Nice quiet beach in the Carmel Highlands. We didn't feel like heading downtown and Point Lovos was…read moreway too crowded. I spent Thanksgiving day here for a bit reading a book. It was relaxing. The sand is sandy (lol) with some pebbles, so not too smooth or powdery, but it's a beach, haha! Parking is in the shoulder so be careful getting in and out of your vehicle. Swim at your own risk. I felt safe here as there were handfuls of folks passing through.

First time in Carmel with the wife and we decided to walk the beach during the noon time. A nice…read morestroll from the main downtown area. A nice trail to walk around. And views you can't miss. Definitely a spot worth hitting if you want to make your stay worth it. Even the dog got to enjoy the views and walk too!

Amazing scenic hike with stunning coastal ocean views. The trail offers a beautiful walk along the…read moreocean, with an awesome panoramic view from the top of the mountain. The hike is enjoyable and manageable, even on the way to the summit. Whenever I'm passing through Carmel on Highway 1, I love stopping here for a hike.

One of the most spectacular spots on the California coast, and my often backup plan as Point Lobos…read morehas become way too popular and parking fills up extremely early. One of the great things about Garrapata is that you can make your walk/hike as short or as long as you want. There are trails along the coast and inland, with the inland trails being much more strenuous than the coastal side. No matter which side you go, the views are spectacular. There's parking along the highway with a big section on the inland side right at the main entrance, and some further back on the coastal side. Luckily there are a handful of entry spots, so even if you don't get parking right up front, you'll likely be able to catch a coastal trail. Two things to note about the inland side, it's not too uncommon to see rattlesnakes if you're there in the warmer months, especially if it's a sunny day. And, the rock/dirt can be a little loose/slippery, so I have seen people slip and fall. I always come with a windbreaker and binoculars because it gets breezy as you get closer to the water, and you can often spot marine life like otters and seals!

Something truly amazing about this rock. I went there to check it out, and sure enough, i got…read morekissed! Don't know what it was but it was happening to other people too. Maybe something in the air there. Rock is on the path near lovers point. Easily reachable by bike from hotels from cannery row to Asilomar. Walkable from the aquarium as well. The rocks below are great for kids to scramble. Lots of tide pools. You can find hermit crabs, anemones, and more. That day we saw a pod of dolphins loitering nearby, but my phone camera couldn't get a good enough snap. Picnic area across the street. Lots of benches trash cans and parking. Poop bags for the pups, so dog owners have no excuse. Keep Monterey beautiful!

Retaining the moniker of "Kissing Rock" since Victorian times, these two massive slabs of granite…read morealong Ocean View Boulevard look very much like a couple kissing and was at one point dubbed by Life magazine as the most romantic spot in America. The view here is quite gorgeous and it's very peaceful with the waves crashing in the background. Plus there's a bench here as well if you want to sit for a spell. Public parking is available along designated areas of Ocean View Blvd.

During my visit last year, I used the Cannery Row portion of this trail very often, not knowing…read morethat it had a name. This year, I used it even more as I decided to explore out of this area without driving my car. I walked through Fisherman's Wharf to downtown at the advice of a couple of local friends. As I walked, I stopped and stared at the sights and scenes and was fascinated with the historic significance of the area (see my The Custom House review). As I walked, I stopped to take photos and admire signs and statues along the way. The walk on this portion is not difficult as it is mainly flat. There are lanes in each direction to ensure the safety of users of this trail whether pedestrians or bikers, single or those multi-peddler versions. After walking to Fisherman's Wharf, I continued to the downtown area, walking by the conference center. Besides following this route on my 1st full day in town, I walked the trail with my friends as we went to other destinations in the Cannery Row area. I am not a very good biker so it's unlikely that I will venture further out than where I went. For those fit and outdoorsmen or women, do take advantage of this trail in experiencing the area. There is plenty of scenery to explore and experience, of which I barely saw much the entire trail.

We stopped to walk along this trail in Pacific Grove for a while, and it was a gorgeous day for it…read more Our 13-year-old dog, Zoey, cannot walk far anymore, so we brought a stroller. This path is not the best place for one, but we made do. First, though, we took her down to the water. We did not explore the tidepools on this occasion, but Zoey had a great time walking in the ocean water. In this area, the tide moved in a gentle motion, yet it still managed to sneak up on me and get my shoes wet! The path was alive with vibrant color today, and offered lovely views. Unfortunately, some cars drive faster than they ought to on this road considering how close the walking path is situated to it.

A calm, peaceful and clean beach. It's located next to the…read morepier - which has good food places. The parking near the beach is paid and has a relatively clean washroom.

A very beautiful beach where my partner and I went towards the end of the day to catch the sunset…read more It ended up being quite foggy - so, the views far off into the ocean were very difficult . We were still able to appreciate the beach - and were even surprised to see some California Sea Lions close to the shore. Overall, a beautiful beach with literally power soft sand!

Stop #4 of the 17-mile drive. This picturesque location offers stunning views of restless waters…read moreamidst rugged rocks peeking out from the ocean. This is one of the roughest parts of the water along this coastline, and is known to be the resting place of several ships that crashed along these shores. A testament to the power of mother nature, and a captivating memory against the backdrop of turbulent seas. There are some limited parking spots available here along the turn-in. Although we've seen some people park along the road as well and simply walk over.

Stop 4 on the 17 mile drive, and this was my favorite stop on our drive. Aptly named the Restless…read moreSea, this was probably the most active we saw the ocean in all the stops. The waves seemed to be pounding in from both sides is an apparent show of chaos. That being said, it was still somehow calming and peaceful here - standing at the edge and just watching the ocean. There was a light breeze, and I spent more time here than I intended to. So beautiful. Definitely plan to stop here while exploring Pebble Beach. It will easily become one of your favorite stops on the journey.

Beautiful beach with soft sand, and great wind in the air. They have a small parking lot with lots…read moreof space. The trail is along the beach and it's nice to walk along. My family loved this semi secluded beach far from the tourist sites.

Monterey State Beach had beautiful views of the bay and nice sights for my family of four to enjoy…read more We love coming to Monterey and have been to the peninsula many times, but this beach was new to us. Apparently, it is not one of the most popular beaches, although it was nice enough. There's a small parking lot, but it was free to park so that was nice. There's not much cover here, so it could get hot, so I suggest coming in the morning. It was good that we visited on a weekday morning, so that there were very few people besides us. It was also on our way out of Monterey to head home, so it gave us a last "touristy" thing to do before we had to say bye to one of our favorite places. Interestingly, there's a little stream or technically it's an estuary through the beach, I've not seen that before. It looked a bit stagnant and smelled a little, so we opted not to walk through it to get to the edge of the ocean to hang out and relax. My children loved playing in the water, building sand castles and finding seashells. My kids even got to meet and chat with a lifeguard for a little bit and take a picture with him, so that was a treat for them. The lifeguard was friendly and professional, he kept an eye on the beach and the few people around while we talked with him briefly. All in all, this is a decently nice state beach with no admission, and no parking fees, and really nothing to complain about. We spent about an hour or so here and enjoyed listening to the waves and walking on the soft sandy beach. We plan to be back.

Known for its white sand, beautiful waters, and an abundance of beach stones that people often like…read moreto stack here, Spanish Bay is a serene, albeit a bit windy and cold beach that backs up into the Pebble Beach golf course. The bay derived its name from Spanish Explorers camped out here in 1769 who were attempting to find Monterey Bay. You can access Spanish Bay beach through several access points, one of which is Sunset Drive in Pacific Grove. This allows you to avoid needing to pay a toll to go through the 17-mile drive. We however arrived during our tour of the 17-mile drive, stop #3. The parking lot is spacious and has ample spaces available for parking. As mentioned, it is windy here so it's recommended that you layer up. Due to its colder climate, we didn't see anyone here with beach towels enjoying the sand. Surfers apparently love the waters here due to the powerful waves, but it is not recommended for swimming due to the cold temperatures and strong rip currents.

Though this is #3 of #17 stops on the 17 Mile Drive, it's where most people instinctually stop for…read morea visit. This beautiful beach is named for the Gaspar de Portola and his Spanish explorer crew, who were not happy campers, temporarily lodging here in 1769 as they took a year to find Monterey Bay because the men would not ask for directions. Though the sand is white and soft, my wife stepped on glass. Stupid campers. Though this is "the beach", it's chilly even on the hottest day (runs up to 15 degrees cooler than Monterey), and the water is perfect for polar bears. The fun is in stacking the big rocks, though nature purists believe that is assault.