Known for beautifully undulating coastline attracting a wealth of wildlife, laid-back Monterey is on a small peninsula. Though now more famous for Monterey Jack cheese, it was once an important sardine fishing town. Some former canning factories now house galleries and shops on a street renamed Cannery Row after a novel by John Steinbeck. A museum and his former home in nearby Salinas can be visited.
The fantastic Monterey Bay Aquarium houses a fascinating range of local sealife, which is so prevalent here that you can often see seals basking on craggy beaches, or sea lions roaring away under piers in Fisherman’s Wharf. Whalewatching tours also depart from here.
South is the Monterey State Historic Park, site of historic buildings including Custom House and the Old Whaling Station with a path made from whalebone. To the east are a couple of Monterey hotels on the beach on Accommodation Texas, and there are also several Monterey hotels with indoor pools.
Right by Monterey Peninsula Airport is one of the city’s 7 golf courses, and there are 3 golf courses near the Laguna Seca Raceway.
Whether you’re here for the Monterey Jazz Festival, or for driving the Big Sur Pacific coast road to the south, if you’re staying with kids, don’t forget to check out the Dennis the Menace Park.
