Can you swim in Big Sur beaches?

While Big Sur's beaches might look enticing to someone who is in desperate need of a swim, it's not recommended for anyone - including the strongest of swimmers. This includes popular beaches such as Monastery Beach and Pfeiffer Beach, as well as Garrapata and Andrew Molera State Park beaches.



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If you are planning to go into the water near Pfeiffer Beach, we recommend being extremely careful and preferably wearing a sweatsuit as the water here is extremely cold and is known for dangerous rip currents.

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But on that same beach, it's not uncommon to see kids shivering as they run out of the water, or a surfer wearing a partial wetsuit as they jog out for a session. California's ocean water is pretty cold, even in the summer, and it often catches visitors off-guard.

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One of the main highlights of Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur is the famous purple sand. Erosion of the cliffs above, which contain Manganese garnet rocks, is responsible for the incredible plum-like colors you see here. Little beads of iridescent sand lays atop the lilac hues, creating the most gorgeous effect.

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Famous for its purple sand with tiny flecks of garnet tinting the sand purple, Pfeiffer Beach along the Big Sur, PCH Highway 1 Tour is a photographer's paradise with a beautiful rugged coastline, crashing waves and a beautiful rock formation known as Keyhole Sea Arch.

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Santa Cruz (West Side) The most popular open water swimming beach in Santa Cruz is Cowell Beach, located on the west side of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. This small cove is generally protected from the wind by tall cliffs and the setting is idyllic.

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