Big Sur
THE AMERICAS · COAST · CALIFORNIA
Ninety miles where the Santa Lucia range drops straight into the Pacific and Highway 1 clings to the middle of it. There is no town, barely any phone signal, and a handful of places to eat and sleep spread across an hour of driving. Landslides close the road regularly — always check Caltrans before you commit to the route.
The plan
Bixby Creek Bridge
The 1932 arch everyone photographs, 20 minutes south of Carmel. Pull off at the north end, not on the bridge.
McWay Falls
A 25m waterfall onto a beach you can't reach, at Julia Pfeiffer Burns. A five-minute walk from the car park.
Pfeiffer Beach
Purple sand and a keyhole arch that lights up at sunset in December and January. The unmarked turning is Sycamore Canyon Road.
Redwood hiking at Pfeiffer Big Sur
Coast redwoods in a river canyon, and the easiest proper walk on the coast.
Sunset at Nepenthe
A terrace 250m above the water that has been serving since 1949. Order the Ambrosiaburger and stay for the light.
Book before you fly
Rooms anywhere in Big Sur
There are only a few hundred beds on ninety miles of coast. Book months ahead or sleep in Carmel.
Highway 1 closures
Slides close sections for months at a time — check Caltrans the morning you drive.
Post Ranch & Ventana dining
Sierra Mar and the Sur House take non-resident bookings, weeks ahead for sunset.
Getting there
Fly Monterey (MRY)
Forty minutes to the northern end of Big Sur, small and easy, with connections through western hubs.
Fly San Francisco (SFO) or San Jose (SJC)
Three and two and a half hours north; most people drive down Highway 1 from there and make a day of it.
Getting around
You must drive, and there is no public transport, one petrol station stretch of 60km, and very little signal. Fill up in Carmel.
When to go
Best time to go
September and October — the summer fog has gone, the light is best, and the road is usually clear.
Cheapest months
January to March, when rain and slide risk are highest but rooms are half price and the waterfalls run.
If you've got one day
Morning
Bixby Creek Bridge
Late morning
McWay Falls
Lunch
Nepenthe
Afternoon
Pfeiffer Beach
Sunset
Sunset at Nepenthe
Evening
Dinner at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch, then Redwood hiking at Pfeiffer Big Sur
If you've got a week
Day 1
Arrive, settle in around Post Ranch Inn, and take it slowly — Nepenthe for dinner.
Day 2
Bixby Creek Bridge.
Day 3
McWay Falls. Dinner at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch.
Day 4
Day trip — Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Day 5
Pfeiffer Beach. Big Sur Bakery at some point.
Day 6
Redwood hiking at Pfeiffer Big Sur.
Day 7
Sunset at Nepenthe. Finish with Deetjen's Restaurant.
Staying longer?
Nearby & day trips
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Thirty minutes north, fairy-tale cottages and the start of 17-Mile Drive.
Monterey
Forty minutes north for the aquarium, one of the best in the world.
Four hours south down the coast.
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