Pfeiffer Beach is known for its unique “purple sand” and is located less than three and a half miles south of Big Sur Lodge off Highway 1.
This beautiful, one-of-a-kind beach delivers offshore views of rocks, sea stacks, and local surfing. The further north you walk, the more “purple” the sand becomes. The purple sand is created from manganese garnet that washes out of the cliff face to the beach in the winter.
We recommend that you bring a jacket just in case it happens to be windy. And remember to bring your camera as there are many photo opportunities among the rock formations. There is a $5 parking fee.
Just twenty miles north of Big Sur Lodge, you’ll find the picturesque Garrapata Beach, a wide, one-mile stretch of golden sand and turquoise blue waters. Garrapata Beach offers views of the ocean and mountains as well as the rocky cliffs that are covered with colorful wildflowers.
Parking is along Highway One in the turnouts and there are two main paths leading to the beach.
