Amorielli
The Stay Magazine Vol. 1 · No. 10 · October 2025Vol 1 · 10
Big Sur is not really a town; it is a stretch of coast where the mountains fall straight into the Pacific and Highway 1 clings to the edge. October is its clearest month — the summer fog gone, the crowds thinned. This issue is about staying on a coast with almost no rooms, and about respecting a road that closes when it feels like it.
There are only a handful of places to sleep here, and they book far ahead. The alternative — basing in Carmel and driving in — is no failure, and we make the case for it.
— The Editors, Amorielli
The contents
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On the cover
Big Sur
The full Big Sur guide is in production and joins this issue shortly.
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The Room
On the coast, or in Carmel
The few inns on the Big Sur coast are special and scarce; book months out. If they're gone, Carmel-by-the-Sea to the north is a fine base for day trips down.
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The Arrival
The road, honestly
Highway 1 has limited fuel, patchy phone signal, and a habit of closing after storms. Check the conditions the morning you drive, and fill the tank.
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The Detour
The pull-offs
McWay Falls dropping onto the sand and the keyhole rock at Pfeiffer Beach are the two stops worth timing your light for.
Never miss an issue.
One considered letter when a new issue lands — a new destination, where to base, and when to go.