the beach today
Big Sur Guide

Pfeiffer
Beach

Purple Sand

One of the most dramatic beaches on the California coast -- reached by a narrow two-mile dirt road off Hwy 1, and rewarded with purple sand, a sea arch that frames the sunset and crashing Big Sur surf. The purple color comes from manganese garnet eroding from the cliffs above.

Today on the Sand

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Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Pfeiffer Beach Main

Purple sand flat and crashing shore break

Fee lot, 9 ft height limit

Keyhole Arch Rocks

Sea arch framing winter sunsets

Walk from lot, rocky

South Cove

Protected pocket south of the main arch

Short hike from lot

Purple Sand Flat

Densest purple sand concentration near creek

North end of beach

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

5 min east

Redwood groves, Big Sur River swimming and camping

Big Sur Lodge

10 min north

Cabins and a restaurant inside the state park

Nepenthe

15 min south

Legendary cliffside restaurant with 50-mile views

McWay Falls

20 min south

80-foot waterfall dropping to a pristine cove

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Pfeiffer Beach. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Beach Hazards Statement out for Pfeiffer Beach until 8 PM Tuesday. Dangerous surf and rip currents. Swim only near a lifeguard. Right now at Pfeiffer Beach, the water is 68°F, surf is running 7–8 ft and the air is 65°F. Wind is 5 mph from the W and the UV index peaks at 4 (moderate) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 39 minutes right now. Today’s tides: High 5:46 AM, Low 10:54 AM, High 4:18 PM, Low 11:28 PM. Dogs are allowed right now, on a leash.