Big Sur village is not a village in the usual sense, but a scattering of inns, cafes, galleries and a post office strung out along Highway 1 in the green valley of the Big Sur River. The coast mountains rise steeply behind, covered in redwood, oak and madrone, and the river runs clear over granite boulders beneath the trees. It is a very different feel from the cliffs to the north: sheltered, cool and shaded, with the smell of redwood duff and woodsmoke. The valley has been settled since the 1860s, when the Pfeiffer family took up a homestead here, and the state park that bears their name now covers much of the valley floor.
The area has long attracted writers and seekers. Henry Miller lived on the coast here from 1944 to 1962, and his writing about the place made it a cult destination, while the Henry Miller Memorial Library, a small bookshop and community centre among the redwoods, keeps his memory alive. The Esalen Institute, a retreat on the cliffs south of the village, was founded in 1962 and helped create the human potential movement. A short drive from the village, a rutted road leads down to Pfeiffer Beach, where purple sand, coloured by manganese garnet, collects at the edge of the surf, and a rock arch lets the waves pour through in the evening.
For riders, this is the heart of Highway 1's best stretch, the part everyone comes for. North and south of the village, the road snakes along the edge of the cliffs, with long views of the Pacific and sudden plunges into creek canyons, with little shoulder and plenty of slow traffic. Corners are blind and wide, and the surface is mostly good, but rockfall and landslides often close sections of the road, particularly in winter and spring, so check Caltrans before you go. Fog can drift in at any time, bringing damp tarmac and cold air, and the sun can be dazzling when it breaks through. Early mornings on weekdays are the quietest.
The village has a few fuel stations, but prices are high, and the cafes and restaurants range from simple to pricey, with a long wait on summer weekends. Monterey, about thirty-eight kilometres to the north, is the nearest town with a full range of services, so fill the tank there if you can. Cell coverage is patchy in the canyons, so carry a paper map or download one in advance. A walk among the redwoods in the state park, with the river chuckling beside you, is a good way to rest between the curves.