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Pfeiffer Beach

1,291 Reviews

#2 of 41 things to do in Big Sur

Nature & Parks, Outdoor Activities, Beaches

Sycamore Canyon Road, Big Sur, CA 93920

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Traveler Overview

4.5 1,291 reviews

Excellent77%
Very good17%
Average4%
Poor1%
Terrible1%

Local Weather

F°C°

62°

48°

Jul

63°

50°

Aug

65°

49°

Sep

What travelers are saying

It's a bit of a walk to the beach from the Parking Area The beach is Absolutely beautiful with the small river and the patches of Purple Sand,it was fun walking on the beach and enjoying the natural beauty of the...

The narrow road must be shared, we met with a few cars wanting to go down to the beach and we had to stop on the side of the road to let them pass, vice versa as well.

... The beach is Absolutely beautiful with the small river and the patches of Purple Sand,it was fun walking on the beach and enjoying the natural beauty of the rock formations and coves with waves crashing through .

Contact

Sycamore Canyon Road, Big Sur, CA 93920

Website

+1 805-434-1996

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1 - 10 of 1,110 reviews

0221Serendipity

Madison, Wisconsin

905401

Reviewed 2 days ago

Purple Sand Beach

This beach wasn't easy to find.. but that made it even more special and less crowded than other nearby tourist sites. There's an entry fee to get in and no hikers allowed. You must enter by vehicle. The purple sand is unbelievable as is the...More

Date of experience: July 2019

Thank 0221Serendipity

JenA895

Cincinnati, Ohio

7235

Reviewed 2 days ago via mobile

Gorgeous not-so-secret beach

I was especially thankful for TripAdvisor when visiting this beach. We followed the directions I found on here for finding the place. :) Road to get to the beach is rutted and narrow, but doable. We got there around 11 and were able to park,...More

Date of experience: July 2019

Thank JenA895

blukreuz

Irvine, California

248

Reviewed 6 days ago via mobile

Beautiful Beach!

Beautiful, but a little effort to get to. So worth it! Follow a long, unmarked, single lane, 2-way traffic, pot hole ridden road, down a winding hill for 15 min. 😜 This beach is adventurous. Not your typical sunbathing beach. Water is rough with high...More

Date of experience: July 2019

Thank blukreuz

narendrermahajan

Ambala, India

11143

Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

Key hole rock

Embark on the pfeffier beach and behold the key hole rocks. Due to sea crashing on the rocks the rocks got a hole in them which made them unique key hole rock. Pfeffier beach is also unique for its purple sand. Parking spaces include one...More

Date of experience: July 2019

Thank narendrermahajan

scrappysquirrel

Mechanicsville, Virginia

24865

Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

Beautiful beach!

We visited on a Tuesday in mid-June. As other reviews have stated, there is not a sign on Highway 1 for the beach. There is just a yellow sign saying no RVs or Trailers. The road to the beach is narrow and curvy, but was...More

Date of experience: June 2019

1 Thank scrappysquirrel

Wanderlust_Bhavna

Mumbai, India

4425

Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

Purple sand beach

We went in may, but we could not see much of manganese deposit on sand.hence it was not purple beach at all😉..the beach is quiet and secluded,but it is scenic too. Parking is limited hence suggest to arrive early on this beach.

Date of experience: May 2019

Thank Wanderlust_Bhavna

Ginas418

DeLand, Florida

470157

Reviewed 3 weeks ago

WOW

Amazing views and scenery! Definitely worth a stop! Keep your camera! Be ready to relax and take in the incredible scenery!

Date of experience: June 2019

Thank Ginas418

loveCAcoast

Los Angeles, California

Reviewed 4 weeks ago

The drive down to the beach

This is one of my favorite beach along the California Coast. I've made many road trips up and down the coast of California for years and most of them includes a visit to this beach. During the weekend it's usually full so PLAN ahead so...More

Date of experience: August 2018

4 Thank loveCAcoast

AnnetteSM

Olympia, Washington

609

Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

Spreading ashes of a loved one

We chose to spread some of my FIL ashes here because he loved this place - of course that was before it became so popular. The rock formations and the purple sand on the beach are absolutely beautiful.

Date of experience: June 2019

Thank AnnetteSM

Marvintm009

Sacramento, California

13722

Reviewed June 12, 2019

Amazing Location

Now this is a hidden gem & look forward to the next time we go to Big Sur. You need to know exactly where the turn off is for there is no signage, not even street signs. The road is extremely narrow, very few turn...More

Date of experience: June 2019

2 Thank Marvintm009

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Questions & Answers

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See all 33 questions

Alina S

What beach is the key hole located on described as being best at sunset?

June 6, 2019|

AnswerShow all 6 answers

Pfeiffer Beach!

drkumarmp

Can we make a reservation for parking? I have heard on many occasions people could not visit the beach for lack of parking.

March 6, 2019|

AnswerShow all 5 answers

I don't believe there is reserved parking. It seems to be your average "first come first served" here. Worth it, even if you have to wait a bit for a spot!