24 Hours in Big Sur | Highway 1 Road Trip Itinerary (Part 1)
Having lived in California for almost 9 years now, I thought it was about time to check out my own backyard. So my husband and I ventured off this summer to take one of the most iconic road trips in the US, up the western coast of California, Highway One!
If you’d like to follow along on where we went and the places we would recommend stopping, check out our itinerary below! Hwy 1 is a long stretch, so this is going to be a three part series on the blog. Today I’m sharing our itinerary from our time in Big Sur (the rugged stretch of coast between Carmel and San Simeon). A portion of Highway One was actually closed at the time of our trip so we couldn’t drive directly up from Los Angeles. Instead we took I-5 north then transferred to the 101 in Paso Robles which took us up to the Monterey/Carmel area where we stayed for two nights.
If you are looking to visit Big Sur, I would highly recommend staying in Carmel or Monterey for a bit more affordable lodging, as opposed to staying right in the heart of Big Sur — although there are some very dreamy hotels I would LOVE to visit one day in Big Sur when I have a bit of a bigger budget lol.
If you are continuing on the road trip like we did, be sure to check out part 2 & 3 of this series:
Mendocino County | Highway 1 Road Trip Itinerary (Part 2)
Humboldt County | Highway 1 Road Trip Itinerary (Part 3)
Driving from the north to the south is the ideal way to see Big Sur, since that puts you on the ocean side of the highway and it is easier to pull off to stop at overlooks and destinations along the way. For the sake of this travel guide we are starting up north in Carmel, driving south as far as McWay Falls, the back up north to stop at more destinations. But if you are coming from Los Angeles north, then feel free to do this itinerary in reverse.
Without further ado, let’s get road tripping!
TAKE PHOTOS AT THE ICONIC BIXBY BRIDGE
We began our day headed south on Hwy 1, taking in the amazing ocean views, until we reached the iconic Bixby Bridge (or Bixby Creek Bridge). This is a hard sight to miss as it’s breathtakingly beautiful and you will see a ton of cars pulled over on the side of the highway to take photos.
We set out pretty early in the morning so there was a very magical fog covering the bridge which made for some amazing photos. We were also lucky to be visiting on a weekday so there were only a few other travelers at the time we stopped.
Then we got back in the car and continued south down Hwy 1. There are so many beautiful places to stop and take in the views or snap some photos. And luckily there are a lot of “view points” or turn offs on the highway that allow you to safely pull over for this reason. One stop we liked in particular was called Seal Beach Overlook. We stopped and were looking out at the magnificent cliffs wondering why they named it Seal Beach, until we actually paid attention to the noises we were hearing all around us and realized there was a huge family of seals sunbathing on the rocks below, barking up a storm! I would highly recommend bringing a pair of binoculars on this trip to be sure to see all the amazing wildlife.
HIKE DOWN TO PARTINGTON COVE
Our next stop was one of my favorite parts of all of Big Sur, so I would highly recommend! We stopped at a hiking trail called Partington Cove. This was a relatively easy hike, only about 1 mile, but it was a narrow and fairly steep hiking trail. It took us down to a forested area where we reached a fork in the road. We kept straight ahead and reached a rocky beach.
It was so fun standing out on the rocks and listening to the waves lap against the stone. We headed back to that fork in the trail and took the other direction which lead us across a small wood bridge over the creek then through a long wooden tunnel.
Exiting out the other side of the tunnel was truly like stepping out into a different country. This trail led to the actual Partington Cove.
It was such a peaceful and beautiful spot with crystal-clear blue water. It almost felt like being in a small, secluded village on the coast of Italy with the steep cliffs all around us. There were also some seals or sea lions playing in the water which was fun to watch! This would make a lovely picnic area too.
MCWAY FALLS
Our next spot was another Big Sur “must see” spot, McWay Falls. McWay Falls is a picturesque 80-foot waterfall that drops right onto the beach. The waterfall is located in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, so there is a state park fee if you want to park in the large parking lot — we ended up checking out a California State Parks Pass from our local library before leaving for this trip which gave us free admission into a lot of the state parks we visited up the coast!
Unfortunately, you are not able to get any closer than this view point to see the waterfall because the area is being protected from erosion. But it is still a lovely place for a photo!
GRAB A COFFEE AT COAST
At this point, we were ready for a coffee break. And because of the closure on Hwy 1, there wasn’t much more to see south of McWay Falls before we would be forced to turn around. So we headed back north on Hwy 1 and stopped at COAST Big Sur (49901 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920).
This is an art gallery, rooftop cafe, and gift shop all in one, located in a converted water tank with beautiful ocean views! If you are looking for any souveniers from your time in Big Sur, this is where I would recommend looking because I loved some of their items like local Big Sur salts & seasonings and home decor.
SHOP FOR BOOKS AT HENRY MILLER MEMORIAL LIBRARY
The next place we stopped is another good shopping destination if you are a reader — the Henry Miller Memorial Library (48603 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920). This creative and ecclectic space is a nonprofit arts center, bookstore, and perfomance venue that is located right in the forested part of Big Sur.
We loved walking around the property to see all the cool art installations that were setup along with perusing all the books that were cleverly displayed around the property hanging from rooftops and trees.
EAT LUNCH ON THE RIVER AT BIG SUR RIVER INN
At this point it was well past lunchtime, so we stopped for some food at Big Sur River Inn & Restaurant (46800 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920). This rustic hotel in the forest (and located, namely, right on the Big Sur River), has an indoor and outdoor restaurant. If you order from the bar though, they will package your food up to go so that you can venture down to the nearby river and eat right there with your toes in the water!
They have a handful of chairs situated right in the river for your to dine and relax. So again, I would recommend going here on a weekday because I’m sure it is packed on a summer weekend!
I would say the experience of eating right there on the river was what made this destination so fun! The food was alright, but we did really love our Peach Sangria!
CHECK OUT THE HIKING TRAILS AT POINT LOBOS STATE NATURAL RESERVE
Now that we were fueled up from lunch, it was time to do some more exploring! Next, we made our way further north on Hwy 1 to Point Lobo State Natural Reserve (which is technically in Carmel-By-The-Sea). This is another state park so there is an entrance fee (unless you have the State Park Pass).
This natural reserve has incredible landscapes and ocean views which makes it a great place to do some hiking or sightseeing. We did a small hike (since we were pretty tired from our long day) out to Sea Lion Point where we did see quite a few sunbathing sea lions! But we would love to come back one day to do the full 6 mile Point Lobos Loop Trail to see all the natural beauty this reserve has to offer!
DINNER AT NEPENTHE
After spending a bit of time relaxing back at our accommodations in Carmel, our final stop of the day was back out in Big Sur for dinner at the famous restaurant Nepenthe (48510 CA-1, Big Sur, CA 93920). This beautiful restaurant is perched right up on the cliffside giving you amazing ocean views. And we tried to time it perfectly to arrive right before sunset so we could watch the sun setting on the ocean in front of us. The food here was delicious and it was a truly magical meal!
And just like that we can cross Big Sur off our bucket list! I had very high expectations going into this trip having read that Big Sur is one of the most unforgettable stretches of coastline in the world. And let me tell you, it did NOT dissapoint. I can’t believe this little slice of heaven is really only about 5 hours north of us from Los Angeles. I can’t wait to come back soon!
Have you ever traveled to Big Sur? If so, what was your most memorable attraction or experience? And if you try out this travel itinerary, let me know how it goes! Bon voyage!
xo Rachael
