New Camaldoli Hermitage occupies a dramatic property on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean on the Big Sur coast of California, about 75 miles south of Monterey. The community is Camaldolese Benedictine, a branch of the Benedictine tradition that emphasizes the eremitic (hermit) life alongside the cenobitic (community) form. The hermitage was founded in 1958 as a North American foundation of the Italian Camaldolese Order, which traces back to St. Romuald (c. 951-1027 CE), an Italian Benedictine reformer who emphasized the integration of monastic community with periods of solitary hermit practice. The Big Sur setting is one of the most dramatic of any contemplative retreat property in North America. The hermitage sits at roughly 1,300 feet above the Pacific, with the cliff falling steeply away to the ocean and the Santa Lucia Range rising behind. The setting itself shapes the contemplative experience in ways the community openly acknowledges: the silence and the visible Pacific are part of the practice. The hermitage is unusual among US Catholic contemplative communities in maintaining the full eremitic emphasis. Resident monks live in individual hermit cells (small cabins) on the property and gather for the liturgy of the hours and the Eucharist, but spend substantial time in solitary prayer and work. Guests on retreat typically stay in private hermit-style cells offered for retreatant use, replicating the eremitic form: silent solitary residence with access to the community's liturgy. The Camaldolese tradition's combination of community and solitude gives Big Sur retreats a distinctive character. Retreats are largely self-directed silent stays. Retreatants follow the rhythm of the community's liturgy if they choose, eat meals in the silent retreat dining room or self-cater in their cells, and use the time for their own contemplative practice. The community's bookstore and publishing arm (Source Books, formerly Hermitage Books) has been one of the more notable Catholic contemplative publishers, particularly for Bruno Barnhart's writings on contemplative theology before his death in 2015. Father Cyprian Consiglio has been a prominent contemporary teacher in the community, drawing on interreligious dialogue with Hindu and Buddhist contemplative traditions in line with the broader Camaldolese openness.
Retreats are largely self-directed silent stays. Retreatants follow their own contemplative practice in the privacy of their cell, joining the community's liturgy of the hours (Vigils, Lauds, Mass, Vespers, Compline) if and when they choose. Meals are taken in silence in the retreat dining room or self-catered in the cells, depending on the retreat plan. Walking on the cliff property and the surrounding monastic grounds is encouraged. Brief individual conversation with a monk is available if requested. The form is the traditional Camaldolese eremitic retreat, less programmed than Centering Prayer or other structured Christian contemplative retreats.
The teaching line is the Camaldolese Benedictine tradition descending from St. Romuald and the broader Benedictine contemplative life. The Camaldolese reform emphasizes integration of cenobitic community life with substantial eremitic (hermit) practice. The Italian mother house at Camaldoli in Tuscany continues to be the principal site of the order; New Camaldoli at Big Sur is the North American foundation. Father Cyprian Consiglio is among the prominent contemporary teachers in the community.
Practitioners drawn to substantial silent solitary retreat in private hermit cells, with the community's liturgy available but not centrally structured into the day.
Contemplatives drawn to the dramatic Pacific cliff setting and the integration of natural landscape with contemplative practice.
Practitioners drawn to the interreligious dialogue tradition in the Camaldolese community, particularly Cyprian Consiglio's work with Hindu and Buddhist contemplative traditions in conversation with Christian contemplative practice.
Arrival is up the steep cliff road from Highway 1. Retreatants check in at the bookstore or office and are oriented to the property and the daily schedule. Cells are private hermit-style cabins with basic furnishings (bed, desk, prayer space) and views of the Pacific. Meals are simple and vegetarian-accommodating, taken in silence. The cliff setting is exposed; weather can shift quickly with fog, sun, and Pacific wind. The hermitage is donation-based for self-directed stays; structured programs have published fees.
Lodging is in private hermit-style cells (small cabins) scattered across the property, each with basic furnishings and Pacific views. Bathrooms may be attached or shared. Meals are taken in the retreat dining room or self-catered, depending on the cell arrangement. The chapel and bookstore are accessible to retreatants. Walking grounds extend across the cliff property with paths to overlooks. The setting is exposed Pacific cliff, with significant weather changes possible.
Self-directed stays are donation-based; the hermitage publishes a suggested daily rate (historically around USD 90 per night) but operates with significant flexibility for retreatants who cannot pay the suggested amount. Structured retreats and programs have published fees, typically USD 200 to 800. Travel to the Big Sur coast (about 90 minutes from Monterey or three hours from San Francisco) is on the retreatant. The community is supported by retreat fees, donor support, and the bookstore/publishing operation.
Camaldolese Benedictine hermits on a Big Sur cliff, with private hermit cells looking out at the Pacific.
A small private cabin on the monastery property, typically with basic furnishings (bed, desk, prayer space, sometimes a small kitchen and bathroom) and a window or porch with view of the Pacific. Retreatants stay in their cell for the duration of their retreat, joining the community's liturgy if they choose. The eremitic form is central to the Camaldolese tradition.
The hermitage is on Highway 1 in Big Sur, about 90 minutes south of Monterey or three hours south of San Francisco. The road from Highway 1 up to the hermitage is steep and requires careful driving. Most retreatants drive their own vehicles. The setting is remote with limited cell service.
Self-directed stays are donation-based with a suggested daily rate. The hermitage operates with flexibility for retreatants who cannot pay the suggested amount and is committed to welcoming serious contemplatives without financial barrier where possible. Structured retreats and programs have published fees with separate scholarship arrangements.
No. The hermitage welcomes contemplatives from across Christian denominations and from non-Christian backgrounds drawn to silent contemplative retreat in the Camaldolese eremitic form. The community's interreligious dialogue tradition makes it open to practitioners from Buddhist, Hindu, and other contemplative traditions, alongside Catholic and broader Christian retreatants.
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