Travel Journal: Driving the Big Sur coast

Tuesday brought us to California’s famous Big Sur coast  a beautiful stretch of California’s coast with the Santa Lucia Mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

Tipped as an amazing camping, hiking and general staring at the beauty of nature kind of place we spent our day viewing it from the bus. Sadly, this was not so much as a stop on the camping tour as a driving route. Travelling from to San Francisco to Los Angeles we were heading along the famous Highway 1 which runs right down the Big Sur Coast.

Unfortunately, the only highlight of the day was a quick stop at the famous McWay waterfall which really is a stunning spot. The is a large parking spot just along from the waterfall itself but on the opposite site of the road so once you’ve parked up you will need to cross the Highway.

McWay Falls, Big Sur
McWay Falls, Big Sur

The view over the coastal waterfall is just stunning but the viewpoint is actually quite small especially if you happen to arrive at the same time as a large sight seeing bus. Another thing that I did not realise before visiting is that the view point for that perfect picture is actually behind someones home so while looking one what is an epic waterfall looking the other is straight into someones back garden which is a little awkward. I do envy the houses dotted along the Big Sur coast to have such amazing views just not maybe the hoards of tourist each day. Another notable home we also passed was Clint Eastwood’s House but we didn’t drop in for tea.

If you, unlike us have to option to get out and enjoy more of the Big Sur Coast some top places to explore include Pfeiffer Beach and the surrounding Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Bixby Bridge, Ragged Point and Partington Cove.