California
Highway 1, Big Sur runs Carmel to San Simeon in California, United States. The road is at its best before the first coaches arrive, so staying within a few minutes of the start is worth more than a smarter hotel an hour away. Check the season before you book. Landslide closures are frequent, check before setting out.
Base town
Carmel
Road length
90.1 mi
Driving time
4 hr 32 min
Rating
9.5 / 10
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Hotel results are live and filtered for parking, late arrival and an early start. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 22 June 2026
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
The road
The Pacific coast at its most theatrical, cliff curves above the open ocean.
Landslide closures are frequent, check before setting out
Nearby
26.7 mi away
Cypress trees, crashing surf and Pebble Beach, best taken slowly at first light.
164.7 mi away
Yosemite high country, granite domes and meadows, then a drop to Mono Lake.
180.8 mi away
The steepest Sierra crossing, narrow and demanding with barely a car on it midweek.
221.8 mi away
The Santa Monica Mountains run every Los Angeles driver knows, ending at the Pacific.
249.2 mi away
Los Angeles's mountain playground, hours of clean sweepers above the basin.