Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Monastery Beach is a popular launching spot for divers exploring the nearshore
kelp forests. Cold upwelling in the Carmel Submarine Canyon brings nutrient-rich
water to the surface, supplying food to abundant marine life. The canyon extends 3.5
miles west before deepening and turning northwest for 12 miles along an active fault
to join the Monterey Submarine Canyon, the West Coast's largest submarine canyon.
Enjoy the coarse sand between your toes before returning the way you came.
Point Lobos State Reserve
T
HIS EXCEPTIONAL STRETCH
of the Big Sur coast has been dubbed “the crown jewel
of the California state park system.” Seven hundred of the reserve's 1250 acres lie un-
derwater, encompassing rocky coves, shallow tide pools, and broad kelp beds. The re-
maining 550 acres take in 14 trails that crisscross through wind-sculpted pines, across
jagged rocky headlands, and along white sand beaches beside cobalt waters. Strolling
this dynamic, diverse landscape, you'll find plenty of opportunities to sightsee, take
photos, paint, picnic, and study nature, while water lovers can scuba dive or snorkel.
In addition to harboring incredibly diverse flora and fauna, unique geology, rare
plant life, and spectacular scenery, Point Lobos is also rich in human history. At one
time or another over the past 200 years, the point has been home to American Indians,
Chinese fishermen, Japanese abalone harvesters, and Portuguese whalers. Throughout
the park, historic relics and endangered archaeological sites offer visitors insight into
the varied occupations that once thrived here.
Whether you walk the windswept coastline or head inland through Monterey pine
groves and meadows, you'll hear the raucous barking of sea lions from their nearshore
colonies—an enduring reminder of the earlier Spanish name for the reserve:
Punta de
los Lobos Marinos
(Point of the Sea Wolves).
