BIG SUR BEACHES

BEFORE YOU VISIT ANY BEACH IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO Beach Safety.

You'll find tips to help keep you and your family safe at the beach!

Use your Browser's Back Button to return here when you're finished.

Thanks for checking out the Beach Safety page. It's especially important to be aware of potential danger along the Big Sur coast!!

OKAY, LET'S GET DOWN TO BIG SUR'S BEACHES!

There aren't as many, nor are they as expansive as the beaches you would find along the Southern California coastline . . .

. . . but I think they have much more character.

Some of the beaches don't even have much sand. Instead you might
find . . .

• A bed of ocean-smoothed rocks, or
• Granite outcrops, or
• Tide pools, or
• Shelters made of driftwood, or
• Coastal vegetation and hiking trails

Some are cold and wind-swept most of the time.

Others are sheltered from the wind and offer pleasant opportunities for beach combing, sunbathing, and quiet picnics.

There's even a beach where you might find a bit of jade as a souvenir!

A Few Things You Should Know:

• Most of the beaches require at least a short hike along a path of sorts to get from the road to the beach.
• The weather at the coast in Northern California can be very changeable from one day to the next, and from one spot to another, so bring appropriate layers of clothing with you.

© Aimin Tang

• Believe it or not, the best time of year to go to any beach in NorCal is actually in the winter.
• Why? you ask. Because in the summer the lay of the land and the weather inversions frequently cause the coast to fog up, which in turn makes it quite dreary and chilly. The fog can last from a few hours in the morning to all day for several days.
• During the winter months the skies are generally clear (unless there's a storm, of course) and it can actually be warmer than in the summer!

So, let's take a look at Big Sur's beaches one-by-one and see what makes each so special. Traveling south from Carmel Highlands, here's what you'll find:

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