Point Lobos

About this place

Point Lobos is a state natural reserve on the Pacific coast of Central California, between the Carmel Highlands and the Big Sur coast, about 5 km south of Carmel-by-the-Sea in a straight line. Two marine protected areas around it guard one of the richest marine habitats in California. The reserve holds one of only two natural groves of Monterey cypress in the world. In 1896 the land was divided into 1,000 lots for a new town, but the engineer Alexander Allan bought the lots back over many years, and his family sold most of the land to the state in 1933. The nearby Carmel Submarine Canyon brings cold, nutrient-rich water that feeds abundant sea life, and the waters are among the best diving spots on the coast. Cypress trees twist over the rocks above the sea, and waves break into small coves of clear blue and green water. Below the surface grow dense forests of giant kelp, home to sea otters, harbour seals, rockfish and diving seabirds. The reserve has many walking trails, most of them along the ocean, a few small beaches and the historic Whalers Cabin, built in the 1850s for fishermen and now a museum. More than a million people visit each year, and there are only 150 parking spaces inside, so many visitors leave their cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 and walk in. Arriving early in the morning helps.