Our Story


Harvested straight from the coastline, Big Sur Salts is pure California sea salt. Sourced exclusively from the area, our culinary craft salt and salt blends truly represent Big Sur in color, taste and aroma.

Salt crystal harvested from Big Sur Salts salt farm

The drive south on Hwy 1 toward Big Sur is a feast for the eyes. Even if you have never visited, you can experience the magic of this region within our craft salts. It’s like you’re taking home a piece of Big Sur. With many names that reflect locations around Big Sur, our salts are a reminder of how special it is here.

Big Sur

The Big Sur coast of California is a large, sparsely populated region where lush riparian woodlands meet jagged coastline, babbling brooks flow through foggy Redwood forests, and gusts of wind mix salty ocean air with the scent of coniferous forests. A visit to Big Sur is a spiritual awakening; you enter the same sacred land where the Ohlone and other native tribes once gathered mussels and abalone and later, where poets and writers of the 1960s traveled in pursuit of nature’s revelation.

Salt farm on the cliffs of Big Sur

It is the all-encompassing experience; raw, rejuvenating smells, spectacular landscapes and thundering ocean. Carlo Overhulser was taking it all in the day he dreamed up Big Sur Salts.

A simple beginning--ocean water in a beer bottle--manifested his obsession; harvesting and creating these salt blends in a sometimes adventurous, ever passionate, and meticulous process. The resulting product is something magical; a way to enjoy the sensory pleasures of this bountiful natural resource without stepping foot - or leaving a footprint.

Stewardship

The land of Big Sur is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and the waters are part of a Marine Protected Area. Our salt is as pristine as the vibrant ocean you see here. When purchasing this product, your money not only goes to organizations that defend the future of Big Sur, it also goes to local farmers and small businesses supporting the local economy without leaving a trace. To taste this salt is to appreciate Big Sur and support its preservation.

"His salt is saltier than anyone else's in the world - I guess because it’s so pure and so fresh."
-Executive Chef Matthew Beaudin, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sea otters off the Big Sur coast