Where was Big Little Lies filmed? The House & ALL the Filming Locations

The cast of Big Little Lies is loaded with A-listers, but the HBO series has also made a star out of its setting: picture-perfect Monterey, Calif.

The coastal city — about two hours south of San Francisco — has seen its profile boosted by the award-winning drama, and the sleepy sites in the county have turned into tourist destinations.

Here are just a few of the real spots from the show you can visit — and some of the cast’s favorite local hangouts.

Bixby Bridge 

The stunning arch bridge featured in the show’s opening credits is actually located in Big Sur, 18 miles south of Monterey. Big Little Lies location manager Gregory Alpert suggests pulling off the highway just north of the bridge for the best photo op.

Big Little Lies Locations

It’s difficult to choose what is the most captivating element of HBO’s Big Little Lies, the gripping drama, the impressive cast of characters, or the astonishingly stunning scenery. The backdrop of Big Little Lies set in Monterey, California, showcasing pebbled beaches, monumental waves, breathtaking sunsets, opulent mansions, and picturesque beach town shots, appears so perfect it scarcely seems genuine. it isn’t a fabricated place or computer-generated imagery; many of the Big Little Lies filming locations are real and can be visited any time. 

Big Little Lies was primarily filmed in Monterey, California, a small coastal city not too distant from other prominent cities like San Francisco and Big Sur. The area houses beaches, wineries, organic restaurants, plentiful shopping opportunities, and of course a quintessentially exquisite Californian climate. 

It’s an admirable place to visit, particularly if you plan on embarking on a road trip; as Monterey County consists of Carmel Valley, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Big Sur, and many roads leading to uniquely beautiful sites. 

Take your holiday to the next level by making it a Big Little Lies filming locations tour! You never know: you might even get lucky and cross paths with the cast members.

Monterey Bay Aquarium 

Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley) gets a job here in season 2. It’s regularly named one of the world’s best aquariums for its Open Sea exhibit, kelp forest and resident “jellies.” The aquariumalso features heavily in the animated film Finding Dory. 

Lover’s Point Park 

The set for season 2’s Blissful Drip coffee shop was created on the scenic beach at this park in Pacific Grove, two miles from Monterey. While the structure has been dismantled, the beach is still worth a visit, as Nicole Kidman, who plays Celeste Wright, proves.

“Fun in Monterey and thank you to everyone for being so warm and welcoming to us all again (including the gulls),” she captioned an Instagram snapped at the spot.

Paluca Trattoria 

The show’s Blue Blues cafe set from season 1 was modeled after this popular eatery on Fisherman’s Wharf. The showrunners recreated the outdoor seating area on a soundstage in Hollywood, then layered in the real view from this scenic spot using a green screen, Alpert reveals.

Monterey Lanes 

Reese Witherspoon, who produced and starred in the series as Madeline Martha Mackenzie, joked she’d found “the only thing Meryl Streep isn’t good at” when the ladies bowled a few rounds at the lanes.

Portola Hotel and Spa 

Home to the cast and crew during filming, this Old Monterey establishment is steps away from Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row. For those looking for luxe relaxation, the property’s spa, Spa on the Plaza, is the largest day spa in Monterey County.

Happy Girl Kitchen 

Witherspoon dubbed this healthy cafe “the cutest place to eat in Monterey.” Her go-to drink: the lavender lemonade.

Kidman visited seafood spot Passionfish in Pacific Grove, and Alpert was so taken with Restaurant 1833’s (now closed) atmospheric outdoor space that it inspired the show’s Side Door Cafe set.

Point Lobos Natural Reserve 

The rocky bit of coastline located in Carmel-by-the-Sea appears in some of the show’s beach scenes. The sunset from this spot inspired Witherspoon to capture her own vista. “Monterey Nights,” she wrote on an Instagram post.

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Pacific Grove Golf Links 

And to cap off your day the Little Lies way? Go for a round of golf like the cast did. Witherspoon practiced her swing at the famous Pebble Beach with Laura Dern (Renata Klein), but nearby Pacific Grove Golf Links is open to the public.

The Big Little Lies houses

The women’s houses play an important role in defining the characters, as they match their socioeconomic status.

According to an interview in the New York Post with Greg Alpert, the series location manager, only Celeste and Perry’s mansion (Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård) is actually located in the Monterey area.

This incredible house is located at 40 Yankee Point Drive in Carmel Highlands, near the fictional Vin de Vie Restaurant featured in the 2022 movie All the Old Knives.

The splendid house by the beach of Madeline and Ed Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon and Adam Scottare) is located on Broad Beach Road in Malibú. (See video link above)

This is also the Fatal Affair house from the Netflix movie set in Oceancrest and the Hannah Montana’s villa used in the Disney series.

One of the series most luxurious homes is Renata and Gordon’s house (Laura Dern and Jeffrey Nordling), located on Winding Way also in Malibú.

Jane’s modest bungalow (Shailene Woodley) is located in Pasadena. The interiors of Celeste and Jane’s houses were recreated on soundstages in LA.

Some scenes of the theatre and the infamous stairs were filmed in Barnsdall Art Park at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The yoga studio is the Wanderlust Hollywood at 1357 Highland Avenue in Los Angeles..

Back to Monterey Peninsula, some scenes were filmed at Lovers Point Parkin Pacific Grove.