Big Sur Recreation & Parks
Restaurants, Cafes, Deli's, and Pubs
BIG SUR BAKERY & RESTAURANT
(831) 667-0520Experience exquisite wood fired cooking, baking, and beverages at this one of a kind gem located in an old ranch house just down the hill from the Post Ranch Inn. Wood fired hearth breads, pizzas and pastries are served up with inspired menus that change with the seasons. Everything is homemade and a specialty here... right down to the ice cream and daily soup and salad dressings. Wood grilled fish, steaks, and game are served up with extraordinary vegetable preparations by soon to be cookbook author/chefs Philip and Michelle. Fresh roasted coffee and teas are available alongside the eclectic wine list. We make the finest wedding cakes in the land and our facility is great for weddings, rehearsal dinners and catered events.
Open Daily at 8 a.m. Lunch Tuesday - Friday 11-3, Brunch Sat & Sun 10:30 - 3:00, Dinner Tuesday - Saturday starting at 5:30. Open Sunday nights during summer. Reservations recommended for dinner.
BIG SUR LODGE RESTAURANT & ESPRESSO HOUSE
(831) 667-3111Indoor and patio dining on the banks of the Big Sur River. Freshly prepared foods served in a spacious, airy atmosphere with views of the redwoods. Children always welcome. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Specialty coffees and teas, ice cream. We are happy to prepare take out meals.
BIG SUR RIVER INN
Wireless High Speed Internet Access (800) 548-3610Breakfast, lunch & dinner are served daily by a huge stone fireplace or on a deck overlooking the Big Sur River. Live entertainment on Sunday afternoons.
HABANERO Burrito Bar
at the Big Sur River Inn General Store, serving fresh burritos... made to order, daily from 11 AM till 7 PM. Gasoline available at the Gas Station. No Diesel. High speed wireless internet access is available on the property.
BIG SUR ROADHOUSE [h3]
Serving fresh Californian-Latin American cuisine at affordable prices in a lively atmosphere. Fireplace dining, outside patio and copper bar with 42 inch plasma television. Open for dinner 5:30 pm. Closed Tuesday.
[h3] CAFE KEVAH
(831) 667-2344 Offering brunch & light lunch in an outdoor setting. Located on a terrace just below Nepenthe. Open mid-February through December, 9am-4pm weather permitting.
CIELO - Ventana Inn
(800) 628-6500 or (831) 667-2331Open for lunch from noon to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. Bar is open from noon to midnight. Outside terrace offers great views. Located at Ventana Inn
DEETJEN'S BIG SUR INN
Offering food in a quaint old world setting. Breakfast is served 8:00 AM - 11:30 a.m. Dinner is served from 6:00 p.m. Reservations recommended.
LUCIA LODGE
(831) 667-2391Lucia Lodge restaurant offers spectacular deck dining, as well as a charming and historic dining room. Our coastal cuisine is recognized for the great quality and generous portions. Particularly noteworthy is our Fish & Chips which were judged as one of the Top 10 in the United States by Coastal Living Magazine. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner throughout the season. During the summer season lunch is served between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. Dinner is served from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Continental breakfast is available to our cabin guests. Off-season hours may vary.
MAIDEN PUBLICK HOUSE, THE
(831) 667-2355Conveniently located next to the Big Sur River Inn in the Village Center Shops, The Maiden Publick House offers affordable pub grub and the most extensive American craft and European beer selection in Monterey County. Enjoy a properly poured pint of Guinness as you watch English Premiere League football, MLB or NFL games or relax in the sun on our outdoor patio. The Maiden Pub also features live music and is a proud member of Red Sox Nation (Catch all Sox games here!).
NEPENTHE
(831) 667-2345One of the most picturesque dining spots in California, this restaurant overlooks 50 miles of coastline. Family owned since 1949. Open daily 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Home of Big Sur's only Weather-Cam. Check out the view from the back deck.
RAGGED POINT INN
Thirty cozy, romantic rooms nestled cliffside between the Pacific Ocean and Los Padres National Forest. Includes friendly staff, restaurant, gardens, gift shop, and gas. Located 15 miles north of Hearst Castle.
REDWOOD GRILL
Wireless High Speed Internet AccessServing buffalo burgers, salmon burgers, hamburgers, vege burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more. Located on Highway One at Fernwood Resort. Sit on the deck among the redwood trees over the Big Sur River. Also private catering for all types of functions, large to small, weddings, corporate, tour buses. Big Sur Coast Foods
ROCKY POINT RESTAURANT
(831) 624-2933On the Edge of Forever! Open daily for breakfast (8:30am -11:30am), lunch (11:30am - 3:00pm), dinner (5:00pm - 9:00pm) and drinks and appetizers (all day). Window tables offering spectacular ocean views. Enjoy your candlelight sunset dinner while powerful floodlights illuminate the surf. Featuring the finest steaks and freshest seafood. Ocean terrace. Private events, wedding gazebo, banquet room (10-90).
SAN SIMEON BEACH BAR & GRILL
Wireless High Speed Internet Access (805) 927-4604Three miles South of Hearst Castle in Southern Big Sur, since 1958. Panoramic Ocean view. Indoor & outdoor dining (pet OK), exotic decor, stage & sound system. From burgers, pizza & sandiwiches to Steak & Lobster. Cocktail lounge with crystal fireplace, pool table, TV's, live entertainment, Karaoke and open mic. Coffee Bar. Take-out, gift shop, minimarket, ATM. Free wireless Internet. Groups welcome. Next to San Simeon Lodge. For more information e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SIERRA MAR RESTAURANT
(831) 667-2800Located at the Post Ranch Inn and overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a spectacular view of the California coast, the award winning Sierra Mar Restaurant serves world-class cuisine in an awe-inspiring setting. Chef Craig von Foerster’s innovative, four course, prix fixe menu changes daily, utilizes organic, seasonal fare and has won praise from publications including Gourmet Magazine and the Zagat Guide. Sierra Mar offers wine selections from one of the most extensive collections in North America. Lunch from noon to 3:00 p.m., snack menu from 3:00 p.m. to close, dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. Reservations required.
THE GRILL AT TREEBONES RESORT
(805) 927-2390Serving casual dinners nightly starting at 7 PM. Enjoy grilled specialties from our ocean view dining room located at Treebones Resort 71895 Highway #1, Big Sur, 1 mile North of Gorda
THE WHALEWATCHER CAFE
(805) 927-3918World renowned for its sixty year tradition of hospitality and superb menu in a romantic nautical museum-like setting. There is casual dining indoors and on the beautiful garden patios where whale watching is a favorite pastime. Located at Gorda Springs Resort the cafe is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
A video about the underwater life off the coast of Big Sur, California
Big Sur has many parks and preservation areas for some of the most endangered species in the state, the California condor is on that list and they can be found in their natural habitat in Big Sur California.
Watching the amazing California condors at Big Sur
Wild Condors nest at Big Sur
Amazing View of a Condor coming in for a landing
Big Sur is definately spectacular from the ground, but from inside the sea Big Sr is simply amazing.
The scenery below the waves is breathtaking and as you enter the water you never know what you might see on your dive. "You have migrating gray whales, you have California sea lions, you have harbor seals,” says Big Sur dive
enthusiast, Alan Studley.
Gorgeous wildlife is one of the many reasons why Big Sur is a popular dive destination. "Many hundreds of dives later I still see something new every time I go into the ocean," says diver Clinton Bauder.
The water is crystal clear so you can't miss seeing the colorful migrating fish, the gorgeous, undisturbed underwaterlandscapes and the amazing sea creatures of all sizes and shapes in vivid color.
"This area is as dramatic as Yosemite or the Grand Canyon,” says Big Sur native Pat Lovejo
The Big Sur Wilderness Experience
The Big Sur Coastline Video
The Big Sur Chamber of Commerce supplies a list of beaches and state parks that you can find below
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
This state park is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a well respected pioneer woman in the Big Sur country. The park stretches from the Big Sur coastline into nearby 3,000-foot ridges. It features redwood, tan oak, madrone, chaparral, and an 80-foot waterfall that drops from granite cliffs into the ocean from the Overlook Trail. A panoramic view of the ocean and miles of rugged coastline is available from the higher elevations along the trails east of Highway 1.
Location-Directions: The park is 37 miles south of Carmel on Highway 1, and 12 miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur.
Partington Cove
Partington Cove holds a special piece of Big Sur history. Much of the tan bark and lumber was shipped out of this cove. There is a tunnel that goes through the ridgeline that opens into a beautiful cove which still has parts of the shipping tools bolted to the rocks. In addition, hiking inland from Partington Cove into Partington Canyon is a great hike! And the Tan Bark Trail is also a great and exhilerating climb. Aerial photographs of Partington Cove
Pfeiffer Beach
Pfeiffer Beach is located in the heart of Big Sur and is one of the favorite beachs in all of Big Sur. Pfeiffer Beach is a Day Use Area, no overnight camping. Hours 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM 7 days a week. $5.00 entrance fee. Aerial photographs of Pfeiffer Beach
Plaskett Creek
From a large parking lot across the Highway One from Plaskett Creek Campground, a well-built stairway leads to a crescent-shaped beach that's protected, like Andrew Molera State Park's beach, from the wind by bluffs.
Sand Dollar offers visitors the widest expanse of sand along the Big Sur Coast, and possibly the mildest weather. Standing on the beach and looking northeast, towering 5,155-foot Cone Peak is visible. For an interesting side trip, visit Jade Cove, which is located two miles south of Sand Dollar Beach. Big Sur's south coast is famous for its jade reserves, and Jade Cove is a popular spot for beachcombers and rockhounds. Aerial photographs of Plaskett Creek
Point Lobos
Point Lobos contains headlands, coves and rolling meadows. The offshore area forms one of the richest underwater habitats in the world popular with divers. Wildlife includes seals, sea lions, sea otters and migrating gray whales (from December to May). Thousands of seabirds also make the reserve their home. Hiking trails follow the shoreline and lead to hidden coves. The area used to be the home of a turn-of -the-century whaling and abalone industry. A small cabin from that era still remains on Whaler's Cove, near Carmel.
Location-Directions
On the central coast of California in Monterey County. The entrance is located three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1.
Aerial Photographs and Virtual Panoramas available on their website.
Sand Dollar Beach
Sand Dollar Beach is one of the most beautiful and scenic beachs on the Big Sur coast. Sand Dollar Beach is the longest strand of sandy beach along the Big Sur coast. Great surfing, exploring and fishing are here within walking distance of Plaskett Creek campground, located directly across Hwy. 1.
Sand Dollar Beach is a Day Use Area, no overnight camping.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m / 7 days
$5.00 entrance fee per vehicle.
Willow Creek
Willow Creek Picnic Area and Beach. This rocky Big Sur beach is a favore for surfers, photographers and anglers. Willow Creek is a Day Use Area, no overnight camping. There is no fee at this site.
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