One Day in Big Sur - Itinerary
One day in Big Sur? I’ve got you covered!
All my Big Little Lies fans know that Bixby Creek Bridge is iconic and a must when making your way through Big Sur. It’s a great place to start your Big Sur adventure at sunrise if you want to have a stunning view all to yourself. We loved the setting from both the East (view of the ocean) and West (view of the mountains) sides. It was windy though, so pack layers!
After sleepily watching the sunrise, we were in need of some brekki so we stopped by Big Sur Roadhouse for coffee and grub. We got there right at 8 a.m. when they opened so aside from a few other locals we beat the rush. Their donuts are to die for and the coffee was perfection after popping out of bed early early.
After breakfast we made our way to Partington Cove Trail (1.1 mile out and back), the view pictured below, takes you down nearly to sea-level, which we didn't realize is actually somewhat uncommon in Big Sur (makes total sense though). Beach access isn't super easy due to the mountainous terrain and cliffs. We did a little extra climbing when we got down to this area so we could get our very own, unobstructed view of the ocean. Totally worth it!
We visited Big Sur in early November, just three weeks after our wedding, and I could not get over how the pampas grass was just sprawling ALL over the mountain side! If you’re familiar with our wedding, you know pampas grass was pretty much the theme and to see it endlessly covering everything had me in awe!
Driving the coast is 100% a part of the experience and if you make your way down to McWay Falls, you’ll get to see a majority of the Big Sur coast. McWay Falls is one of the most iconic views in Big Sur, but that of course means it's crowded. Also, part of the trail was closed off when we visited, so it really limited the amount of viewing space for visitors. You can take the trailhead in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to get onto part of the trail, but we found that the view from the Highway 1 pull-offs were just as good and less crowded. If you can't find a parking spot along the road, there's parking in the state park, but it's $10 per vehicle to get in.
We love when we’re able to find delicious lunch spots nearby after getting our hike on and in Big Sur, there are quite a few options to choose from. We stopped at both Nepenthe for a late lunch and Coast Big Sur for our afternoon coffee!
The view overlooking the Pacific Ocean from our table at Nepenthe was the perfect way to cap off the day!
Of course, there are a ton of great camping options and a ton more hiking trails than listed here in this blog, but for a single day and a sunrise start, we fond that this itinerary was perfect!
Light, Love and the Highest Vibes,
Lon
