This Has It All
by PorkTeriyaki
This long pier is crammed with restaurants & shops. From here you can catch boat rides for whale watching & other water tours. Sea lions & other wildlife congregate here, so it's a good spot for nature watching. When fishermen come in & cut up their catch, pelicans & seagulls jostle for the scraps. It's a fun place for the whole family. The nearby Custom House Plaza contains two museums. To the east is Del Monte Beach, one very long strip of sand with plenty of room for many activities.
By bike!
by squidly2
If you live close enough, throw the bikes in the car, otherwise you can rent them at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove or Cannery Row. There is a bike/recreation trail that goes for miles along the Monterey coast.
For a quick trip, here is the best section: Del Monte Beach (approximately the intersection of Camino Aguajito and Del Monte Ave) to Asilomar Beach. It is about 6 miles (10 km for you metric types!!) long, or 12 miles roundtrip and fairly flat. It is right along the ocean, goes by Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, Lovers Point... I live here and it never gets old..
There are 2 shops that rent various type of bikes, including the 4-person surreys.
Use a search engine to find "Adventures by the Sea"; I'll put the other website below.
Surfer Culture
by Ewingjr98
Monterey has a few popular surfing areas, certainly none better than Asilomar State Beach at the Pacific Grove-Pebble Beach border. On weekends, you will often find the roadside pull offs lined with cars and as many as 100 surfers in the water in an area known as Spanish Bay.
Other areas around Monterey to surf include Moss Landing, Carmel Beach, a few spots along 17 Mile Drive, and novices sometimes go to the Del Monte Beach near the Best Western where the waves are gentle. The popular surfing spots in the area are at Santa Cruz on the north side of the bay.
Here's a surfer dude's description of the area: "The Monterey Peninsula is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world. It's as if God the Landscape Architect smoked a big fattie and decided to do it all just right. He came up with a world-class montage of rocks, ocean, trees and sky. There are million-dollar houses overlooking world-class golf courses overlooking the prettiest coastline you will see anywhere, all lit up by that slanting north Central California light and cloud. He didn't forget to throw in some surf, and if you look carefully along this rocky coast, you will find surf that ranges from beginner to world-class."
4th of July in Monterey
by Ewingjr98
Monterey's Independence Day celebration is a day-long event featuring a flag raising ceremony at Colton Hall, a parade through downtown, a lawn party and barbecue, and the fireworks show over the Monterey Bay.
While most people crowd into Del Monte Beach to watch the fireworks, there are a few less crowded areas. We watched from the Lower Presidio Historic Park and there were perhaps 200 others on this hillside overlooking the harbor. The other great views are from Jacks Peak County Park.
WARNING: Traffic after the 4th of July fireworks is ridiculous. Luckily I live in town and walked to the fireworks so I avoided the congestion, but I saw it first hand. After the fireworks ended around 9:45pm we went and hung out at a local bar along Lighthouse Ave in New Monterey. A few beers later, it was 11:30 and we were walking home... traffic was still bumper-to-bumper heading into downtown from Pacific Grove. Whatever you do, don't park in PG unless you are driving out the next day!
Ali's Home in Monterey
by ali21
I've lived in Monterey for about four years. The best beaches to vist are Asilomar and Del Monte Beach. There you can see otters, seals, dolphins and in the right seasons, whales.
Photos
Del Monte Beach
Del Monte Beach
Monterey's Del Monte Beach
Del Monte Beach
Forum Posts
Accomodation
by GUYON
Do you know or have you a personal experience of these accomodations :
- Del Monte Beach Inn - 1110 Del Monte Avenue Monterey
- Sand Dollar Inn 755 Abrego St., Monterey, CA
The last one is presented as being in the city center. This location is not verified on the map.
Thanks
RAY
Re: Accomodation
by Agraichen
Ray, you're just tearing up the town on the coast of CA. Will you be getting to the SF or Napa areas too?
I've stayed in the DelMonte but it was years ago. Most any of the motels on Munras Ave are fine (if they have a AAA accredidation).
The Sand Dollar is at the end of the street close to Fremont. If I recall that area is "ok" There is also the Casa Munrus just a block away. It was nothing to write home about, but it was clean. But again I've not been there in a couple years.
Both sides of the street are pretty much motels on Munras ave...
The place I prefer is in Carmel - Inns by the Seat on 4th Ave
Carmel-By-the-Sea, CA 93923
Tel: (831) 624-0101
Re: Accomodation
by Jeannette1
I checked my trusted AAA book and the Sand Dollar is one of their recommendations for a motel.
It has a 2 diamond rating (one being the cheapest and 5 being top luxury hotels). It says it's within walking distance from the wharf. 63 rooms, free parking, pool and hot tub.
www.sanddollarinn.com
The other hotel is not in the AAA book, so I would book the Sand Dollar.
Anything recommended by AAA is pretty good.
And don't forget to ask if they have senior citizen discounts. A lot of hotels and restaurants give a discount if you are over 55.
Jeannette
Re: Re: Accomodation
by GUYON
Ray, you're just tearing up the town on the coast of CA. Will you be getting to the SF or Napa areas too?
SF yes. I have already found an accomodation : Olympic hotel 140 Mason st .
Have you an other suggestion ?
Napa area no
best hikes along the pch btw LA and SF
by fish72
where are the very best hikes. can be difficult, doesnt matter. we'd rather stick to areas known NOT to have mountain lions or other potentially life threatening wildlife. thanks!
RE: best hikes along the pch btw LA and SF
by squidly2
I'm excited to see the other answers, but here's my favorite short hikes in the Monterey/Big Sur area:
Point Lobos SP: Bird Island trail, Sea Lion point trail (but it's all beautiful) (around 3 miles)
Big Sur area: Soberanos Point (1.5 miles)
Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP (also in Bug Sur -- this is different than Pfeiffer Big Sur!): McWay Falls ((easy, about 1 mile)
Henry Cowell SP (near Santa Cruz): Redwood Grove Loop trail (like Pt. Lobos, park outside for free and walk in) easy, about 1 mile.
If your thinking of renting bikes at all, the stretch from Asilomar beach to Del Monte beach in Monterey is flat and beautiful. (maybe 10 miles RT, depending where you turn around.)
If you need more specifics I can provide them, I think you can find most with a search engine, though.
RE: best hikes along the pch btw LA and SF
by bruingirl
There are tons of great hikes in the Santa Monica mtns! Circle X Ranch has a great hike that will end up at the highest point of the SM Mtns! It's just off of PCH, down a road just north of Neptune's Net (a bikers' lunch spot). You have to go inland about 2 miles and you'll see the trailhead b/c there's a big dirt "parking lot". About 1200 elevation gain over 3 miles or so....it's pretty easy, but a great hike w/ great scenery! It's a loop. Topanga Canyon has great hikes. PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) runs pretty much all along the mtns off of PCH.
www.localhikes.com
RE: best hikes along the pch btw LA and SF
by bruingirl
Oh yes, Point Lobos is a MUST. More of a nature hike though....BEAUTIFUL!!!! The whole area from Monterey through Big Sur is just amazing!
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