The Pacific Coast Highway: A Complete Big Sur Guide

By Raphael M., a travel photographer and writer based out of New York City

Last Updated on July 14th, 2026

I chose to do PCH in 2 days, going from Ventura to Monterey, then Monterey to San Francisco. I think this offers the best balance of photo spots, following the speed limit, and simply enjoying the road.

I'll go in-depth into each stop, but here's the entire route listed out as well as mapped. For day 1, the stops were Ventura, Santa Barbara, Morro Rock Beach, Elephant Seal Vista Point, Ragged Point, Willow Creek Beach, Hurricane Beach (Bixby Bridge), and Monterey. Day 2 was Santa Cruz, Pacifica, and San Francisco.

The Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, is a 655 mile highway that runs the entire coastline of California, starting in Southern Los Angeles and ending in Leggett in Northern California. Most people don't drive the entire route, with many choosing to do sections, mainly the stretch between Santa Barbara to Big Sur.

I've done PCH twice, with one starting in Monterey and driving down roughly 50 miles out and back, and another starting in Los Angeles and ending in San Francisco. I would highly recommend the trip from LA to SF, as I think it's the most beautiful part of California, full stop.

You can choose to continue, start in Downtown Los Angeles, or only do day 1 or day 2. With a highway like PCH, you can't go wrong.

Depending on your pace, stops along the way, and budget, you can choose several locations to stay. For me, I stayed in Ventura, which is about 30 minutes from Santa Barbara. Ventura offers much cheaper accommodations than Santa Barbara, and also has Ventura Beach which is stunning at golden hour.

Like I said before, this trip can be done in a multitude of ways. I think my itinerary is the best structured in terms of time/experience, but could definitely be slowed down. I value photography, so I make sure to make the most of each spot.

I always choose to rent the cheapest car whenever I travel, which is usually a compact car that isn't anything special. However, if you are visiting from far away or really want to cherish this experience, I would actually recommend renting a 'fun' car, or one without a top. These roads are truly one of one, as this one lane highway straddles the hundred-feet cliffs with the tightest hairpins. A convertible or a coupe would be the best for a place like this, and in my opinion, worth the extra few hundred dollars.

Ventura is a small beach town about an hour and a half away from Downtown Los Angeles. I would recommend staying here the night before the trip, giving you a perfect starting place for the trip ahead. I got here just before golden hour, so I was able to make it to Ventura Beach to watch the sunset.

This was the first stop on the road trip, and actually was not initially on the itinerary. My mom and I went to a coffeeshop in Ventura, and my mom, a coffee connoisseur, asked the barista where they got the beans. It turns out they got them from a local roastery in Santa Barbara, so we made a quick stop to buy some. The store was Santa Barbara Roasting Company (literally), and was nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara. The trees, local stores, and small restaurants made for a nice stroll, and worthy of a stop.

About two hours from Santa Barbara is Morro Rock, a volcanic plug (no clue) that juts out into the Pacific. There isn't much to see, but the rock is absolutely massive, with a long stretch of beach located on both sides. It's a popular surf spot, so you could see dozens of surfers as well as unusually playful squirrels here.

My Route:

Why PCH?

Where to stay:

Santa Barbara:

Morro Rock:

I then chose to stay in Monterey, one of the most charming beach towns in all of California. I ended up driving all the way to Sacramento instead of staying in San Francisco, but I would stay on the outskirts of SF if this was the final day of the roadtrip for you. I advise you not to stay in Downtown San Francisco, as I don't think it offers a ton while being quite a bit more expensive, and the accommodations often charge for parking.

Car rental/type:

Ventura:

40 minutes from Morro Rock is Elephant Seal Vista Point, a popular sunbathing spot for Elephant Seals. It was fascinating to see so many Elephant Seals so close to each other, sleeping under the warm California sun.

This next spot is only 5 minutes away, and was one of my favorite spots on the entire highway. Ragged point is the first place you really see the elevated view of the waves, and the coastline. Rather than the official Ragged Point, the coordinates listed here is a pullout from the highway, a better, less busy area for photos. 19223–19307 Cabrillo Hwy.

Willow Beach:

About 30 minutes from the last stop is Willow Beach, another inlet that is surrounded by white waves. The thing that makes this spot special are the yellow wildflowers, making for the perfect photo. I visited in May, so a lot of the flowers going into their peaks, with some just blooming.

This, in my opinion, is the most beautiful view on the entire highway. Not only does it offer a view of the iconic Bixby Bridge in the distance, but has the widest view of the coastline, making for one of the most surreal points in the world. It's a perfect sunset spot, as the soft light from the sunset lays upon the mountain range with the most vivid oranges and reds.

I also came here for sunrise, as this spot is the place of one of my favorite photos of all time, the Big Sur apple wallpaper. While my drone was limited in height compared to the official photo, it felt amazing to get a snapshot of one of my favorite photos of all time, a moment where I could finally say I got a bucket-list photo.

Monterey:

This is where I stopped for the day. If you space out the itinerary, starting at 9:00am, you should reach Hurricane Point at golden hour, and reach Monterey by nightfall. I would recommend visiting Carmel-by-the-sea, as it has some of the most amazing restaurants and city streets to stroll.

There is also other amazing places in Monterey you could visit, like downtown Monterey, Pebble Beach, or the 17-Mile Drive. On my previous visit, I did an electric-bike tour, which stretched from downtown Monterey, through Pebble Beach, and the Lone Tree, probably one of the most photographed trees in the world.

Pacifica:

Pacifica is such a charming enclave, literally surrounded by houses built into the cliffs and surfers. There was also the world's only beachside Taco Bell, an spot I had saved on Instagram for years. Pacifica's the kind of place you could spend the entire day doing nothing yet feel the greatest satisfaction.

Route Details:

With one of the longest boardwalks in CA, the crashing waves and palm trees in the distance make this such a beautiful place.

Elephant Seal Vista Point:

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Ragged Point:

This is what makes this highway so special. The small stops and pull-offs are what give the best views.

Hurricane Point:

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Santa Cruz:

Day 2 started in Santa Cruz, a pretty moderately sized town that we stopped at for lunch. I don't usually recommend specific places, but Zoccoli's was too good to gatekeep. It's an old-fashioned Italian delicatessen that had great sandwiches, great staff, and was in a nice part of the city.

San Francisco:

San Francisco is a city that deserves an entire article just for itself, as the city has so much to offer. I've visited countless times, but there are a couple attractions that I have to see every time I go.

The Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf are my must-sees. The Golden Gate bridge needs no introduction, as its stunning red trusses glow under the sun.

San Francisco's Chinatown is probably the most authentic Chinese-immigrant Chinatown in the States, still primarily Cantonese. From streetfood, dim-sum, bakeries and supermarkets, San Francisco's Chinatown just feels like home, something I can't say about New York's town Chinatowns.

Fisherman's Wharf is on the northern tip of SF, and offers beautiful views of the water. You can also see Alcatraz Island from here, and there is no shortage of food, shopping, and activities to do here. You also see the iconic train-cars of SF here, as they ride alongside the water.

While this guide is titled Big Sur, it encompasses much more than this one spot, and highlights the beauty of California. If you start in LA and end in SF, you could visit both the major cities in the state while driving the most scenic roads in the state. This is one of the best roadtrips in the world, truly incomparable to anything I've ever done or seen. It offers the perfect balance of nature, convenience, and city life one could ask for. If there is only thing you ever do in this beautiful state, this roadtrip deserves to be number 1, an undeniably unforgettable experience.

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Final Thoughts: