Did you know calla lilies grow naturally in the wild in swampy areas? I’ve seen calla lily patches in the past on other hikes but never made the connection. Look for “Garrapata State Beach Parking” on Google Maps (and some cars parked on the dirt patch on either side of Highway 1). After you park, look for the “Garrapata State Park” sign and you’ll see a narrow trail that goes down towards the beach. Head north to get to the little valley full of wild calla lilies! I think peak bloom season may be earlier in March or April, because many of the lilies we saw were already wilting/dried up. At the valley of the lilies there are some steps that go up to a trail that takes you back onto the highway, at a point a bit north of where you parked. Here you can get a full view of the valley of the lilies from the top and walk back along Highway 1 to your car (or you can go back down and back-track on the trail, and go further south where the trail leads to a stretch of beaches).

The Keyhole Arch at this beach may be the second most famous sight associated with Big Sur – it’s a popular sunset photography spot, as the sunlight streams directly though the keyhole at sunset, especially during the winter months around the winter solstice. My picture of the Keyhole Arch here is from 2016 (when we made a detour on a drive from SF to LA). On this most recent May 2021 trip, it was so windy on the beach the wind-whipped sand bit into our exposed skin like a million little needles. We quickly snapped a few pictures and ran back to the car, and didn’t even get a proper view of the Keyhole Arch (which really was just a few more steps north along the beach). There are a few other arches and cool rock formations here, but the Keyhole Arch gets all the glory because of the sunset phenomenon. Pfeiffer beach is also known as the Purple Beach, as the sand is purple from the manganese garnet deposits that wash down onto the beach from the surrounding hills. To get to this beach, take Sycamore Canyon Road (which requires a sharp right turn if you’re coming southbound) off Highway 1. It’s a 2-mile, very narrow, not really paved, road with turnouts that leads to two parking areas for the beach. Both parking areas are a very short walk to the beach. 

Art gallery and café, you can get a nice lunch here and enjoy a beautiful view of the Pacific Coast with your meal. Don’t forget to try one of the soft-serve options for dessert!

This a good breakfast/lunch spot nestled amongst pretty fruit trees and gardens, flanked by a couple small art galleries. They have also recently started (restarted?) serving dinner starting at 5pm. This fried chicken was very juicy and flavorful, and the purple sauce was a horseradish crème fraiche, and it was really, really good!

This is where we stayed on this trip. Situated right in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, staying here also gives you complimentary day passes to all 3 state parks in Big Sur (Pfeiffer Big Sur, Andrew Molera, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns). All the units are cottages of different sizes. We chose the Kitchenette Cottage that had a bedroom with a queen bed, a living room with a pull-out couch, and a kitchen that included a refrigerator, stove, microwave, a small coffee maker, a toaster, and basic kitchen supplies (pot, pan, dishes, utensils — bring your own cooking oil, salt/pepper). There is a café at the main lodge, but the main restaurant was still closed due to the pandemic. The accommodations here are basic but clean and comfortable; there is no Wi-Fi, and cellphone reception was spotty at best, but the location was great and allowed easy exploration of the area.

I would’ve liked to stay here during this trip, but by the time I found this place there weren’t good options for the dates I wanted, since most units are double-occupancies only. The lodging options range from hotel rooms of various sizes to cabins and cottages with kitchenettes. All the rooms and cabins/cottages have views of or decks that look into the woods, the décor seems rustic but modern, and overall these accommodations are probably luxurious compared to Big Sur Lodge. And all rooms have Wi-Fi! Haha.