Southern Big Sur

The countercultural spirit of Big Sur—a loose string of coast-hugging properties along Highway 1—is alive and well. Its few residents include the very wealthy, the enthusiastically outdoorsy, and the utterly evolved: since the 1960s, the Esalen Institute, a center for alternative education and East–West philosophical study, has attracted seekers of higher consciousness and devotees of the property's hot springs. Today, posh and rustic resorts amid the redwoods cater to visitors drawn by the scenery and the serenity. Southern Big Sur, the 52-mile stretch between San Simeon and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, is especially rugged—a rocky world of mountains, cliffs, and beaches.