Best things to do in Big Sur

Featuring forests, granite cliffs, 2,500-year-old sequoia trees, and a 24 m (80 ft) waterfall that drops into the Pacific, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park offers hiking, camping, and scuba diving. The camping areas overlook the ocean, providing opportunities for whale watching. See the remains of McWay house, dedicated to the memory of Julia Pfeiffer Burns--a famous rancher of Big Sur. If you wish to camp at the site, you'll have a picnic table, fire ring, and restrooms provided. Make sure you take water, firewood, and clothes for changeable weather.

Stop to take in the views of the ocean and the canyon's steep and crumbling walls at Bixby Bridge, one the most iconic and photographed spots on California's West Coast. Completed in 1932, the bridge spans 110 m (360 ft) over the Bixby Creek canyon, soaring 79 m (260 ft) over its bottom. This "Rainbow Bridge" is part of a scenic route. The elegant concrete arch is featured on a postage stamp and postcards, as well as in many commercials, TV series, and movies.

The unspoiled Pfeiffer State Beach is a hit with locals but lesser known among tourists. Take a narrow road off the highway to reach this rugged oasis. Make sure to drive slowly, watching out for cars coming from the other direction. The beach's tranquil atmosphere and small crowds come at the cost of limited parking. You may have to wait for a spot. Once there, take a stroll, admire the dramatic views of offshore rocks and sea stacks, watch the waves crashing, and look for deposits of the area's unusual purple sand. You might even see a whale in the distance. Bring a sweater; it can get windy here.

Known for its redwood groves and nicknamed the "Mini Yosemite," Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park stretches for about 400 hectares (1,000 acres) along the Big Sur River. A popular hiking and camping destination, the park sits on the western slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains, an area covered not only in old redwoods, but also oaks, sycamores, cottonwoods, maples, willows, and alders. The park shelters some of California's most diverse habitats, providing a home for varied wildlife that includes black-tail deer, raccoons, gray squirrels, water ouzels, and belter kingfishers. Explore this scenic area by tackling some of its trails, which snake their way along the Big Sur River and offer views of one of its rugged gorges.

McWay Falls is one of the only waterfalls in the region that empties straight into the ocean. Rising 24.3 m (80ft) above the shoreline of the Pacific, this "tidefall" is accessible via the state park's 1.03 km (0.64 mi) roundtrip trail. Pause at the vantage points along the way to take in views of the ocean and the cascading waters themselves. For a different vantage point, you can reach the beach below the falls via boat.

Offering pristine views of the ocean, Partington Cove is a raw, unspoiled rocky beach at the end of a steep hiking trail that cuts through a tree-lined canyon, crosses a wooden bridge, and goes through an 18 m (60 ft) tunnel. The entrance to the downhill dirt path can be easily missed, so study the directions carefully before you go. If you wish to have the immaculate cove just for yourself, go early in the morning.