Monterey City Guide
Your complete directory to Monterey with links to everything you need to plan travel or get information.

Located just two and a half hours south of San Francisco, Monterey offers a wealth of sites and activities for visitors. The Monterey "Path of History" provides a chance to tour the historic sites of the city including the Robert Louis Stevenson Home and the Presidio of Monterey. Venturing onto Fisherman's Wharf, visitors can eat at many fine restaurants or enjoy a day of fishing or whale watching. For those who would like a closer view of marine life, the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium is just minutes from downtown in the historic Cannery Row area.
Possible day trips from Monterey include the 17-mile Drive, Pebble Beach, and the Lone Cypress.

Monterey Hotel and Lodging Guide
Hotel rooms in Monterey fill up quickly during tourist season. This is especially true during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am, the Concours d'Elegance, and other special events. Make your hotel reservation early!

Popular hotel choices in Monterey include

Portola Plaza Hotel - This hotel is located in downtown Monterey and is just a couple of minute's walk from Fisherman's Wharf as well as a multitude of shopping, restaurant choices, and nightlife on and near Alvarado Street, the heart of the downtown area. The hotel offers several dining facilities on the property. Visit the Portola Plaza Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf site for discount rate, specials, and to make a reservation.

Monterey Marriott - This hotel is in the heart of a historic downtown on Monterey Bay, and surrounded by the attractions of the spectacular Monterey Peninsula, the Monterey Marriott provides an ideal location for your business, recreation and meeting needs.The hotel has on-site dining. Visit the Monterey Marriott homepage for more information on amenities, specials, discount rate, or to make a reservation.

Bed and Breakfast
There are quite a few high quality Bed and Breakfast offerings in Monterey and in the cities surrounding it on Monterey Bay and further inland. Staying at a Bed and Breakfast can be a relaxing and memorable way to enjoy the Monterey Peninsula.

While all of the Bed and Breakfast choices in and near Monterey are excellent, one that really stands out is the
Martine Inn. Located in the neighboring city of Pacific Grove, the Martine Inn has all of the elements needed to make for a fantastic Bed and Breakfast.
The Inn provides breakfast in the morning and wine and hors d'oeuvres in the evening. Guests can enjoy the hot tub, game room with a billiards table and a large guest library. They also provide picnic lunches for guests (upon request) and sell Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets on-site.

See our Travel Links for a more extensive list of hotel and lodging links in Monterey

Things to do in Monterey

A very common reason for visiting Monterey is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is known worldwide and has some truly fantastic exhibits from the nation's largest marine sanctuary: Monterey Bay.

For a truly unique experience be sure to check out Monterey Amphibious Tours, which runs an amphibious shuttle between Cannery Row and Old Fisherman's Wharf.

Other places of interest include: Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca.

Shopping
The three major centers for shopping in Monterey are Alvarado Street, Cannery Row and Del Monte Center.

Alvarado Street is the heart of downtown Monterey. Shoppers can find a wide range of specialty shops here.

Cannery Row has a large restaurant selection, as well as vast number of shops containing souvenirs and collectibles.

If you'd like to go where the locals shop, try Del Monte Center. Del Monte Center is a mid-sized shopping mall that contains restaurants, a movie theatre, a Starbucks and many familiar franchise stores. Whatever you are shopping for, you can probably find it at Del Monte Center.

Golf
Being so near to the world-famous Pebble Beach, golf is a very popular activity in Monterey. If you find Pebble Beach to be outside your budget, try one of the other wonderful courses on the Monterey Peninsula.
Our Favorite Monterey Golf Course: Laguna Seca Golf Club

Nightlife
The Alvarado Street area is the spot for nightlife. Choices include British pubs as well as sports bars and nightclubs.
Our Favorite Monterey Pub:The Mucky Duck has a very relaxed atmosphere and a full menu of British and American cuisine. This is where the locals go. Try the fish and chips!

See our Travel Links for a more extensive list of links to activities in Monterey.

Monterey Restaurant Guide

Restaurant choices in Monterey are plentiful and it's easy to find a meal that suits your tastes and budget.

Local Cuisine
Casa Cafe is located in the Casa Munras Hotel is a great choice for those looking for a good meal in a casual atmosphere. Casa Cafe offers everything from burgers to a full meal.

Italian
While there are many fine choices for Italian cuisine in Monterey, our favorite is a short drive south to Carmel. Casanova is a fine dining Italian restaurant in Carmel at casual prices. See why it's called, "Carmel's Most Romantic Restaurant."

Steak & Seafood
John Pisto's Whaling Station - A destination for the Prime beef connoisseur, John Pisto’s Whaling Station is the only one of its kind on the Peninsula. In fact, diners would be hard-pressed to find another quite like it in the state. Even the most highly regarded steak houses in the country mix Prime and Choice on their menus, since only one percent of the beef in the United States is graded USDA Prime. The Whaling Station offers exclusively Prime — and lots of it.

Asian
Billy Quon's - Serving good food at moderate prices, with Pacific Rim touches and a party atmosphere.

Other
Turtle Bay - Recipes from traditional cultures of Southern Mexico and Belize, as well as spices and marinades imported from Mexico, make this a unique dining experience--a fresh, savory, celebration of flavor.