Pfeiffer Beach is a curious beach found in California that is best known for having purple sand. It belongs to a state park and is protected, so if we visit it, we must take care of it and leave it as we found it.
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| Pfeiffer Beach California |
It has some spectacular rocks that are introduced into the water giving curious shapes and water inlets that are reminiscent of spectacular caverns. It is not easy to get to Pfeiffer beach and it is better to ask about the best access to visit it. The entrances are not very well marked, so you have to be careful.
Although access to Pfeiffer Beach can be a bit tricky, it is well worth the effort. Once on the beach, we can walk around the entire area and enjoy nature in its most natural state.
Swimming is not recommended at this beach due to the amount of rocks and the strong current. Dogs are allowed on the beach, so there will be no problem bringing your pet. Once you arrive at the beach, there is a car park available and some toilets.
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| Pfeiffer Beach California |
The truth is that once we arrive at Pfeiffer beach, we will see signs that will indicate several of the best points in the area. If you plan to visit this beach, it is better to do it early in the morning. The parking lot is small and can fill up quickly. There is no other place to park, so turning around can be frustrating.
Pfeiffer Beach can also be very windy as the rocks can act as funnels for currents. We can't do anything about this, but it doesn't affect all the beauty we can find in Pfeiffer.
We should also know that not all the sand on Pfeiffer Beach is purple. There are areas with this type of sand that are generally in the northern part of the beach.
This peculiar sand is formed by the manganese that is dragged from the streams to the beach. Purple sand is more likely to be seen after blizzards. Sometimes the sand appears to be more pink and other times it takes on a greenish hue. Be that as it may, it is something peculiar that is not seen much on other beaches.
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| Pfeiffer Beach California |
Where can you eat?
If you get hungry visiting Pfeiffer Beach, there are a few options, although you have to go a couple of kilometers or so. That is why it is usually recommended that you take something to have a picnic on the beach itself and not have to take the car.
If we have forgotten to bring something for lunch, we can go to the Big Sur Deli, where there is a place that offers sandwiches, tacos, salads and desserts among other things. It is also a store, where you can buy food, camping supplies and other things to make our stay easier.
Another option is to go to the Big Sur Bakery restaurant, where they serve all kinds of dishes that we can enjoy, including meats, seafood, pizzas, salads, vegetable gratins and fantastic soups.
Other things to see in Pfeiffer
As has been said, Pfeiffer Beach is not just a coastline, it is a state park that allows us to see much more. We have in these areas waterfalls, red wood groves, routes that we can travel for hiking and a large number of impressive landscapes that will leave us speechless.
There are areas for camping, so we can spend a few days without having to drive from one place to another. Reservations must be made in advance.