Garrapata Beach

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

4.5/5

based on 8 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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Photography

Chillin

Hiking

Beach

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Picnic Area

Romantic

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Garrapata Beach Reviews

Macie Shelton

Beginner

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!

Nearby

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...

Secluded Beach Near Soberanes Point

When we stumbled upon this beach we were thrilled to have such great views with no crowds. There is plenty of room to lay out in the sun, you can swim in the ocean to cool off, and the beach is surrounded by beautiful landscape. If you decide to swim be very careful as the waves and currents can be dangerous in this area. When you're done at the beach, I highly recommend taking some time to ...

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...

Bixby Bridge

You can't miss this bridge if you are driving north on highway one. The best time for capturing sunsets behind the bridge is December. The positioning of the sun will better coincide with the location of the bridge.There are four main angles to capture the bridge: The first two are up close on either side of the bridge-- behind the bridge, you will find a couple of small trails that will lead...

Point Lobos South Shore Trail

If you’re craving an ocean-edge walk through rocky coastline, tide pools and bluff vistas, the South Shore Trail delivers. It’s a slightly wild coastal route that keeps you close to the sea and filled with surprises. Trail Basics & Route Overview Difficulty: Easy Trail Surface & Terrain: Mostly natural trail along bluff tops and coastal slopes. Expect uneven ground, rocks, ...

Bird Island Trail

This is one of the most rewarding short coastal hikes in Point Lobos. The Bird Island Trail offers sweeping ocean views, a peek into rugged shorelines, and a front-row seat to seabird colonies—all in under a mile. Trail Basics & Route Overview Trail Type: Lollypop / loop with a spur to the Bird Island overlook Habitat & Scenery: Coastal scrub, Monterey pines, rocky shore, c...

Garrapata Beach

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Garrapata Beach Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Calla Lily Valley

Secluded Beach Near Soberanes Point

Soberanes Point

Bixby Bridge

Point Lobos South Shore Trail

Bird Island Trail

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