Garrapata Beach

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

4.6/5

based on 7 reviews

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Description

Added by Abe Blair

Garrapata Beach has easy beach and view access off of Highway 1 near Big Sur, California. This is a great spot for whale watching and wildflowers with amazing photography opportunities at sunset.

A wonderful roadside beach and state park. Easy parking on both sides of Hwy. 1 with short access trails. There are almost 2 miles of coastline trails heading north and south from the parking area. The north end of the beach is great for swimming and surfing when the sea is calm and the south has some large rocks that make for great photography and wave watching. In the winter, there are great viewpoints for whale watching also!!

You can also catch amazing sunset and sunrise photography and beach combing. Spring brings great blooms of calla lillys and ice plant along with many other smaller flowers.

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Features

Chillin

Photography

Hiking

Beach

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Picnic Area

Romantic

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Reviews

Natalie F

Garrapata Beach

07/25/22

Garrapata Beach is so pretty! It's so much fun to just watch the waves and relax to the sounds of nature here.

5.0

Elena P

Garrapata Beach

07/25/22

This is a great place to visit when going to Big Sur or Carmel. Hwy 1 is beautiful and this is just one of many stops you gotta see. The water color is amazing!

5.0

Margo Schmiederer

Garrapata Beach

07/25/22

Whether it's the beach or the park, stop by. In the summer, the park will be especially beautiful with all of the wildflowers in bloom

5.0

Andy

Garrapata Beach

07/25/22

One of the most beautiful spots in Monterey. It can get very crowded. The water here is beautiful.

5.0

PRO

Lucas Bremer

PRO

Garrapata Beach

09/22/20

An easy stop along the PCH. Be sure to catch this at low tide to reveal lots of cool tide pools and rock formations.

4.0

Macie Shelton

Garrapata Beach

07/11/20

Large beach with beautiful caves. The walk down is surrounded by calla lilies and is right next to a little stream.

5.0

Explorer

Michael Wigle

Explorer

Garrapata Beach

04/10/15

Doud Creek makes a winding gully through the sand in the spring, and there is usually a hidden waterfall at the upper end of the beach.

3.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Calla Lily Valley

Parking for Calla Lily Valley is available along the dirt pullout at Gate 19 for Garrapata State Park, near mile-marker 63. Signs are small and difficult to see. Follow the path between the guide wires and take the right fork, heading north to the bluff overlooking the beach. Continue north and follow the trail down the stairs to Doud Creek, where the Calla Lilies bloom in the valley in late wi...

Soberanes Point

Garrapata State Park is located along California's Highway 1, roughly 5 miles south of Carmel, California. The park is entirely free with multiple pull-outs and serves as one of the first grand views travelers encounter while heading south from the Monterey Peninsula to southern California. Garrapata is where you will find many scenic and iconic vistas of both the San Lucia Mountain range and j...

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Point Lobos is one of the hidden gems of the California coast. Located just off of Route 1 right after Monterey, Point Lobos is a state park on the coast. The cost to explore inside is ten dollars, but so worth it. As you explore, be sure to hike around Whalers Cove, which is incredible at sunset with the ocean spray and lush forests. The ocean vistas, rocky shores, and hiking trails can easil...

Garrapata Beach

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Leave No Trace

Nearby

Secluded Beach Near Soberanes Point

Calla Lily Valley

Soberanes Point

Bixby Bridge

Point Lobos Natural Preserve Loop

Whalers Cove Loop

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