died in the fire and the damage was stated at over 3 million dollars. Lucky for us, over the following decade, they rebuilt and the Oregon Coast town was reborn. Bandon is known as the unofficial Cranberry Capital of Oregon. Over 900 acres of cranberry bogs can back that up. In fact, over 95% of Oregon's cranberries come from the area. Every September, guests can drop in to enjoy the Cranberry Festival and be treated to music, food and fun. Before cranberries became the main harvest, Bandon's two main claims to fame was it's work in the timber and fishing industries. That came to an end in the 1980s. Aside from golfing, the town offers the typical but exceptional fare of fishing, boating, windsurfing, beachcombing, etc, etc, etc. You'll be hard-pressed to run out of things to enjoy. If you're looking to get away from any crowds and just enjoy some peace and quiet, try taking a hike along the Beach Loop. This trail winds along the coastline and through some very cool sea stacks. These amazing structures have quite the legend behind them. You'll come across the Garden of the Gods, Table Rock, Cat and Kittens Rock and Elephant Rock. One of the most well known is Face Rock. Face Rock, according to local legend, is the face of an Indian princess that was frozen and turned into stone by an evil spirit. Cat and Kittens Rock were her pets who were also turned to stone by the same evil spirit. Another romantic place to visit is the Coquille River Lighthouse. All in all, Bandon Oregon or Bandon-By-The-Sea (whichever name is more endearing to you) is a wonderful place to stay and play. Have a terrific time!
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