About 20 miles north of Pico Creek, just below the southern terminus of Big Sur, lies the meaty beachbreak at the mouth of San Carpoforo Creek, by far the most consistent of all spots surrounding San Simeon. A powerful break commanding respect, San Carpoforo picks up all swells, any size, at any tide. The spot faces due west, so there's only one choice for offshore wind, which only occurs in the early morning hours. The creek-flow dictates the character of the sandbar, so it's basically at the mercy of winter rains and the correct littoral drift. If the wind is slack and the swell is clean and small enough, you're almost guaranteed to find some good peaks out here. Once the swell reaches over 6 feet, there's usually some sort of paddling channel to get you into the peak, but not always.

Straight-on groundswells usually close out unless the sandbar is a full-on deltoid, which happens frequently enough to render this the favorite spot of many surfers in the San Simeon area. Again, San Carpoforo is a powerful spot that tends to amplify any sort of swell size, so bigger boards and experience are highly advised.

The Restaurant at Ragged Point (19019 Highway 1, 805-927-5708), serves basic American-style take-out food in an outdoor setting. Otherwise, it's wieners on the campfire.

The Ragged Point Inn (19019 Highway 1, 805-927-4502) overlooks the Big Sur wonderland and is the only motel in the vicinity. Otherwise, you might want to head north to the handful of campgrounds along the Highway 1 labyrinth.

Despite the summer tourist hoards, the Big Sur area remains pristine. Who needs artificial entertainment when you have the real thing? Find a trail and explore.