So without walking very far there are already two locations with great backdrops for your photos: Pacific Ocean and Carmel River. What makes this beach unique is not only the river, but also its proximity to the hiking trails at Carmel Meadows. The rugged beach also makes for dramatic proposal or engagement photos. You really can’t go wrong if you’re looking for incredible backgrounds for your images. Definitely worth the price of a photography permit.
The easily accessible beach is located right off Highway 1 on Jetty Rd. As soon as you turn onto Jetty Road you’ll want to slow down immediately because you are now in otter country (plus there’s speed humps). Moss Landing may in fact be the otter capital of the world. In fact, if you’re not sick of otters by the end of this blog I’ll be surprised.
Before I go any further I must state that at Lover’s Point there will always be a seagull or there will always be a squirrel. Now that that’s out of the way, this lovely half park, half beach is a top choice for photo sessions. Nestled between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and 17 Mile Drive, Lover’s Point is possibly Pacific Grove’s top attraction (although I’m sure some monarch butterflies will have a say about that).
To get there, you have to park in an obscure dirt parking lot with no signage on the side of Highway 1. Once you leave the parking lot towards the south you have to cross the old railroad tracks which leads you to a fork in the road. If you go right you can walk out to the cliff edge and look out over the Pacific, 70 feet above the waves.
Above the rest. Revolving around you.
