{"id":289721,"date":"2026-04-28T13:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/289721\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:31:08","slug":"my-favorite-seaside-town-in-california-is-monterey-best-things-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/289721\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Seaside Town in California Is Monterey: Best Things to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently moved from a beach town in San Diego<\/a> to a neighborhood in the South Bay Area. In other words, I went from daily strolls by the sea to suburban sidewalks. It’s been a \u2026 transition, to say the least.<\/p>\n

\n Loading audio narration…\n <\/p>\n

However, it turns out my new home base is perfectly positioned for a plethora of weekend getaways. Drive an hour north, and I’ll find myself wandering the bustling streets of San Francisco. Head east, and I can be sipping wine among the vineyards of Napa Valley<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, my favorite escape has become a charming coastal town<\/a> along California’s central coast: Monterey. Only an hour from where I live in the South Bay, I’ve been visiting at least once a month since my move.<\/p>\n

Between the ocean views, sea otters floating offshore, charming streets, and fresh seafood<\/a>, it’s quickly become my favorite place to spend a slow weekend.<\/p>\n

I love the city’s quaint atmosphere and coastal scenery<\/p>\n

\"Boats<\/p>\n

The Monterey Harbor is a great place to spot sea lions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Caldwell<\/p>\n

The central California coastline feels both rugged and peaceful, with waves crashing against rocky outcrops, misty shorelines, and cypress trees around every corner. <\/p>\n

Luckily, Monterey offers lots of opportunities to take in the beautiful scenery. I love watching the sea lions lounge along the boat docks at the Monterey Harbor and Marina.<\/p>\n

Plus, a simple walk along the Del Monte Beach waterfront feels calming and serene, and is especially beautiful at sunrise. I like to grab a morning coffee<\/a> from Captain + Stoker and sip it on the beach to start my day.<\/p>\n

A trip to Monterey isn’t complete without visiting the aquarium<\/p>\n

\"Colorful<\/p>\n

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is full of beautiful animal and plant species.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Caldwell<\/p>\n

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit that offers a close-up look at regional marine life and habitats, from adorable sea otters and sea turtles to deep-sea creatures and jellyfish.<\/p>\n

When I visited, I was left in awe of the beautiful animals and environments. <\/p>\n

I also love that the aquarium has an element of conservation, with its living kelp forest and sea otter surrogacy program.<\/p>\n

There are so many great places to eat <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Chart House has great food and beautiful views of the shore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Caldwell<\/p>\n

Because of the city’s proximity to the ocean, I always make it a point to enjoy some fresh-tasting seafood.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite dinner spots is the Chart House, a fine-dining chain restaurant<\/a> that overlooks the crashing waves on the shoreline. Although the picturesque setting is a selling point, the food is just as great.<\/p>\n

The menu includes seafood delicacies like spiced ahi and shrimp linguini, as well as traditional steak dishes and tasty appetizers. I recommend doing the full tasting menu for special occasions.<\/p>\n

For something on the more casual side, I love having brunch at First Awakenings, which has an extensive menu of classic breakfast favorites, including egg dishes, skillet plates, and sweet morning fixings.<\/p>\n

The restaurant has been operating since 1993, and it offers a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.<\/p>\n

Monterey is a great home base for outdoor adventure<\/p>\n

\"Chloe<\/p>\n

I always love golfing at Pebble Beach Golf Links.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chloe Caldwell<\/p>\n

One of my favorite things about Monterey is that the city offers easy access to endless opportunities for nature, fitness, and thrills.<\/p>\n

For those who want to soak in the scenery while racking up their daily steps, I recommend hiking at Toro County Park, located between Monterey and Salinas.<\/p>\n

For a more aquatic adventure, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the bay: try a surfing lesson, go kayaking, or embark on a unique sailing experience. For the daredevils, Monterey even offers skydiving, which I’ll probably pass on for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

Plus, when I’m in Monterey, I love playing a round of golf at Pebble Beach Golf Links, which offers stunning views of the rugged cliffs and coastline.<\/p>\n

There’s also a great selection of accommodations<\/p>\n

Since moving to the South Bay Area, I’ve done many day trips and a few overnight getaways to Monterey. Luckily, each accommodation I’ve stayed in has offered something a little different.<\/p>\n

On my first overnight trip, I stayed at the Pacific Grove Inn, a historic bed and breakfast<\/a> with charming rooms. The inn is just a short drive from Cannery Row, the city’s main tourist area.<\/p>\n

I’ve also stayed at Hotel Abrego, a boutique property within walking distance of downtown Monterey.<\/p>\n

The most upscale accommodation I’ve enjoyed is The Sanctuary Beach Resort, where some rooms are located directly on the sand. It’s a luxurious, retreat-style escape with amenities like fire pits, fitness classes, a spa, and more.<\/p>\n

No matter where I stay, though, the little seaside town of Monterey has become my favorite place to escape and unplug from busy work days and responsibilities. Its nature, calming atmosphere, and postcard-worthy coastal scenery wins me over every time I visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I recently moved from a beach town in San Diego to a neighborhood in the South Bay Area.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":289722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,1409,123834,18790,2882,1464,123835,10007,2268,123836,1424,24026,1417,9671,123833],"class_list":["post-289721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-city","tag-favorite-seaside-town","tag-fitness","tag-hour","tag-menu","tag-misty-shoreline","tag-monterey","tag-nature","tag-ocean-view","tag-opportunity","tag-plenty","tag-point","tag-sea-otter","tag-south-bay-area"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/289722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}