BIG SUR IS NOT A TOWN, but a 90-mile stretch of rugged coastline off California's famously stunning Highway 1. It's a place that perennially draws mystics, artisans and those just anxious to drop out of the rat race and set up shop-and it's best enjoyed with a slack agenda. Here are a few great options to take it easy.

STAY THE NIGHT At DEETJEN'S BIG SUR INN (48865 Hwy. 1, 831-667-2377, deetjens.com), the beauty lies in what hasn't been done to the National Historic Site. Grandpa Deetjen built this homestead in the 1930s as a stopover for weary travellers on the coastal wagon route, and it still makes you want to find a hitching post for your horse. Take a cozy table in the wood-clad restaurant-that kind of authentic rustic that big-city restaurants try to mimic-and try the crusted lamb with spicy yogurt sauce. Your room for the night also speaks of familiar charms, with its redwood walls, antique furnishings and roaring fire. In the morning, take a leisurely bike ride to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where a waterfall cascades to the beaches below.

TAKE A HIKE There's no shortage of epic, easy-access trails in the area. THE BUZZARD'S ROOST TRAIL AT PFEIFFER BIG SUR STATE PARK (800-777-0369, parks.ca.gov) is a good climb to a reverie-inspiring vista, with plenty of swimming holes en route, and HEADLANDS TRAIL IN ANDREW MOLERA STATE PARK offers an easy walk to the point where the Big Sur River flows to sea. For an après-hike lunch, you can't do better than a burger at NEPENTHE RESTAURANT (48510 Hwy. 1, 831-667-2345, nepenthebigsur.com), family-owned since 1949. Order a glass of Patz & Hall pinot noir at the wrap-around bar, and enjoy the view of 50 miles of coastline.

A QUICK DIP This may be the Platonic ideal of massage: at ESALEN SPA (55000 Hwy. 1, 831-667-3000, esalen.org), the famed retreat for those seeking enlightenment, crashing waves below deliver the soundtrack as you're being unknotted on the outdoor sundeck or in a glass room above the sea. Linger in cliff-perched hot springs, where swimsuits are optional. For stargazing skinny dippers, the baths are open to the public from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., but reservations are necessary. ANIMAL ATTRACTION Elephant seals got their name for a reason: these majestic beasts with trunk-like snouts can weigh up to 2,250 kilograms. From mid-March to mid-September, they congregate en masse on the local beaches to suntan and moult. Don't be fooled by their apparent laziness: the adolescent males will rouse to spar in dramatic mock-fights. You can watch these amazing creatures in their natural habitat in the rookery right off the highway (805-924-1628, elephantseal.org), even in off months. wl