Loading. To eat here though, you definitely pay for the cliffside views. Head back north and drive into the quaint little town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Yes please! Fishermans Wharf is full of cute candy shops and tons of Clam Chowder restaurants! (10/13/18). We were going to get lunch, but decided to wait until Carmel since we ate so many samples! Our itineraries will help get you on your way to a memorable Monterey County experience. The view from the entrance to Old Coast Road isnt half bad either. Named as one of the top 10 travel bloggers on Instagram by Kayak and short listed as the best travel influencer by FlightCentre. Be aware that the trail is sometimes blocked off due to erosion, and you may not be able to get that picture perfect view. The 72-mile portion that runs through Big Sur is an official American National Scenic Byway. This beach is known to be the most consistent wave producer for surfers, so if you are one of these talented people, bring your surfboard and have at it! McWay Falls Begin your day with a savory or sweet crepe at the highly rated Crepes of Brittany in Monterey. The rest of the year is considered cool temperature, but Monterey does boast of 300 days of sunshine. It is still totally worth it to see this beautiful place. We went on the Bird Island and China Cove trailhead first. With more ocean views than you ever thought possible, eco-friendly and luxurious hotel stays, wooded hiking trails and nature for days, I can never get enough of this stretch of the coastline. When booking your Monterey to Big Sur car rental online, I recommend using Discover Cars. Hi Elena! Many different types of vegetation can be found here as well such as wildflowers, shrubs, and fungi, but most importantly the Monterey Cypress which is local to the area. The best location to stay for your Monterey and Big Sur itinerary is in Monterey. This Monterey and Big Sur itinerary is incredibly helpful. If you didnt have time to pack a snack or breakfast, plan a stop at Big Sur Bakery before u-turning into the Pfeiffer Beach turn-off. This Big Sur road trip will have you booking flights to California ASAP, promise! Cocktails with a view? The drive was nice and pretty straight forward and just took a little over an hour and a half. Cannery Row also has some cute candy shops, arcades and even an indoor mini golf arena! which is a favorite local hotspot and should not be missed when planning your Big Sur itinerary. Nearest Cities: Monterey and Carmel to the north (40 minute drive), San Simeon and Cambria to the south (1.5 hour drive) Closest International Airports: San Jose International Airport (SJC) - 1.5 hour drive | Oakland International Airport (OAK) - 2 hour drive | San Francisco (SFO) - 2.5 hour drive Best Time to Visit: April through October, early fall is best You'll likely hit Carmel-By-The-Sea first, which is where you should bed down; the famed L'Auberge Carmel offers old-world luxury. This is definitely a place I would like to spend more time at if I head back to this area. Day 3: Carmel to Big Sur. You can extend your road trip and continue driving south on the Pacific Coast Highway to see even more small California Coastal towns! Thank you! This whole road trip looks so picturesque! 1. Visit inside the Basilica (where Serras remains are laid to rest). Evening This road trip itinerary is designed to be done in one to two days depending on your timeline and how much you want to get out and see along the way. This waterfall cascades over the cliff and falls about 80 feet into the sandy cove below. Youll most definitely wanna make a few stops along the way (Half Moon Bay, Pescadero, Santa Cruz, and Carmel/Monterey are my favorites), so plan accordingly! Cannery Row is filled with boutiques, restaurants and waterfront hotels. To discover all these buildings, be like the yellow brick road and follow the Path of Historys yellow tiles on the sidewalk. The Post Ranch Inn is a Big Sur icon; the 100-acre property first opened in 1992, and in the years since, has cemented its spot as one of the top luxury hotels in . Each room actually had binoculars making it even easier to locate the animals! The Pacific Coast Highway is the longest state route in California. Just take the drive slow, stay alert, and youll be ok. How long does it take to drive the Big Sur coastline? I had always heard about the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and how great it was and how Finding Nemo was based on that aquarium! (If you come between April-June, there are purple flowers all over the place in this area and Pacific Grove!). I wanna go for sunset next time! Within its 12 towns, there's so much to discover in . Luckily, I have a few more trips planned this fall so the With an early head start to your day, you will have plenty of parking spaces to choose from if you stop for lunch here. Definitely adding this road trip to my bucket list. It is possible to drive Big Sur in one day, but many people like to spend longer exploring the area. If you want a taste of France in sweet Monterey, Paris Bakery is your go-to spot! Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail & State Beach, 7. Big Sur is a beautiful coastal area located 140 miles south of San Francisco. 3. If youre looking to take a much longer trip down the PCH, check out all my favorite stops on the Pacific Coast Highway yes, all 75 of them! Big Sur guide. Sign up for AirBnB with my link and get up to $40 off your first stay! Top tip: pull off at a turnout from the bridges south end at sunset. Big Sur Carmel Carmel Valley Castroville Marina Monterey Moss Landing Pacific Grove Pebble Beach Salinas Seaside . Its pretty secluded and kinda secret (aka not on all the typical things to do in Big Sur posts), so I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Arrive as early as possible on your first day so that you can maximize your time. It could take as little as 2 hours (if you dont stop at all), or 2 days if you make all the stops for the views, foods, and hikes. :p. Have you ever seen a beach with purple sand?! like a Big Sur Monterey California Coast McWay Falls One Day Tour from San Jose.. Alternatively, you can take the Monterey-Salinas Transit Line 22 from Carmel or Monterey, which will take you all the way to Nepenthe Restaurant when heading south. We chose the 17-mile ride and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our 3-hour outing. Monterey is definitely one of my favorite places in CA! Thank you! Head to Henry Miller Memorial Library, and youll be nothing less than impressed. Here youll find multiple historic buildings including Californias First Theater, Colton Hall, the Stevenson House, and many more! Ten interesting facts we learned on OurEDventure: Psst: If youre visiting in early spring, dont miss Calla Lily Valley right near Garrapata Beach (different location than the Bluff Trail). if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'herwanderfulworld_com-sky-3','ezslot_25',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-herwanderfulworld_com-sky-3-0');As one of the top 20 best places to retire in California, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming small town you need to check out. Have a great rest of your day. Its more of a state of mind rather than a specific point on a map, encompassing about 90 sunny Californian miles down the Pacific Coast Highway. As you start your Big Sur road trip down from San Francisco (after exploring Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea prior), youre first official stop should be Point Lobos! If youre visiting in winter, dont miss the chance to go whale-watching, as this area is a haven for them! This takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to the lowest point of Big Sur, Cambria, where you can start this itinerary (in reverse order from how it's posted). This stretch of highway connects Southern California with the Eastern Sierra mountains up north. Be sure to checkout some of my blog posts which include information about travel, fashion, lifestyle and photography. It is definitely in a really romantic setting. Constructed in 1931, and standing over 250 feet high, many people consider this bridge to be the gateway to Big Sur. The location was great and we were able to walk all over town. Big Sur is most popular between April and October, when the weather is at its nicest. Fog usually disappears around 9 AM even though that sounds like a disappointing fact. One of my favorite parts of the park was all of the beautiful walking paths with wildflowers everywhere. Its about an hour north of Monterey, and its a great place to get lunch or do some shopping. 8. Looking for sand dollars might result in a disappointment, but youll easily find muscles, crabs, sea anemone, and kelp beds while exploring the nearby rocks during low tide. When you visit Point Lobos, youll be amazed by its natural beauty, but please make sure to stay on trails as erosion is currently harming plants and wildlife in the area. *Tidefall = a waterfall that drops directly into the ocean (I didnt know either). March 3, 2023. It was nice to arrive at the hotel after a long day and just relax for a minute and eat some snacks! The path to get to the lookout for the falls is very short and flat. Thank you for sharing! Fun for young and old, exploring the rocky coastline in search of creatures is a must-do. Read on for my favorite Big Sur activities, where to stay, what to do in Big Sur, and (most importantly), what and where to eat! You can read all about how this area came to be here. And theres a reason for it the 80-foot waterfall is absolutely stunning. Morning I cant recommend this place enough! Carmel is a small, beautiful, and charming seaside town tucked between Big Sur and Monterey on the central coast of California. (10/12/18), "Thank you Kelsey for your words of advise. Havent had enough of the great outdoors on your Big Sur road trip just yet? It was located in a building that looked like a castle. The town is truly tiny at only one square mile, but it is absolutely packed with amazing things. A 75-room Big Sur boutique hotel just yards from the beach in a restored mansion built in 1905, La Playa Carmel was first constructed by artist Christian Jorgensen as a gift for his wife and had the first swimming pool in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Just be careful to watch out for other vehicles coming and livestock roaming around! If you are a morning person, you might want to head out earlier to avoid the other tourists. You are able to do wine tastings inside or if you dont drink, there is also a full service restaurant as well. About this rental. Even more than that, Point Lobos doesnt classify itself as a state park, but rather as a natural reserve with the highest protection for nature and wildlife found here. Monterey or Carmel to Big Sur The best place to stay if embarking upon a Big Sur day trip is Carmel or Monterey. The scenic pull-offs are along the coast, and driving north to south provides the easiest access to these. A trailhead can be found from Monterey State Beach and from there heading south, it will take you to Fishermans Wharf, Cannery Row, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Details. Finding it can be a challenge in itself because the turn is not marked. Big Sur, located along Central California coast, is one of the best places to visit on the West Coast of USA. Big Sur and Monterey/Carmel I'll be spending this upcoming weekend on a road trip from Los Angeles to Monterey and thought I'd post my general itinerary and pose a few questions for the Big. Big Sur road trip itinerary: You could do Big Sur in a day or the entire California coast in 2-3 days if you really wanted to, but it will be much more enjoyable if you do it slowly! Note that the color of the sand realllly comes alive right after it rains. Then the trail led down to this amazing white sandy beach with no one else around. Take some time for a walk along the beach as its known to have purple sand! Traffic is really bad, please use public transport or other forms to reduce as much as possible. " Its important to note that many businesses have shorter opening hours during the off-peak season. It will take you about 2 hours to drive right into Monterey. It was moved to get away from the military garrison. You can stop in Santa Cruz if youd like. PCH Road Trip Planning Essentials. And thankfully, neither are too strenuous or long (perfect if you dont have all day). Despite all ocean views and beaches, theres not many safe spots for swimming. Looks like you had a wonderful time too. Public school whose 1931 auditorium served as Carmel's primary artistic, civic . Pafoua writes from her numerous excursions about all things travel, from fun itineraries to creating memorable experiences on the road. I have visited California many times through out my life. House dating to 1867 of one of the first American families to homestead the Big Sur coast, with a New England-style saltbox wing built in 1877. Today, he has a wholesale warehouse where he provides his delicious fresh-baked pastries to hotels and restaurants around the area. Since Big Sur is located between Carmel-by-the-Sea and San Simeon, its best to start from either of these (and finish in the other) if you wanna experience the entire coastline of Big Sur. I like to searchvia this sitein order to compare rental companies to see who has the best price. If seeing a whale is on your bucket list, Fishermans Wharf is where you need to be. It took my breath away. Alternately, it's possible to just take Highway 1 all the way, though this takes a long time, about a 4 hours and 30 minutes drive to Cambria. Accommodation in Big Sur is pricey. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. There are BARRELS of salt water taffy with flavors ranging from caramel apple to blueberry cheesecake its incredible! There are souvenir shops, where I bought a super cute Monterey boat picture frame, theres a clam chowder stand, a cafe spot that I love and forget its name, and my favorite the Monterey Bay Creamery where theres a huge cow statue selling ice cream. The Lone Cypress is actually over 250 years old! Not to be missed, youll need to visit the Point Pinos Lighthouse, which is the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Where we stayed: The airport is small and easy to navigate. Bring your binoculars for wildlife viewing! Seeing these trees was such a surreal experience! (7/16/18), "It just opened yesterday! Our other option is to do Monterey/Carmel on Tuesday (aquarium, 17-mile drive, etc), and then Big Sur first thing Wednesday morning (July 4th). It ends near San Simeon. Thanks for the inspiration to put it on the top of my travel list." (7/19/18), "This area has been on my must-see/do list for years. From free coffee available and interesting and unusual titles for purchase, its worth spending a while here to soak up the Big Sur atmosphere. Book now from $9.99! If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. They sometimes even host concerts, cultural events, and film nights as well. I would advise sharing a sundae with your BFF as the portions are huge, but its delicious nonetheless. After Mcway Falls, we headed to Pfeiffer Burns State Park (not to be confused with Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park). Heading to California and cant wait to check off all the stops on this Big Sur road trip itinerary? Then walk through the main entrance, purchase a $2 map and head out on your hike. There is so much you can do and see while you are in Carmel. The perfect amount of time to see Monterey and Big Sur is 2-3 days. and not many tourists know about it just yet! While youre planning your Monterey and Big Sur itinerary, check out these useful road trip gifts to have the best experience on the road! Start with the short film about Junipero Serra to learn about the history of this mission and also the start of all the California missions. Stay and Play in Monterey. Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Calla Lily Valley in Big Sur! I had it recommended to me and I thought it would be the perfect place to pick up a picnic lunch for later. I repeat, the almond croissant is orgasmic. However, you can also stop at a local restaurant for lunch too! When researching where to eat, I had Forge in the Forest recommend several times. And plus, whats cooler than a cone from a bus? With that being said, you can easily see oh so much in even as little as one day.