Lower Central California Coast & Big Sur, california
Attractions Guide

The stretch of road along the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) of Central California is considered to be one of the most scenic driving routes in the world. The following attractions are listed in order along a recommended route up the coast beginning in Los Angeles or Santa Barbara and ending near Big Sur.

Start your day by visiting the lovely Danish town of Solvang, which is well known for its traditional Danish style half-timbered houses and windmills. This town was originally settled by Danish pioneers in the 19th century and still retains some Danish culture, especially with its cuisine.

Santa Barbara, California

Nearby Solvang you might consider a detour to visit the popular coastal city of Santa Barbara. This city hosts an old Spanish mission from the 1820s, the Mission Santa Barbara, as well as the El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, which was built in the 1780s ando hosts a museum. Downtown Santa Barbara is centered around State Street, a great place to eat or enjoy the nightlife. There's also lots of great camping sites around Santa Barbara.

If you haven't eaten yet you might stop next at the Madonna Inn, a very strange and intricately decorated hotel and restaurant which is incredibly popular for its incredible eccentric design. This restaurant is located just off the highway in San Luis Obispo.

Downtown San Luis Obispo features some great restaurants, art galleries, and shopping, as well as a thriving nightlife scene.

Next you can stop in the coastal town of Morro Bay to see the massive Morro Rock, which sits on the end of a peninsula at the entrance to Morro Bay, towering over 580 feet (175 m) above the coast.

Afterwards you might like to visit the famous Hearst Castle in San Simeon. This palatial 20th century mansion is known for its many elaborate lavish themed rooms, as well as its grand Romanesque-style Neptune Pool.

Be aware that tours of the Hearst Castle are very expensive, and each tour only shows a portion of the estate. Additionally, visiting the castle can be very time consuming if tours are not pre-booked, so if you plan to explore this castle you'll need plenty of time.

Continue to Ragged Point, a popular stop along the highway which hosts excellent coastal views from atop the cliffs.

Apart from the random scenic pull-offs you'll encounter as you continue up the highway, the major coastal viewpoints you should definitely stop at along the way include Jade Cove and the Big Creek Cove Vista Point.

McWay Falls

The next attraction is one of the Central California Coast's most iconic sights, the gorgeous McWay Falls, which flows off of a cliff into the ocean, set within a stunning small cove. You can park along the highway and take a very short walk to see this picturesque waterfall.

Pfeiffer Beach

Next you might take a small detour to Pfeiffer Beach, which features an incredible sea arch that can be viewed with a quick 0.5 mile (0.8 km) round-trip walk from the parking area.

Scenic Bridges

Afterwards you can stop at the Castle Rock Viewpoint, which overlooks the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge set amongst the coastal cliffs. Just north of this bridge is the striking Rocky Creek Bridge, which you can also pull-off the highway to admire.

Next you might like to stop at Garrapata State Beach and take a quick walk down to the beach to admire the incredible seaside scenery. A bit further north is another scenic place to take a walk along the coast, the Soberanes Point Trails, which follow along a rugged rocky part of the coastline. Either of these places are great for watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Garrapata State Park is located just south of the city of Carmel-By-The-Sea, which hosts many more attractions including the serene Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.