Monterey highlight
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
A state natural reserve 550 acres in size on the central coast between Carmel and Big Sur, known for its marine habitats, Monterey Cypress trees, and the landscape artist's description of it as 'the greatest meeting of land and water in the world.'
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve sits on the Pacific coast between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur in Monterey County, protecting 550 acres of land and 775 additional acres of marine habitat. The reserve combines terrestrial and marine ecosystems and encompasses one of the richest marine habitats on the California coast, with extensive kelp forests and diverse wildlife including harbor seals, sea otters, and cormorants.
The reserve is one of only two places in the world where Monterey Cypress trees grow naturally, and is renowned as one of the finest scuba diving locations on the California coast. The Whalers Cabin museum within the reserve documents the area's whaling and fishing heritage. Landscape artist Francis McComas famously called it 'the greatest meeting of land and water in the world,' and the reserve attracts over one million visitors annually, testament to its natural beauty.
For families in Monterey and the surrounding coastal region, Point Lobos represents what many are working to preserve: a place where the natural and human worlds meet, where children can learn, where the seasons turn. Protecting that future through life insurance planning—ensuring that a family can maintain its home and community if an income is lost—is as practical and forward-looking as any conservation effort.