Beautiful park with hiking trails to hidden coves. You can often see otters, sea lions and seals during your walk along the coastline, and explore the history of archeological sites including the small cabin at Whaler’s Cove that dates from the turn of the century.

Beautiful long sandy beach, and many coastal hiking trails. Great for picnics, pictures, walking or relaxing with a good book. Trail entrances are scattered along the highway in turnouts on the west side. Look for small brown forest service signs indicating coastal access. Beach access is via a wooden staircase, just north of Garrapata Creek Bridge.

3-hour walking tour overlooking the Pacific Ocean with exploration into the Lighthouse and old historic homes and buildings. Tours are first-come, first-served, Saturday & Sunday at 10am and Wednesday at 2pm. (Temporarily closed for construction, see website for additional info) www.pointsur.org | (831) 625 4419.

Coastal State Park with bluffs, beaches and headlands where the Big Sur River meets the ocean. The Creamery Meadow Trail is a flat 15-minute walk that gives you direct access to the beach. From there an 8-mile loop of interconnecting trails gives you access to a variety of terrain, including coastal scrub, redwood forest and ridgetop grassland.

Located at Andrew Molera State Park. Learn about the history and ecology of the California Condor, which has come back from the brink of extinction due to a captive breeding program and is now flying free once more in the Big Sur wilderness. Open Saturday & Sunday from 10am-4pm from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. www.ventanaws.org | (831) 620 0702.

Most hikes are through the forest and you are often surrounded by giant redwood trees. A self-guided, quarter-mile Nature Trail is the only ADA-certified trail in the area. The Valley View trail gives you great views of the Lighthouse and the northern coastline, and Buzzard's Roost is a moderate loop up through the trees with a nice ocean view at the top. For the more adventurous hiker, the Mount Manuel Trail will take you nearly ten miles up to the 3500’ peak.

Beautiful beach with 3 coves, purple sand and giant rock formations. Entrance off of Highway One on the west side, not well marked. Look for a paved road that goes downhill sharply and has a yellow "Narrow Road – No RVs – No Pedestrians" sign. Only after you turn the first corner on the road you will see a sign for Pfeiffer Beach. It is a 2-mile drive down to the parking lot and you must pay a fee to park. The road is narrow and heavily trafficked, therefore please drive slowly and yield to oncoming traffic.

Short hike down a fire road to the rocky mouth of Partington Creek, or take the left fork to an historic 60-ft tunnel through the rock and a cove with the rusty ruins of an old ship-loading apparatus, used by the tanoak-logging industry at the turn of the century. There is no signage for Partington on the highway so look for a curve in the road with large dirt turnouts on either side near the 38-mile markers.

Home of the famous McWay Falls, an 80-foot waterfall which empties directly into the Pacific Ocean. Views of the falls are a short ¼-mile walk from the parking lot. There are also breathtaking ocean vistas from many trails that wind up along the front range of the Santa Lucia Mountains, including the moderately strenuous Tanbark Trail to the ruins of the historic Tin House, built in the 1940s by the previous owners before the land was donated to the state park system.

Slightly off the beaten path, Limekiln is a hidden gem of redwoods, waterfalls, and the cultural history of Big Sur’s lime smelting industry. Hiking trails lead along forest streams to the ruins of the four limekilns, which were active in the late 1800s, and a beautiful waterfall. There is also a small sandy beach beneath the highway where Limekiln Creek empties into the ocean.

The excellent Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fun and educational journey focused mainly on the ocean and shoreline ecology of California. Touch manta rays and starfish in the hands-on exhibits; view deep sea creatures, sharks, sunfish, and sea turtles; a huge variety of otherworldly jellyfish; coastal shorebirds including penguins; and a three-story-high recreated kelp forest with simulated ocean waves. Otters often frolic just off the outdoor viewing decks. The Aquarium also houses a wildlife rehabilitation program and promotes ocean conservation and sustainable seafood consumption. www.montereybayaquarium.org | (831) 648 4800

This historic waterfront location was made famous by John Steinbeck’s book of the same name. No longer a sardine fishery, the area boasts restaurants, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, indoor mini golf, a wax museum, gift shops, art galleries, boutiques, cafés, kayak and bike rentals, whale watching and more. Fun for the whole family.

Enjoy breathtaking views along the Pacific coastline and experience the shady Monterey pines of Del Monte Forest on your ride. www.pebblebeach.com/equestrian-center/trail-rides/

One of the most photographed bridges in California – and maybe the world – due to its aesthetic design, graceful architecture and magnificent setting. It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge, important in Big Sur history because prior to its opening in 1932, the area was often cut off in winter due to the dirt Old Coast Road becoming impassible. Bixby is one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world at 279 feet. Lot parking at the bridge is extremely limited; it is best to go during off-peak hours (morning and evening). The land around Bixby is all private property; please be respectful and do not trespass, park over the white line, or block residential access to Old Coast Road.

Specializing in personalized adventure for individuals, families and groups. Hiking & picnic excursions; helicopter tours; whale watching; aquarium tours; world class golfing; sailing cruises; kayaking; paddle boarding; bicycling; lunch & wine tasting; shopping tours; Pebble Beach, Carmel & Big Sur driving tours and historic Monterey & museum tours. www.bigsurguides.com (831) 594 1742 or email bigsurguides@msn.com