Big Sur is known for its natural beauty, numerous hiking trails, scenic drive up Highway One and rugged coastline. If you've heard of Big Sur, you've probably also heard about the One Of A Kind Purple Sand Beach In Big Sur. Pfeiffer Beach!
Personally I had never heard of this famous purple sand beach until the year when we visited. If you're interested in visiting or are planning a trip to Big Sur this is a must visit. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Monterey County and indeed in all of California. Ok lets get to it!
How To Get To The One Of A Kind Purple Sand Beach In Big Sur. Pfeiffer Beach
If you have never been to Pfeiffer Beach before it can be hard to locate but definitely worth the effort. You cant see it from the highway, so it's definitely a hidden gem you have to go in search for. Located on Highway One in between the post office located in Big Sur Center and Pfeiffer State Park. It is exactly 0.5 miles after passing the post office to your left. There is no street sign but you will see a paved narrow road to your left hand side in which you will need to make a sharp turn into. As soon as you make the sharp left you will see this sign below that will let you know you are headed in the right direction.
What To Expect
Now as stated on the signs below there are no pedestrians, RV'S, or trailers allowed on this road. It is a 2 mile one lane road with turnouts and a few potholes. Drive carefully as it is a narrow and winding road, but don't let all this scare you away or fool you. It's a beautiful scenic route nestled in between trees, homes, and a river.
Before reaching the beach parking area you will come to a booth. Every car needs to
pay a fee of $10 to get in and they do not permit you to come in and out during the day. If you must leave and come back you will have to pay again.
Recommendations
I do highly recommend you get to the beach fairly early, specially if it's your first time visiting. Also, it can get very cold so make sure and wear layers and bring a blanket.
We arrived at 9am and it was perfect! There was no wait to get in and there weren't many people. We were able to take pictures without the sand being disturbed by shoe prints and appreciate the colors and patters in the sand that were made by the water. We were also able to get close enough to the large arch shaped rock formations just off shore for pictures and able to walk a good couple miles down the beach exploring more of the purple sand, small trail, and the beautiful beach. Because it was very fogy and cold we left at noon for lunch and decided to come back around 5:30 pm to see if the fog had cleared up. By this time the tide was much higher and people were not able to get as close to the rock formations for pictures or exploring like we had in the morning. Most of the beach was now covered with water and we were unable to walk the beach like we had in the morning. My recommendation, before visiting make sure and check for high tides and try to visit during low tide if possible. It alows you to explore so much more
Things To Do
If you plan to go with kids like we did, there are many things for kids to do besides getting in the water or playing with the purple sand. As a matter of fact swimming is not recommended due to strong currents.
Close to the huge beautiful rock formations, we were able to see many sea creatures like crabs, sea urchins, and anemones.
Also, if you write on the sand in certain areas you will see some deeper hues of purple come out from underneath in what appears to be regular colored sand. That was very entertaining as well.
We also saw lots of seashells and many beautiful shiny colored rocks of all shapes, colors, and sizes.
The Keyhole Arch, which sits just offshore at Pfeiffer Beach, is one of the most photographed spots in Big Sur and is definitely a sight to see. Loved how the waves splashed right through it and if you're lucky enough might even see the sun shine through it.
If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to leave me a comment, like or pin it. Now tell me, what year will you be writing in the sand at Pfeiffer beach?
Talk to you later.
