Guide to Big Sur

Going into Big Sur with a plan (even if its a loose plan) is always a good idea. The moment you’re on the edge of the coastline, you’ll look down at your phone and realize that you have zero (and I mean not even one bar) of service, you’re going to wish you looked things up prior. Do your research to enjoy a peaceful trip! I am going to share the itinerary from my trip to help give ideas on what to expect and what to do while you’re in Big Sur. I will also share some tips on what I would maybe recommend you not to do. x Enjoy

My tips

Stay outside of Big Sur

This might sound like an annoying feat but trust me, this will save you so much money that it’ll be worth it. Plus, you don’t have to stay outside of Big Sur for the entire time. Luckily everything on the coast in this area is a quick drive to each other. We stayed in an airbnb in Moss Landing and only had to drive 20mins to get to Big Sur. You can’t do this trip without a car, so if you’re flying in or visiting from far away, you are going to have to rent a car anyway.

download maps, music & podcasts

You will regret this one the moment you lose service and you can jam to your big sur playlist ;)

map out your day

You can veer from the plan but at least you will have a plan to begin with and base the loose plan around.

pack a cooler

This is just for insurance reasons. if you plan to not pay for every meal while you’re out or even if you are, this is a great way to run wild and free and deviate from your plans. This is also a great idea for this kind of excursion because you never know when you will accidentally be stuck in a tiny town outside of Big Sur (not speaking from experience or anything lol). Trust me, as a foodie, you do not want to be stuck in a small suburb of the area with only dirty restaurants to choose from.

Day one | Carmel by the sea

Purchased groceries from Trader Joe’s
Drove into Carmel-by-the-Sea
Sat by the ocean + ate snacks
Carmel Mission Basilica Museum
Did some walking + Shopping
Hiked Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Day two | big sur

Woke up in Moss Landing
Went to The Power Plant Coffee Shop
COAST Gallery & Restaurant | Menu
Henry Miller Memorial Library
Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn
Things we missed:
Post Ranch Inn (Reservation Needed)

Carmel-by-the-Sea

A beautiful coastal area that has a fun shopping and dining area. They also feature several art galleries in this area. This is a great spot to enjoy some shopping and a nice lunch. I would of course also get some time in sitting and relaxing on the beach!

Big Sur

This is where the cooler in the trunk of the car + your downloaded music will be an absolute lifesaver. There are a few lunch options here that I would recommend if you’re wanting to have a fun dining experience. Another great option is to have a scenic picnic. This is a much more economic way to experience the beauty in Big Sur.

We woke up in Moss Landing at our Airbnb and headed to the local coffee shop (The Power Plant) to check it out. They happened to be having a morning farmer’s market so we shopped the local stands for art. Then we headed down the coast! We stumbled upon The Henry Miller Memorial Library and they happened to have live music when we stopped by. It was a fun, spontaneous experience! They have a good sized book shop inside that you can also check out. After the live show, we stopped by the Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn, the oldest hotel in Big Sur. It’s a very interesting place to stop and see along the way. By this time in the day, we were hungry for lunch so we stopped in at COAST for some lunch. Finally we ended the day watching the sunset at Garrapata State Beach. It was somewhat tricky finding our way to a beach so map that out before heading into the cell phone dead zone! During the drive down the coast, we stopped along the way to see any lookouts and pretty scenery. Before heading to the beach we stopped to see the Bixby Bridge

This might sound like an annoying feat but trust me, this will save you so much money that it’ll be worth it. Plus, you don’t have to stay outside of Big Sur for the entire time. Luckily everything on the coast in this area is a quick drive to each other. We stayed in an airbnb in Moss Landing and only had to drive 20mins to get to Big Sur. You can’t do this trip without a car, so if you’re flying in or visiting from far away, you are going to have to rent a car anyway.
You will regret this one the moment you lose service and you can jam to your big sur playlist ;)
You can veer from the plan but at least you will have a plan to begin with and base the loose plan around.
This is just for insurance reasons, if you will. if you plan to not pay for every meal while you’re out or even if you are, this is a great way to run wild and free and deviate from your plans. This is also a great idea for this kind of excursion because you never know when you will accidentally be stuck in a tiny town outside of Big Sur (not speaking from experience or anything lol). Trust me, as a foodie, you do not want to be stuck in a small suburb of the area with only dirty restaurants to choose from.
This applies to hotels/airbnbs and to the restaurants that are exclusive. In Big Sur there is a very expensive hotel where you can go to for lunch or dinner but only with a reservation. Make sure not to miss this opportunity!