Getting to Esalen

By Car

From San Francisco or points north, take Route 101 South. At Prunedale, take Route 156 west to the Monterey Peninsula and Highway 1. Take Highway 1 South approximately 45 miles, passing Monterey, Carmel, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Nepenthe, a popular restaurant located on the ocean side of Highway 1, is 11 miles north of Esalen.

Those coming from the south should take Route 101 north to San Luis Obispo and then Highway 1 to Esalen. We are approximately 100 miles north of San Luis Obispo. When you reach Lucia, a bend in the road where there is a restaurant and motel, you are 10 miles south of Esalen.

From either direction, watch for the Esalen Institute sign on the west (ocean) side of the road.

Address and Map

Our street address is:

Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur CA 93920

You may access the Google Maps page for directions from your location.

Current Road Conditions

For traffic updates and other Caltrans projects in Monterey County, call (800) 427-ROAD (7623) within California and (916) 445-7623 from outside of California, or visit the Caltrans District 5 website.

Passenger Van Service

On Fridays and Sundays we have van service from the Monterey Airport at 4 p.m. and from the Monterey Transit Plaza (corner of Pearl and Alvarado, next to Ordway Drug) at approximately 4:20 p.m. If you plan to use this service, please inform the Esalen office by fax at (831) 667-2724 at least 24 hours prior to your arrival. The $60 one-way fee (subject to change) is payable to the Esalen office when you check in. Return reservations may be made at that time. The only departing van service from Esalen is on Fridays and Sundays, leaving between 5:30-6:00 pm and generally arriving in Monterey between 7:00-7:30 pm. If you plan to use this departure service, please make sure that your reservations departing Monterey are after 8 p.m.