Sand Dollar Beach

This is a great beach with lots of unique rocks for good sand, water, and rock shots - especially fun for long exposures. Easy parking in large lot right off Highway 1. You have to pay a $10 per vehicle entrance fee, though (the parking pass is good at other sites).Path and long set of stairs to beach. It takes about 10 minutes or less to get down to the beach from the parking lot. Sand Dollar Beach is Big Sur’s most consistent surf spot, and its broad main bay gathers swell from all directions. More often than not, Sand Dollar's surf is mediocre, but the setting is spectacular. And if you’re lucky enough to line up a mid-tide groomed swell with shapely sandbars and an offshore wind, you just might be fortunate enough to surf Sand Dollar on one of it's exceptional days. The beach is popular with surfers who are passing through. When the swell is on the small side, Sand Dollar can be a user-friendly break. The south end in front of the stairwell typically offers the best shape.You could make a stop at this beach, walk down and up, plus take plenty of photos in under an hour.