A variety of unforeseen circumstances have combined to provide for the unexpected availability of one of the most spectacular properties in all of Big Sur — America’s most majestic and magical community, designated by National Geographic Traveler as one of the “Places of a Lifetime” and also as one of the “World’s Great Places”. Historic Rancho Panacea, in the heart of Big Sur, is offered for sale for the first time in forty years, and priced for today’s market as a genuine bargain.
The grandeur of the glorious view of nearly fifty miles of the world-renowned Big Sur coastline is accented by the intimacy and power of many different white-water views from the tranquility of the expansive lawn, including stunning, direct views of the sand on legendary Pfeiffer Beach, which is just a short walk away. Pfeiffer Beach was used as a location for the Academy Award-winning film, The Sandpiper, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
The kaleidoscopic 360-degree purview of this sublime fifteen-acre treasure on Clear Ridge is truly captivating — including panoramic vistas of the Santa Lucia Mountains, inspiring sunsets into the ocean and astonishingly dramatic moonrises above nearby Mt. Manuel to the east. Another striking feature of the ethereal landscape is Pico Blanco, which the Esselen Indians considered to be a sacred mountain. Clear Ridge derives its name from usually being warmly bathed in the sun during the times when much of Big Sur is blanketed in fog. That priceless mystical view of the clouds, below, is otherworldly. Lillian Ross wrote that Big Sur is not just a special place, but also “a state of mind” and Life magazine described it as “a romantic world apart”.
A wide variety of wonderful animals, including deer and wild turkeys, freely roam the serenity of Rancho Panacea and Monarch butterflies sometimes cover an entire tree. Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and rare Condors soar serenely above and whale-watching from the lawn is utterly enthralling. The spacious lawn, occasionally graced by White Egrets, has been used as a helipad. The south-coast view of many successive headlands meeting the sea is the quintessential impression of Big Sur that’s so widely published. Poet Robinson Jeffers described it as “the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world.” These are among the countless distinctive elements that combine to provide a cathartic and unrivaled daily drama of constantly changing ambience, with indescribable emotional impact.
Rancho Panacea is a portion of a Spanish Land Grant, and within the original 1869 Homestead claim of Big Sur pioneer and cattle rancher, Michael Pfeiffer. It adjoins the magnificent Los Padres National Forest, near the Ventana Wilderness. The forested slopes on the east side of the property that descend to a marvelous canyon include an enormous oak tree, adjacent to the road, which was made famous by George Sudworth when he described it, individually, as a notable specimen in his landmark book, Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope (1908). Stately Redwoods and evocative Monterey Cypress trees also embellish the rolling hillsides of enchanting Rancho Panacea, the source of seasonal Cypress Creek which flows to the ocean. Some of the slopes would be ideal for a vineyard or an orchard.
The owner of this dazzling property, broadly situated on both sides of a private gated road, was granted a Coastal Development Permit for a large main residence and garage for two cars and a motorhome, as well as a caretaker’s house and its two-car garage. The infrastructure for this ultimate environment is already in place, including underground utilities and phone lines, satellite TV and Internet, septic system and a 15,000-gallon storage tank with water from the community system.
There are no “comps” that bear any relevance to this exquisite property, which is so extraordinary in so many ways. Rancho Panacea is truly unique, and fully lives up to its name. There's nothing like it that's available anywhere, at any price. This is an extremely rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for the discerning person who understands the things in life that really matter, to own a world-class piece of Mother Earth, and finish developing this very private sanctuary to fulfill his own dreams.
$4,500,000.