Monterey Area Attractions

Asilomar State Beach is a narrow one-mile strip of sandy beach and rocky coves. A 3/4-mile coast-walking trail is open to pedestrians. Bicycle riding is allowed on the paved road bike lane in close proximity to the trail. There are no restrooms or picnicking facilities at the state beach. Parking is available on Sunset Drive, the city street that runs parallel to the state beach. The coastal resources are protected. Asilomar State Beach is part of the Pacific Grove Fish Garden Refuge and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

A boardwalk across the sand dunes gives access to the Asilomar Conference Grounds.

For more information about this and other California State Parks, please go to: www.parks.ca.gov/

Pacific Grove, the city Asilomar resides in, is known locally as "America's Last Hometown." Its historic downtown boasts wonderful Victorian architecture, quaint shops, gourmet restaurants, delicious bakeries and galleries.

Pacific Grove stretches from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the 17 Mile Drive Gate. In between are Asilomar State Beach, Point Pinos Lighthouse, Victorian mansions and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, where the butterflies overwinter from October to March.

The Point Pinos Lighthouse is the oldest continuously-running lighthouse on the West Coast.

The 17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach (home of the famous "lone cypress tree"), much of which hugs the Pacific coastline. It also serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach.

For more information about Pacific Grove visit www.pacificgrove.org/.

For more information about the 17-mile drive visit www.beachcalifornia.com/17mile.html

Old Fisherman's Wharf in downtown Monterey should be on the "must-do" list of every visitor to the area. This is a great place to take in the sights and sounds and smells of Monterey. Because neighboring Wharf 2 is the heart of the area's thriving fishing industry, you can usually watch the working trawlers unloading the catch of the day. You can photograph sea lions and otters frolicking in the calm inner harbor waters, or if you're feeling more adventurous, take to the waters with a glass bottom boat tour, deep-sea fishing trip or whale watching tour.

The Cannery Row district was once the heart of a thriving sardine-packing industry, a time immortalized in John Steinbeck's novel, Cannery Row. Now a tourist's shopping paradise, you can still see signs of the former bustling industry in the various warehouses that now shelter shops selling Monterey souvenirs, restaurants and galleries. Cannery Row is also home to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, itself housed in the former Hovden Cannery.

Monterey Bay itself is twice as deep and as wide as the Grand Canyon, and is world-renowned for its wonderful mix of sea creatures. Along the bay is a trail that passes Lover's Point (see below), a perfect spot to watch playful sea otters and sea lions, and even a passing whale or two. At the northern most tip of the peninsula is Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continuously-running lighthouse on the West Coast.

The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail extends for about one mile from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to Lovers Point. The Pacific Grove section of the trail is part of the recreation trail network which runs from Marina to Pacific Grove. Formerly located on the Southern Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way, the trail has separate walking and cycling paths. It serves as a major walking, jogging, and bicycling route along the northeastern coastline of the city.

Located in Monterey's historic Cannery Row, right on the edge of beautiful Monterey Bay the aquarium offers a unique look at the beauty of marine life in nearly 200 galleries and exhibits. The centerpiece is its Outer Bay gallery with a million gallon indoor ocean, viewed through the largest window in the world.

Click here to visit The Monterey Bay Aquarium's website.

No visit to this region would be complete without a visit to Carmel by the Sea, CA. Famous for its world class shopping and galleries, Carmel is a gorgeous place to spend a day. Further inland is Carmel Valley, an enchanting combination of sunshine, countryside and the agricultural charms of rustic barns, fresh produce fields, vineyards and grazing animals.

Works of literary art created by Monterey County's favorite native son, Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, are on permanent display at this new museum in the heart of Salinas. Let the diverse, interactive exhibits take you into the heart of such novels as Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, and Cannery Row. Also featuring rotating art exhibits and a gourmet café.

Link to the Center here.