If you stop overnight in Big Sur, there’s a good chance you won’t want to leave. Getting out among the tall redwoods feels very therapeutic. But the drive from Big Sur to Monterey has plenty to look forward to: purple sand, one of the most photographed bridges in California, a town buried in trees and a scenic drive where we came face to face with a deer. This leg is part of our 10-day California road trip with teenagers, driving the coast from LA to San Francisco over the Easter holidays.
We did it in a single, very full day, heading south to north. We started with breakfast and a hike in Big Sur, and finished in the old sardine canneries of Monterey. This is how we did it, plus what I’d change.
Big Sur to Monterey is roughly 30 miles (about 50 km) on Highway 1, which takes around 45 minutes to an hour without stops. With the stops below, it makes a full, relaxed day. Big Sur’s stretch of Highway 1 does close for landslides and wildfires, so check Caltrans QuickMap before you set off.
The stops on this leg run in a neat line up the coast, so you can pick and choose without backtracking. Here’s how our day went, with the rough drive times between each one:
Breakfast, a few minutes south of Big Sur Lodge on Highway 1.
A morning hike straight from the back of Big Sur Lodge.
About 12 minutes from the lodge, down a side road.
Around 30 minutes north of Pfeiffer Beach.
Another 30 minutes or so north, and the natural lunch stop.
Starts on the edge of Carmel and loops around the Pebble Beach peninsula.
A short drive, around 15 minutes, from the end of the 17-Mile Drive.
The Big Sur coast is beautiful because it's so wild, and that same wildness means Highway 1 is regularly closed by landslides, storm damage and wildfires, sometimes for months. The state parks along the way can close too. Check Caltrans QuickMap for the road and California State Parks for the parks before you set off. If the road is shut, the inland route on Highway 101 is the usual fallback, and you can rejoin the coast further north.
We started the day at the Big Sur Bakery, just a four-minute drive south of Big Sur Lodge on the main highway. The coffee was great and the pastries were even better: think blueberry strudels and cinnamon swirls.
It’s very popular, so the queue builds quickly, and the laid-back staff are very much on “Big Sur time”. Don’t let that put you off. There’s a pretty garden full of cacti to wander round while you wait, and it’s all part of the experience. If breakfast doesn’t fit your plans, it would make an equally good lunch stop if you’re passing through Big Sur later in the day.
Once we’d fuelled up, it was time to go and hug some trees. The Pfeiffer Falls Trail starts behind Big Sur Lodge, in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, and climbs through a gorge filled with tall redwoods to reach the waterfall. We followed boardwalks and crossed footbridges made from huge redwood timbers, and the thing I remember most is the silence and the wonderful scent of the trees.
From the falls we carried on along the Valley View Trail, which climbs to a viewpoint over the Big Sur Valley before dropping back down through the trees. Both trails are said to get very busy, but we only saw about four other people the whole time we were walking, in April. If you’re staying at the lodge (we cover it in our Pismo Beach to Big Sur guide), it’s the easiest hike you could ask for: out of the door and straight into the forest.
The trail has had a lot of closures over the years, from fire damage to a fallen redwood that took out one of the footbridges, and the whole park can close when the Big Sur coast has wildfires or landslides. Check California State Parks for trail status before you plan your morning around it.
Before you leave Big Sur and head north on Highway 1, make a quick detour to Pfeiffer Beach, about 12 minutes’ drive from Big Sur Lodge. The turning is Sycamore Canyon Road, which is narrow, winding and easy to miss because it isn’t well signed, so go slowly and keep an eye out. You need to buy a day-use visitor pass before you park up; check the current arrangements before you go.
Pfeiffer Beach is known for its purple sand, and this is where I want to set your expectations. Our first impression wasn’t purple at all. The sand looked golden, and what really caught our eye was the rock formation in the shallows, with a keyhole arch in the middle that the waves were crashing through. Even without any purple, it was a lovely beach for a walk.
Eventually we hit a patch of wet sand with purple swirls running through it. It wasn’t bright purple and it didn’t cover much of the beach, but it was definitely a pinky purple. The colour comes from manganese garnet that washes down from the hills after rain. There had been no rain in the run-up to our visit, so there was no run-off, which probably explains why we didn’t see more.
Best chance of purple: After a spell of rain, when fresh garnet has washed down from the hills.
Where to look: In the wet sand near the north end of the beach and around the rocks, rather than the dry sand at the top.
Keyhole Arch: A The rock arch is the real showstopper, whatever colour the sand turns out to be.
Back on Highway 1, it’s around 30 minutes north to Bixby Bridge, which carries the road across Bixby Creek and is one of the most photographed bridges in California. You might recognise it from the opening titles of Big Little Lies, the TV series based on Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel. If you do, you’ll know what to put on the car stereo: Michael Kiwanuka’s “Cold Little Heart”, the show’s theme tune, as you cross.
If you’re driving south to north like us, cross the bridge first, then look for somewhere to pull in on the other side. From there you can get out and photograph the bridge with the coastline stretching away behind it. It’s well worth stopping for, and the water below is the most inviting shade of blue.
This stretch of the Big Sur to Carmel drive is one of the most dramatic of the whole trip, with the road clinging to the cliffs. Take it steadily, and use the pull-outs rather than stopping on the road for photos.
Another 30 minutes’ drive north brings you to Carmel-by-the-Sea, and for me this town had the wow factor. It seems to be buried in the forest, with trees surrounding all the buildings, and it’s so pretty. It’s the perfect place to park up, go for a wander and grab some lunch.
We only had a few hours here, and it wasn’t enough. If I came back, I’d stay in Carmel rather than Monterey. It has more character, and it’s full of trees, which I love.
From Carmel, you can join the 17-Mile Drive, a scenic road that loops around the private Pebble Beach peninsula. Unless you have a resident’s permit, you pay a fee to enter as a visitor at one of the gates. Check the current fee and any vehicle restrictions on the official 17-Mile Drive website before you go.
The route winds past big houses tucked into the trees, with sweeping views of the ocean and plenty of viewpoints to pull in at. Two stood out for us:
Craggy rocks and pure white beaches, home to harbour seals. When we visited, part of the beach was roped off to protect the mums and their pups.
A cypress tree thought to be around 250 years old, which has braved the elements on its rock above the Pacific for all that time (it’s our featured image).
We also had a bonus encounter along the way, coming face to face with a deer that popped up at the side of the road. The whole area felt very exclusive and special. If you have time, stop in sleepy but pretty Pacific Grove on the way into Monterey.
From the 17-Mile Drive, it’s only about 15 minutes to Monterey, the end of this leg. The town has a fascinating maritime history. From the 1850s, Chinese immigrants fished for abalone here, and in the 1890s Japanese workers came to work in the local fishing and packing industries. A row of huts that housed Japanese workers still stands across the road from the bay.
The first of many canneries opened in 1902, and Monterey went on to become known as the sardine capital of the world. The sardines were overfished, stocks collapsed and the canneries eventually closed. John Steinbeck wrote about this world in his novel Cannery Row, and on the bay front you’ll find the Cannery Row Monument, with Steinbeck at the top surrounded by bronze figures of characters from the cannery days.
After our cabin in the woods in Big Sur, we decided to stay somewhere a bit more upmarket in Monterey. We chose the InterContinental The Clement Monterey, an IHG hotel in a former cannery building, right on the main strip overlooking the bay. We collect IHG points, and our guide to travel reward points explains how we use them.
It doesn’t take long to explore downtown Monterey, which is mostly gift shops and seafood restaurants. It had an old-fashioned feel to it that I quite liked, though Carmel won my heart.
One thing we didn’t have time for, and would love to do next time, is get out on the water. Monterey Bay is known for its whale watching, and the Monterey Bay: Whale Watching Tour with Discovery Whale Watch leaves from the harbour in Monterey itself. Which whales you might see depends on the time of year, so check what’s around before you book.
The main event in Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in a prime spot overlooking the bay. We hadn’t planned to go. Our kayak trip the next morning was cancelled because of high winds, so we suddenly had a spare morning in Monterey and headed to the aquarium instead.
It’s a large, modern building with big windows and outdoor viewing decks, so you feel very connected to the water as you go round. Our highlights were:
The kelp forest: A tank around 28 feet (about 8.5 metres) tall, where you see beneath the surface what you'd usually only see from the top.
The giant Pacific octopus: Ours was moving around and sticking its tentacles to the glass.
The jellyfish: From tiny, oddly shaped ones to enormous, brightly coloured ones.
The sea otters: Playing and rolling around in their pools.
Zoos and aquariums aren’t really my thing, but this one was clean and well kept, and it was definitely worth the visit. Check the aquarium’s website for tickets and opening times before you go.
In closing
This was one of the fullest days of our whole road trip, and one of the most varied: redwoods in the morning, a keyhole arch and purple sand, a famous bridge, a town hidden in the trees and a whole chapter of American history to finish. The drive from Big Sur to Monterey is short on paper, so give it the whole day and let the stops set the pace.
If you only have time for a few, I'd pick the Pfeiffer Falls Trail, Bixby Bridge and Carmel-by-the-Sea. For how this leg fits into the full route, see our California road trip with teenagers itinerary.
Next time, we're staying in Carmel.
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