Fernwood Resort, Big Sur, California

The Fernwood Resort, Big Sur, California I recently married my wife in Big Sur and we needed to stay somewhere comfortable and with good value. A friend of Lauri's found the Fernwood Resort and we had a comfortable stay.

Beautiful Big Sur

This stretch of northern California is truly beautiful. If any celestial being created this planet, it spent a long time on this 70-mile stretch. Relax in redwood forest, by a small creek, a waterfall or just amazing coast line. Then breathe in the musky redwood smell and feel at peace.

We visited in January and the place was quiet but it must be heaving with tourists during the summer months. As the weather was still very nice, for this European at least, I'd recommend going in fall or spring for an outstanding experience.

The Fernwood Resort is located in the middle of Big Sur, about 30 miles south of Carmel.

Comfortable beds and hot tubs

The resort's rooms, while on the small side, are quite comfortable. The beds are very comfortable, the heating works well, and the shower is really hot. There's no heating in the bathroom though, so bring slippers in winter!

With winter damp, there is a little mildew around but not to the extent that it causes any problems. If you are very asthmatic, be forewarned. The first night's room had an electric space heater, luckily not to loud when running.

The second night, we stayed in a room with a hot tub. While it filled up, we had a drink in the bar. We came back 45 minutes later to be greeted by a big and very warm tub. Spending some time out there with another drink in the chill night air was great and is recommended.

This second room also had a gas stove for heating, pumping out as much warmth as you would ever need.

Check out the bar

Fernwood's bar seems to be the focal point of the local nightlife.

The first night we stayed was a Saturday and the bar was pretty full, even the Sunday night was busy until late. The Fernwood Tavern has a good selection of beers, some on tap, from both US micro brewers and imported drinks like Guinness or Newcastle Brown Ale. This is rounded out by a full bar and a decent selection of wines.

On Saturdays, they often have live acts on the small stage.

One issue with a hopping bar next to where you're staying is the noise as the place closes down. The first night we we're kept up by this old guy's idling truck for half an hour and I had to go out and tell him to get moving as he was keeping my fiancee and me awake!

Don't count on breakfast

The Fernwood Grill serves a selection of simple but well cooked foods. Mostly they serve comfort food such as burgers, salads or sandwiches. But if you're a little bit hungrier, you can get a selection of main meals like a barbeque plate, grilled salmon or large servings of pasta.

What you won't get is breakfast and you don't get told this when arriving! For breakfast, try one of the other places along this stretch of road. Another guest heartily recommended the Big Sur Bakery but we never had the chance to follow up on this.

The general store does have a few things, like pastries and coffee, if you're wanting a bit to eat. It also carries a range of camping equipment, alcohol, and general sundries you may have forgotten to pack.

Prices

Fernwood's room prices are moderate, ranging from about $90 for the basic room to $135 per night for a room with hot tub and gas fireplace.

The tavern and grill prices are fair as well, with food ranging from $7 to $20 and drinks are about $4-5.

What we thought

Overall, a few things could have been better. But, we were looking for something simple, comfortable and straightforward and we found it. Would have liked to see a breakfast service though, or a better selection of breakfast type foods in the general store and coffee shop as an alternative.

We recommend Fernwood resort as a nice place to stay while in Big Sur.