| Name: | Kayaking Point Lobos | 
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| URLS: |
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to Kayak Tours Page Back to GOTOES.ORG How Did I Make this Web Page? Download the GPS track for this trip in GPX format San Francisco Bay Area Kayak put-in Sites | |
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| Total Distance: | 8.65 miles (13.92 km) |
| Total Trip Time: | 2:30:03 (2:25:14 moving time) |
| Description and put-in information: | It was a fantastic day for a paddle.
Winds were down, and the swell was just enough to make things exciting,
but not so much that we couldn't go out. We started from what is
commonly called Monastery beach. This beach is one and a half miles
South of Carmel on Highway one. It has the advantages of easy access
from the highway, easy launch (usually), and being free to park.
Alternatively, you could drive into Point Lobos, pay to park, and launch
from a boat ramp in a very protected area. From our point of view,
this spot would have also been a fantastic snorkeling spot. The
coordinates for the boat ramp are N36 31.208 W121 56.426. If you
want to do the free launch, just look for the the beach that has signs
saying "Carmel River," just 1.5 miles south of Carmel. We
paddled out through some small wavelets and into the ocean. We
headed around several points - each with their own section of chop and
confused currents. I imagine that paddling Point Lobos can become a
pretty advanced paddle at times, so choose your day carefully. We
didn't get to see as much wildlife as on some of our other paddles, but we
were rewarded with many opportunities to play in rock gardens, and develop
our skills. We were fortunate enough to meet up with a group of
several paddlers and followed them through several (though not all) of
their maneuvers. Our double kayak wasn't suited to all of the
sections (like the passage that we ended up backing out of because a waves
were blasting in from the other side (see GPS track). We saw 2 guys
in single kayaks negotiate this turn. Point Lobos ranks as one of
our favorite Kayak spots so far because of the fantastic, dramatic
scenery. I emailed Margarete at the Kayak Connection, and she told me: You need to make a reservation for putting-in at Whaler's cove: 831-624-4909. You can also put in at Stillwater Cove next to the Beach and Tennis Club in Carmel -- 831-625-8507 for more information. They are right next to the public put-in for Stillwater Cove |
| Average Speed: | 3.57 mph (5.75 kph) |
 Point Lobos guano |
 More point lobos guano |
 Kayaking narrow gap |
 Kayaking narrow gap |
 Small sea cave |
 Paddling Point Lobos |
 Carmel Highlands |
 View of Carmel Highlands |
 Point Lobos |
 Point Lobos |