Big Sur, among the world’s most popular driving destinations, is named after the Spanish words “el sur grande” meaning “the big south.” Another derivation is from “el país grande del sur,” or “the big country of the south.”

The terrain in Big Sur offers stunning views, with Cone Peak the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states. It ascends nearly a mile (5,155 feet) above sea level only three miles from the ocean.

Big Sur has no specific boundaries. But many definitions of the area include the 90 miles of coastline between the Carmel River and San Carpoforo Creek and extending about 20 miles inland to the eastern foothills of the Santa Lucias.

The area’s increasing popularity and cinematic beauty have often attracted Hollywood’s attention. Orson Welles and his wife at the time, Rita Hayworth, bought a Big Sur cabin on impulse during a trip down the coast in 1944. They never spent a night there, and the property is now the location of a popular restaurant, Nepenthe.

Big Sur remains sparsely populated, with about 1,000 inhabitants, with most homes priced above $2 million. There are no urban areas, although three small clusters of gas stations, restaurants and motels are often marked on maps as “towns”: Big Sur, in the Big Sur River valley, Lucia, near Limekiln State park, and Gorda, on the southern coast.

Much of the land along the coast is privately owned or has been donated to the state park system, while the vast Los Padres National Forest and Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation encompass most of the inland areas. The mountainous terrain, environmentally conscious residents, and lack of property available for development has kept Big Sur almost unspoiled.

Highway 1 features many strategically placed vista points sections of Highway 1 running through Big Sur, and it’s considered among the world’s most scenic driving routes.

There are fewer than 300 hotel rooms on the entire 90-mile stretch of Highway 1 between San Simeon and Carmel — and  only three gas stations, no chain hotels, supermarkets or fast-food outlets.

Big Sur offers hiking, mountain climbing, and a few small, scenic beaches popular for walking. But the beaches are usually unsuitable for swimming because of unpredictable currents and frigid temperatures.

Big Sur’s state parks have many points of interest, including one of the few waterfalls on the Pacific Coast that plunges directly into the ocean, located at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.

The Big Sur International Marathon, which began in 1986, is contested from Big Sur to Carmel each April and is among the world’s most popular marathons.

BIG SUR PARKS AND BEACHES

Andrew Molera State Park & Beach
Highway 1 (20 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 667-2315

Garrapata State Park & Beach
Highway 1 (10 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 624-4909

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park & Beach
Highway 1 (38 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 667-2315

Limekiln Beach State Park
Highway 1 (56 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 667-2403

Pfeiffer – Big Sur State Park
Highway 1 (26 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 667-2315

Pfeiffer State Beach
Highway 1 (27 Miles South of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 667-2315

Point Sur State Historic Park
Highway 1 (19 miles south of Carmel)
Big Sur, CA
(831) 625-4419

Chamber of Commerce website: www.bigsurcalifornia.org