Monterey (California)

Monterey is a city (population 28,000 in 2018) in the Monterey County area of Monterey Bay in California. Monterey is one of the more beautiful coastal cities of California, and then a historic city can make for a great two-day trip for those visiting San Francisco or a weekend getaway for California natives. It has more historic buildings in its downtown than any other city west of Santa Fe, and a world-class aquarium.

Understand


Monterey was once the capital of California. Today it is widely known for its beautiful coastline, and from the many John Steinbeck novels set there, including Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat.

Rugged terrain and vicious Pacific currents made much of the California coast virtually unexplorable to European ships. After a disastrous attempt to explore this new territory by sea, Spanish missionaries in Mexico launched a series of overland expeditions from San Diego. Monterey was established in 1770 by Father Junipero Serra and soon became a Spanish military base with a small fort or "presidio" located near a calm harbor that could provide shelter to supply ships. The military presence eventually gave way to a thriving commercial trade that brought in many enterprising foreign merchants.

Once Mexico gained its independence from Spain, Monterey became the capital of Alta California under Mexican rule. From this era come many classic stories of flirtation, fashion, and politics in the Mexican colonial era. Lands once owned by the government began to come into private hands, and local families began to consolidate their property and power into business enterprises based on the ranches or "ranchos," where they raised cattle or invented the famous Monterey Jack cheese.

Monterey soon fell under American power in the Mexican-American War and remained the capital of the territory. A delegation of writers drafted the constitution which marked the entrance of the State of California into the United States of America. This era saw the mass northward migration of ambitious people in search of gold, which led to a near desertion of the town. Monterey soon recovered, however, and today is known for its magnificent natural beauty, world famous Aquarium, and temperate year-round climate.

The Monterey Peninsula has the largest population of sea otters on the California coast. The abundance of marine wildlife visible from the shoreline is one of the primary attractions of the region. Seals, sea lions, and sea otters are visible year-round, and migrating whales are commonly seen in the fall and spring months.

Alvarado Street serves as downtown Monterey's "main drag." It has superb restaurants, a selection of bars, and unique shops.

By plane

 * Due to the high fares and limited schedules, you may want to consider flying into San Jose International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, and travelling by bus or car to Monterey. The Monterey Airbus provides scheduled service from both airports.
 * Due to the high fares and limited schedules, you may want to consider flying into San Jose International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, and travelling by bus or car to Monterey. The Monterey Airbus provides scheduled service from both airports.

By car

 * California 1.svg (the Pacific Coast Highway) runs through Monterey, providing access from the north Santa Cruz (50 minutes), and from the south along the world-famous Big Sur coast.
 * US 101.svg to California 156.svg From the San Francisco Bay Area, take US 101 south through San Jose and Gilroy to State Highway 156, going west at Prunedale (inland of Monterey Bay, north of Salinas). Go west  on State Highway 156 (a two-lane highway that often gets congested on touristy weekends) through Castroville, at which point State Highway 156 becomes a freeway and shortly thereafter merges with southbound Highway 1. Monterey is then  south along Highway 1.

If heading to Cannery Row or the Aquarium, look for brown signs that advise which exit to take. (If Highway 1 has ceased to be a freeway, you've gone past Monterey and are near Carmel.)


 * California 17.svg From the San Francisco Bay Area, internet map sites, mapping software, and GPS systems will advise you to take State Route 17 to Santa Cruz and then State Route 1 south. Although State Route 17 through the Santa Cruz Mountains is shorter than US 101, it is filled with sharp curves and corners, is often highly congested, and accident-prone, so may actually take longer to drive than Highway 101, and certainly is a more stressful drive. At uncongested times and in good weather, SR 17 can be enjoyable, but otherwise opt for US 101 and State Route 156.
 * California 1.svg Alternatively, for a more scenic but even slower route from San Francisco, you can take State Route 1 all the way along the coast to Monterey from San Francisco. The difference in driving time, compared to taking US 101, is about a half hour, but the ocean-side scenery makes that worth it, particularly if there isn't fog along the coast.
 * US 101.svg to California 68.svg From the south, take US 101 north to Salinas, then State Route 68 west to Monterey.

Again, for a scenic but slower route, you can take State Route 1 along the coast north to Monterey through Big Sur. That route is extraordinarily scenic but also full of very tight turns and a lot of stretches that require patient, careful driving. From Morro Bay (on the Pacific Ocean, to the west of San Luis Obispo), the drive to Monterey through Big Sur takes, in good driving conditions, about a half hour longer than going via Salinas and US 101. But the Big Sur coastal route should be avoided if there is any chance of fog, or in darkness—it's just too twisty, with too many dropoffs, to be advisable for drivers unfamiliar with the route, in adverse driving conditions. In the winter rainy season, it is always wise to check to make sure that the Big Sur route is open to through traffic—occasionally, a rock slide will close the road for a short period.

Despite Monterey's popularity, all of the above routes will require you to traverse a two-lane road section at some point: State Route 1 between just south of Watsonville and Castroville, State Route 156 between Prunedale and Castroville, State Route 68 between Salinas and Monterey, or State Route 1 from most of the way from Morro Bay up to Carmel. Because the Monterey Peninsula is so popular with tourists, all of those roads are often busy with traffic, particularly on weekends, which means there is a higher risk of traffic delays and even of head-on crashes. No matter which route you take, drive with caution.

By train
Amtrak's Coast Starlight train stops in Salinas. From the Salinas transit center, take the Monterey-Salinas Transit route 21 or 56 to Monterey. Amtrak runs a Thruway bus service from the station to the major hotels of Monterey and on to Carmel.

Get around


For car drivers, garage parking is available, and street parking is often free for periods of two hours on weekends and after 6PM. Many hotels offer parking for an additional charge. The Cannery Row area (where the Aquarium is located) has an aggressive, expensive parking ticket policy. A few minutes over at a meter and you will be welcomed to town with a $35 parking ticket.

See






Do

 * Play on the dunes and the shore at one of the city's five public beaches. Enjoy a romantic or family style Monterey bonfire on the beach.
 * Several companies offer year-round whale watching boat tours, departing daily from Fisherman's Wharf. The area is particularly famous for sightings of gray whales as they travel to warmer waters during the winter and early spring.
 * Get your wet suit on and go scuba diving. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has the most amazing kelp forests on the West Coast, and an incredible collection of marine life.
 * Get a panoramic view of the Monterey Bay (and Carmel to the south) from, the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula and amazingly free of crowds.
 * Golf at the local public courses, , . If you're lucky, you might be able to get a tee time at the world-renowned Pebble Beach.
 * Find out about upcoming events on the events calendar of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
 * Several companies offer year-round whale watching boat tours, departing daily from Fisherman's Wharf. The area is particularly famous for sightings of gray whales as they travel to warmer waters during the winter and early spring.
 * Get your wet suit on and go scuba diving. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has the most amazing kelp forests on the West Coast, and an incredible collection of marine life.
 * Get a panoramic view of the Monterey Bay (and Carmel to the south) from, the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula and amazingly free of crowds.
 * Golf at the local public courses, , . If you're lucky, you might be able to get a tee time at the world-renowned Pebble Beach.
 * Find out about upcoming events on the events calendar of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
 * Golf at the local public courses, , . If you're lucky, you might be able to get a tee time at the world-renowned Pebble Beach.
 * Find out about upcoming events on the events calendar of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
 * Find out about upcoming events on the events calendar of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

Eat
The local specialties are artichokes and sanddabs. Artichokes can be found at nearly every restaurant - fried, grilled, broiled, boiled, in soup, on pizza and almost any other way you can imagine. The nearby town of Castroville is "the artichoke center of the world," and the local source for the wealth of artichokes. Sanddabs are a local seafood, often served fried. Clam Chowder in sourdough bread can be found at Fisherman´s Wharf. Abalone is available, too, but expensive. The area is notable for other seafood delicacies, including calamari and Dungeness crab.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium runs a "Seafood Watch" program, and keeps a list of which sea life is overfished and which are safe, and environmentally friendly, to eat. Pick a copy of the list up at the Aquarium, or around town. Many local restaurants have signed on to the Seafood Watch program.

Monterey's status as a tourist destination have provided it with a wealth of restaurants beyond what might be expected in a community this size. Almost every cuisine, from oriental to occidental, may be found represented - and usually represented well - in the local area, including the neighbouring communities of Pacific Grove, Seaside, and Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Carmel Valley.



Drink
Monterey has many superb vineyards located near the town. There are a number of tasting rooms located on Cannery Row, all within an easy walk. Some, such as and  provide wines from only one winery. allows visitors to try wines from throughout Monterey County, while taking in a spectacular panoramic view of Monterey Bay through their windows.

Monterey-Salinas Transit's bus route Number 24, also called "The Grapevine Express", leaves from downtown Monterey and stops at all the wineries in nearby Carmel Valley. A daypass, which allows riders to hop on and off at will, is $10 as of May 2020. Maps and schedules, which detail the wineries that the route stops at, are available at Monterey County Visitors Centers.

Alvarado Street has the densest collection of bars and pubs in the area.



Stay safe
Monterey is a safe, low-crime town and you should have no issues during your visit. However, if you plan on scuba diving or surfing while you're here, a wetsuit is a must as the ocean tends to be very cold year-round. Additionally, while shark attacks are rare, they have occurred before. Stay vigilant while enjoying the ocean!



Go next



 * Carmel - southwest of Monterey, Carmel is a beautiful oceanside town that is home to the historic Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, several large beaches, excellent restaurants and an abundance of upscale lodging. It borders the iconic Pebble Beach golf course and is the entry point to the 17-mile drive and its dramatic ocean views.
 * Salinas - inland, fans of Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck will want to visit the National Steinbeck Center and soak in the sights that were the inspiration for much of the author's work. The historic downtown dates back to the town's founding in the mid-1800s, while the surrounding countryside is filled with vineyards and both floral and vegetable cultivation.  Events include the California Rodeo, which is held during the third week of July.
 * Pacific Grove - adjacent to Monterey, Pacific Grove is a beautiful town that is home to the oldest continually operated lighthouse on the West Coast, and more Victorian homes per capita than anywhere else in America. It is also the northern gateway of the scenic 17-Mile Drive. The town's rocky coastline is filled with tide pools that are easy to explore, seals, sea otters and sea lions are commonly seen in the waters, and adding to its bounty of natural riches, in the winter thousands of monarch butterflies gather in a grove at the town's center.
 * Seaside - neighboring Monterey to the northeast, Seaside is most often visited by those looking for lodging or restaurants close to the town of Monterey. However, the town does have a few attractions of its own, including the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Courses, part of the former Fort Ord military base, which hosted the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship.  The town is also home to Sand City, an artist community within the city limits that hosts an arts festival each August.