Big Sur is a stretch of the central California coastline located around the Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest popular with tourists thanks to the impressive views along the coast and its beaches. The name Big Sur derives from the original Spanish "el pais grande del sur" or "the big country of the south," reflecting the mountainous terrain in the region.
Big Sur has no specific boundaries, but is generally thought to be the 90 miles between the Carmel River and the San Carpoforo Creek, stretching 20 miles inland to the foothills of the Santa Lucia mountains.Others suggest the name Big Sur only applies as far as three to twelve miles inland, to the coastal edges of the same mountain range.
The northern edge of Big Sur is located around 120 miles south of San Francisco. If you are driving, take Highway 101 South to Highway 156 West. From there, connect to Highway 1, which is the main route down the California coast. Stay on this road through Carmel and Monterey to get to the center of Big Sur.
Highway 101 North to San Luis Obispo connects downtown Los Angeles with Highway 1 heading north. The southern end of Big Sur is around 300 miles from Los Angeles. Public transport connects the major cities with Monterey and Carmel, which are both located within the general Big Sur area.
