When planning your first adventure into California's wonderful coastal towns of Monterey and Carmel, there's one thing that everyone suggests you must ABSOLUTELY DO: The 17-Mile Drive. This tourist attraction is essentially a whirlwind tour of the most scenic and gorgeous spots along the Monterey Peninsula. There's 21 points of interest on the 17-Mile Drive (yes it's actually 17 miles) that are unique and worth visiting for various reasons (https://www.pebblebeach.com/content/uploads/17miledrive-map-20170920.pdf). At first, I thought every stop would be a quick, "take a picture of the scenery and leave" kind of experience. But NOPE, you may feel like staying forever at some! Spanish Bay is the PERFECT example.
Spanish Bay (officially labeled as Stop #5) is located towards the north end of the 17-Mile Drive. Depending on where you enter (there are five points of entry), this may be one of the first or last stops on your tour. Personally, I recommend starting either at the Pacific Grove, Country Club, or Morse Gate entrance so that Spanish Bay is your first dose of excitement (the first few stops are passable in my opinion). If you ever get lost, just follow the signs. You literally stay on 17-Mile street throughout the whole experience.
If you enjoy taking long walks on the beach, you are going to LOVE Spanish Bay. The sand here is soft, the waves are so calming, and the scenery is drop dead GORGEOUS! This beach is great for both people who just want to snap a few pictures, as well as for those who want to bring chairs and enjoy the view. The nice thing that I appreciate about this beach is that there's plenty of parking along the shoreline. Even though there are steady streams of tourists who come by, you won't ever need to worry about competing for a spot. My girlfriend and I pulled right up and took a nice nap before checking out this gem!
If you plan on coming, there are three things you should keep in mind. First off, admission is $10.25 (not sure where the quarter comes in) and they ONLY TAKE CASH. Second, I highly recommend bringing a jacket because it gets really windy next to the shore. Third, it's best to come around fall or spring to avoid the fog.
If I ever had any doubt about whether the 17-Mile Drive was worth it or not, Spanish Bay was my validation. This beach is so relaxing, beautiful, and quite. I totally recommend stopping by during the drive. I definitely give this place a "nice-su, you can take your parents here and they'll be happy" rating!
Have fun and prosper, read more