“Into the Deep” exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium (July 2024)
Monterey is a small city located on the central coast of California, about a two hour-drive away from San Francisco. Known for its peaceful, seaside atmosphere, it’s a popular getaway spot for visitors to enjoy the temperate, year-round weather and fresh seafood along the Old Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s an oasis away from the bustling city life, to slow down and enjoy the tranquil waters along the US West Coast.
Originally, Monterey was the land of the Ohlone tribe, who hunted, fished, and otherwise lived off the abundant seafood in the Monterey Bay. It wasn’t until the Spanish arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries that the area came under European rule. In fact, Monterey was the second permanent establishment in California (after San Diego), becoming a settlement in 1770.
Following the Mexican-American War in 1846, Monterey was claimed as part of the United States (for the state of California). Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it was notable for its huge fishing industry, with Cannery Row being built for canning the plentiful fish caught near shore. Unfortunately, overfishing followed, and it caused the fishing and canning industries to collapse in the 1950s– while no canneries are opened today, many have been preserved for their historic significance.
Today, Monterey is a tourist draw for visitors, locally and internationally. The city is a popular overnight trip from San Francisco, or a drive-through for those traveling along the California Coast. It’s known for its eponymous, world-renown aquarium, as well as sites like Cannery Row made famous by 20th-century writer John Steinbeck, who also wrote other novels that paid homage to this part of California, where he was from. The city is small and ideal for an extended weekend trip, offering a seaside vibe with consistent, 65°F/18°C weather year-round.
I spent three nights in Monterey last July, with my partner and her mom. My partner was in Monterey for graduate school, and so her mother and I decided to pay her a visit for a long weekend. We took a quick, one-hour flight over (instead of a six-hour drive), arriving into the small and compact Monterey Regional Airport around noon. We got a taxi into town, where we met up with my partner for lunch.
The three of us got lunch at a small and charming French pâtisserie– besides getting a few sandwiches, we also got some incredible pastries, including a rich croissant aux amandes and passionfruit cake. I especially loved the passionfruit cake, which was tart and paired beautifully with the sweet white chocolate mousse– it was so good that I got it again later on!
Passionfruit cake and croissant aux amandes
Next was a ride over to downtown Monterey, which was also the touristy part of town. We headed over to visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was absolutely packed with people on a weekday afternoon. Tickets were also extremely costly at $65 USD/person, but I’d like to believe that the high cost was to help rehabilitate the animals sheltered there…any case, we spent some time inside, exploring the many exhibits of jellyfish, penguins, even sea otters (native to Monterey Bay). Very beautiful, if a bit overwhelming with the crowds, but a lot of fun!
Mesmerizing jellyfish
African penguins!
Views of the Monterey Bay from the aquarium
After the aquarium, we took a quick stroll along Cannery Row, filled with plenty of cafés and souvenir shops that catered to tourists. We caught the iconic and historic trolley (cost: free!)– the ride was very slow, but it took us on a loop through much of the touristic parts of Monterey. We got off at the terminus, where we headed to our hotel to check in and get settled in. Our hotel was a bit outside of the city center, but reasonably-priced at $500 USD for three nights– as Monterey gets busy in the summer, hotels can be extremely expensive ($300+ USD/night!). Our rooms were basic, but comfortable, and they made for a sensible stay.
Cannery Row
We had a bit of a rest before we headed on foot to dinner. Monterey is nothing short of fine-dining restaurants in historic adobes from the early 19th century, and I’d made a reservation at one of them for our first night in town. The interior was charming in its barn-style layout, and the food was all very fresh and flavorful– from the zingy tomato nectarine salad to the melt-in-your-mouth beef cheek, everything was delicious and honestly, one of my most-memorable meals we had in Monterey.
Fries and tomato nectarine salad
Beef cheek
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Monterey in due course. Until then! 🙂
— Rebecca
Rebecca Goes Rendezvous 
Wonderful town. I have great memories from when I was at Mills of hitching a ride there in the back of my friend’s station wagon with my sister and our German exchange student. The light seaside is marvelous.
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I’m glad you have fond memories of Monterey! It’s a gorgeous little city overlooking the beautiful Pacific 😊
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The food sounds delicious! And what a lovely little getaway. But the aquarium… yikes at the price and double yikes at the crowds. I love your photo of the jellyfish though!
I’ve heard of Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium but never really done any research on either one, so thanks for the overview and tour!
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Monterey is surprisingly a foodie spot, and we had lots of good eats during our trip. The aquarium was expensive, but worth the visit! Monterey is definitely a beautiful place to be, and I hope you look into going there some day!
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This is the first I’m hearing of Monterey but it looks amazing! Great food too 😋
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Thanks, Elle! The little city of Monterey, California is not to be confused with Monterrey, Mexico (where I haven’t been yet). Monterey is a lovely little place with surprisingly good food!!
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Great post Rebecca. I remember taking our sons to the aquarium in Monterey when they were small. It was about as far south as we drove from SFO.
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Nice! I’m glad you made it to Monterey back in the day. It’s a convenient drive from SF, and it allows you to visit more of northern California! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Marion 🙂
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Monterey looks like a good place for a fun visit! And apricot salad, yum! Jellyfish are always fun to watch! Maybe some day I’ll make it out that way!
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It was a nectarine salad, and it was so sweet and bright! I hope you make it to Monterey and that part of California some day 🙂
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I’m sorry… seems like I always get my nectarine into my apricots mixed up🤷♀️
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We’re both huge Steinbeck fans so a visit to Cannery Row was a must when we were in Southern California back in 1991. And we loved the aquarium, especially the sea otters. Thank you for the memories 😀 And oh, that passionfruit cake looks amd sounds delicious!
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Nice! I’ve only read one or two novels from Steinbeck, but I do like his writing. The aquarium was expensive, but large and with plenty of exhibits to spend an entire day in. I didn’t expect Monterey to be a foodie place, but I’m happy with what I had while in town!
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Monterey seems to have a lot to offer, particularly with the food scene. The aquarium is pricey, but it seems worth the cost. We’re considering a California trip early next year and will definitely make a stop in Monterey.
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Awesome! I hope you get to stop by Monterey during your California trip next year– so happy you’ll be visiting my home state 🙂
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I love California! Hopefully, we’ll be able to connect.
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Hope so, too!
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Lovely post and such a beautiful little town, Rebecca. It looks like this place is a must-see for those who love good food and ocean views, as it has plenty of beautiful coastlines and sandy beaches. I wouldn’t pass on stopping by the oceanfront aquarium either, because I love deep-sea exhibits. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 P.S. You can delete my previous comment as it somehow appeared before I even had a chance to finish the sentence! Cheers, Aiva xx
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Thanks, Aiva! Monterey is a gorgeous little city worth a weekend stay. The aquarium might be expensive, but definitely a worthwhile visit. No problem about the previous comment! Have a wonderful day and upcoming weekend 😊
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I guess like most people, I know Monterey because of the aquarium. That shot of the jellyfish is indeed mesmerizing! I like the sound of the nectarine salad you had. I’ve had the fruit before, but never in a salad.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium is world-renown, and it’s definitely worth a visit! The nectarine salad was delicious; I haven’t had anything quite like it before, but it was wonderful!
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Prior to this article the only visual glimpses I’d had of Monterey were through the entertaining TV series ‘Big Little Lies’. I’m glad to read that your visit featured far less drama, controversy (not to mention murder) than in the show. The aquarium is undeniably impressive but my lord that’s pricy, it ain’t cheap keeping African penguins I guess. At least the trolley ride balanced out the expenditure. As ever you managed to find some great food – beef cheek, yes please.
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I’ve never seen “Big Little Lies,” but I’ve heard of it, and it has made that area of California (particularly Big Sur) world-renown. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pricey, but it’s beautiful and I’d like to think it’s to help with wildlife preservation and rehabilitation. Thanks for reading, Leighton; more of Monterey is coming soon!
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I’ve been wanting to visit Monterrey for decades! I’ve only been in California’s airports. Monterrey has always sounded like a sort of mystical little place to me. Thanks for providing the history of it in your post.
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Monterey is a beautiful piece of California worth exploring! Fyi, there’s a city in Mexico called Monterrey, so not to confuse the two!
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Yes 😄 I realized I’d misspelled it right after I hit send 🤣
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I appreciate your post on Monterey as I don’t remember much about the town. I mostly used it as a convenient stopover with hotels on a road trip in northern California, then heading inland to Merced and the big sequoia parks.
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Even though Monterey has been a stopover for you, it’s true that it makes for a convenient location en-route to northern California. Perhaps one day you’ll stop a bit longer in Monterey to explore its beauty!
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I love the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s so calming to watch smacks of jellyfish or schools of fish swimming around. I hope you liked seeing your beloved penguins! Looking forward to reading more about your visit to Monterey.
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Indeed! Seeing the penguins was a highlight of my time at the aquarium! More of Monterey to come soon 😊
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Thanks for introducing Monterey more to me, it’s nice to see it up close. I only heard of Monterey (from a brand named such here in the Philippines) but never got the chance to find out more about the place until your post. The beef cheek and the passionfruit cake look enticing!
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Interesting! I didn’t know that Monterey was ubiquitous in the Philippines. Monterey here in California is pleasant and tranquil, and a surprisingly foodie spot!
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