Go There: How to Spend a Weekend in Monterey, CA
Explore Monterey, CA's breathtaking beauty and rich cultural heritage through a curated weekend guide to help you make the most of your coastal getaway.
Monterey is in the heart of California’s central coast, a few hours south of San Francisco. Thanks to its temperate Mediterranean climate, abundance of wildlife, and beautiful beaches, it’s a great destination any time of year. Whether you’re a history buff, literature lover or outdoor enthusiast, Monterey has something for you.
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What to do in Monterey, CA
Monterey has long been an inspiration to artists of all kinds. Writer Robert Louis Stevenson reportedly based Treasure Island on the wild coastline near Monterey, and the two-story adobe building he stayed in while in Monterey is now fittingly called Stevenson House. It’s open for guided tours twice a day on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s also a stop along the Monterey Bay State Historic Park’s “Path of History” — an approximately two-mile self-guided walking tour of many of Monterey’s most historic buildings, like the Old Whaling Station, which has one of the country’s last remaining whalebone sidewalks. The walk also takes you past the Monterey Museum of Art, with exhibits featuring California artists.
Monterey made a profound impression on John Steinbeck. He helped make Cannery Row one of America’s most famous streets with tales of the characters he met along the oceanfront. While the canneries are long gone, Cannery Row is still home to Pacific Biological Laboratories, once owned by Ed Ricketts, who inspired the character “Doc” in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row.
Along with Doc’s lab and several souvenir stores, Cannery Row has many specialty shops, including Carmel Honey Company and the Monterey Peninsula Art Foundation gallery. For a fun twist on Monterey’s history, Treasure Hunt: The Ride is an interactive pirate-themed attraction that’s part ride, part game — perfect for families.
A big part of what makes Monterey so magical is its location at the southern end of Monterey Bay, with a deep canyon just offshore. That unique geography makes for an impressively diverse ecosystem, perhaps best appreciated by a whale-watching tour. Year-round, you’re nearly guaranteed to see whales, from humpbacks to grey whales, and you’ll also see dolphins, sea lions and more. Monterey Bay Whale Watch, which launches from Old Fisherman’s Wharf, has marine biologists onboard to help you learn about the bay during your trip.
If you want to get out on the water on your own power, Adventures by the Sea has kayaks and paddleboards for rent and guided tours — no experience needed! As you paddle, you’ll see sea otters, pelicans, cormorants, and other wildlife, and you’ll enjoy a unique view of Monterey.
But you don’t have to go out on a boat to spot wildlife. Walk or bike along the popular paved Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, which runs 18 miles from Castroville to the north through Monterey to Pacific Grove, and you’ll spot harbor seals and sea lions hauled out on the beach or congregated just offshore. The trail runs parallel to Cannery Row and gives you easy access to many of Monterey’s beaches and attractions. If you want to have a good time as you explore, Big Sur Adventures near the aquarium rents e-bikes for half a day or a full day.
Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium to get up close with all manner of sea creatures. Plan to spend at least a few hours there; they have over 200 exhibits, including shy great Pacific octopuses, mesmerizing jellyfish, and charismatic sea otters. There are entertaining and educational programs throughout the day and a large section for kids with touchpools and interactive activities.
Where to Eat and Drink in Monterey, CA
The geography of Monterey Bay helps create microclimates that allow for over 30 wine varietals to thrive in Monterey County, and several area wineries have tasting rooms on Cannery Row. A Taste of Monterey pours local wines by the glass and by flight, and The Wine Experience, where you can create your own blend, along with tastings. If you want to combine your dining and drinking with learning about local history, Monterey Bay Food Tours runs a 3.5-hour tour with five or six stops to enjoy some highlights of Monterey’s food and drinks scene.
First Awakenings has an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch, with an impressive array of omelet options and gourmet pancakes made from scratch. For something a bit lighter, Parker-Lusseau Pastries, in an adobe building from the 1800s, makes tasty tarts, cakes, and quiches. If you’re a coffee lover, Tidal Coffee is a must. Their flagship coffee house overlooks the water, and along with their locally roasted, artisanal coffee, they serve breakfast burritos, paninis, pastries, and gelato. And if you want to picnic on the beach, Compagno’s Market & Deli has massive (and massively tasty!) sandwiches, big enough for two.
When it comes to dinner, Alvarado Street Brewery in historic downtown has award-winning craft beer along with classic pub grub, like cheeseburgers, and more specialized dishes, like lobster ravioli. Off the tourist path is Kona Steak & Seafood, which is all about delicious Hawaiian Asian fusion food. And if you want to go all out, try Coastal Kitchen. The seasonally changing five-course tasting menu showcases the best of the region’s ingredients, with dishes like wood-roasted local black cod and 48-hour braised beef short rib. It also has amazing views of the water from the floor to the ceiling of the windows.
Where to Stay in Monterey, CA
Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly boutique hotel or an oceanfront splurge, Monterey has you covered. The fireplaces at Hotel Abrego help make you feel super cozy — it can get chilly in Monterey! Hotel 1110 is a quirky adults-only 17-room boutique hotel with a rooftop bar. Spindrift Inn on Cannery Row has free wine and cheese in the afternoon and complimentary breakfast delivered to the room, and their 45 guestrooms all got a refresh in 2023. Then there’s the luxurious Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa. Built on pillars out over Monterey Bay, you can fall asleep to the sounds of the waves beneath you in perhaps the comfiest beds in town. And the Vista Blue Spa deck has a fireplace and hot tubs, perfect for watching the sunset.
Local Obsession: Monarch Butterflies
The Monarch Grove Sanctuary of Pacific Grove is just two miles from Cannery Row, and starting around October through mid-February, monarch butterflies make their way by the thousands to overwinter in the pine and eucalyptus trees in the sanctuary. They pack together in giant clusters when it’s cold, and as the day warms up, they begin to fly; it’s a breathtaking sight.
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