![]() After all, what could be cozier than curling up with a mug of hot chocolate in front of a plate-glass window at Ventana Big Sur, Post Ranch Inn, Treebones, or another Big Sur hideaway to watch the storm clouds roll in over the Pacific? The Point Sur Lighthouse offers a particularly spectacular storm-watching vantage point with the sea on three sides. King tides aren’t the only act in town, though storm-watching has also become a popular winter draw. Some of the best beaches for tidepooling include Pfeiffer and Garrapata State Park, while there’s nowhere better for high surf-watching than Partington Cove. The phenomenon, which occurs near the winter and summer solstices when the sun and moon are aligned to create the strongest gravitational pull, also creates extremely low tides known as minus tides, which lure beachcombers out to explore rocks and reefs filled with sea life that’s normally well underwater. Every winter, king tides raise the drama to new levels, reaching highs of at least seven feet, realigning beaches and strewing the sand with massive logs and other detritus. Tides take center stage in the drama of Big Sur at all times of the year, pulling out to reveal the underwater worlds of intertidal pools and thundering back in to crash, spout and foam against the rocks. Pfeiffer is one of the best beaches for tidepooling © haveseen / Getty Images Storm Season: Winter in Big Sur ![]() With campgrounds less crowded, it’s possible to enjoy the still-long days and brilliant sunsets without having to wrap yourself in a sleeping bag as the gray mist rolls in. Northern California gets some of its best weather in September and October, when sunny days continue into the evening, uninterrupted by the arrival of the coastal fog, which tends to vanish soon after Labor Day. The bigger reason to visit Big Sur in the fall, however, is that in many ways it’s a continuation of summer - without the crowds. Contrast these with the gray-green of cypress and the emerald of pine, and you have a study in contrasts that may be less showy than the aspens in the Sierras, but no less eye-catching. So Big Sur’s color palette is already burnished as fall begins, with the wine red of madrones, glowing yellow of sycamores, and rust of poison oaks layered over a wash of ochre. Lack of rainfall turns California’s hills gold in the summertime. Here’s a guide to getting the most out of one of California’s most addictive destinations at all times of the year. It’s no wonder, then, that visitors tend to return again and again to explore this rugged outpost in all its seasonal glories. Many of Big Sur’s most beautiful beaches are little more than rocky coves, and sun may be scarcer than expected at certain times of the year, thanks to Northern California’s notorious coastal fog.īig Sur’s biggest gifts, like sunsets to sigh over and views that seem to take in the entire Pacific, vary so profoundly with the changing light that artists and photographers like Ansel Adams have been drawn to making their homes here to experience it year-round. Despite having a few bucket list beaches to its credit, this 90-mile stretch of uber-photogenic California coastline is about far more than sun and sand. ![]() The first thing to know when planning a trip to Big Sur is that this is no typical beach destination.
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