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Big Sur drive

Bixby Creek Bridge, Monterey County, California

Description

Big Sur refers to Central California's dramatic coastline between Carmel and San Simeon. Thanks to heavy development restrictions it has been kept mostly untouched with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising abruptly from the Pacific Ocean and the human imprint essentially limited to the CA-1, with the 70 miles (110km) stretch between Malpaso Creek (near Carmel Highlands in the north) and San Carpóforo Creek (near San Simeon in the south) marking the unofficial boundaries. The drive is one of the country's most popular and highlights include the Bixby Creek Bridge, the Point Sur Lighthouse, the McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, and Pfeiffer Beach (only accessible via a 3km trail)

Access & Transport

The Big Sur drive starts just south of Point Lobos, 12km south of Monterey with Bixby Bridge coming quite early on followed by the Point Sur Lighthouse. San Simeon is 50km north of Morro Bay and 200km northwest of Santa Barbara.

Instructions & Recommendations

Nepenthe Restaurant is a well-known stop along the road, about 1/3 of the way heading south. On the south side, San Simeon and Cambria are good place to overnight before or after the journey. Note that since driving is on the right-hand side, the southbound views are marginally more impressive than northbound.

Meta review

Big Sur sees millions of visitors every year and the coastline is regularly featured not just in travel guides and magazines but in movies and novel. Online portals reveal that Pfeiffer Beach and Bixby Bridge are probably the most popular spots. The first one is described as beautiful and iconic as well as original with its top layer of purple sand. Parking is limited (and paying) and get quickly crowded so best to go early and/or off-season. Note that the road is narrow and the uphill driver has the right of way. The bridge is even more spectacular than on picture according to reviewers - which says a lot! It is also very busy. The main disappointment seems to be McWay Falls - many visitors thought they were quite small and not really worth the trouble.

Environmental & Social

Mostly green activity (except for petrol of drivers not driving electric). The increasing numbers of tourists is putting a strain on local communities

Conclusion

Big Sur is a delightful and genuinely beautiful drive that will reward road-trippers, photographers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. There are few coastlines in the US that have managed to keep residential and commercial developments at bay, especially with large cities within a couple of hours drive.

Key positive

Wonderful views

Several points of interest along the way

Key negative

Some areas can get very busy

Suitability

No restrictions but some points of interests will not be accessible without assistance for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in July 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
2h drive + 2h breaks/photos/visits

av. transport time:0h 45m

est. visit time:4h

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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