Hotels in Monterey

Monterey: Cannery Row, Whales, and the Central Coast

Monterey, California sits on the southern arc of Monterey Bay, 120 miles south of San Francisco on the Central Coast. The city built its identity on sardine canning through the 1940s — an industry that collapsed by 1950 and left behind the weathered warehouses of Cannery Row, now lined with restaurants and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which opened in 1984 and draws around 2 million visitors annually. The 17-Mile Drive, a private scenic road through Pebble Beach, passes Lone Cypress and the Carmel Bay overlook. Old Fisherman's Wharf dates to 1846 and remains a working pier alongside its tourist role.

Where to Stay in Monterey

Most hotels cluster in three zones: Cannery Row for walkable waterfront access, Munras Avenue for mid-range value a half-mile inland, and Pacific Grove — the adjacent Victorian-era town — for quieter options facing Lover's Point. Downtown Monterey near Alvarado Street offers boutique properties within walking distance of the Custom House Plaza, California's oldest government building (1827).

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) receives direct flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco; the drive from SFO takes roughly 2 hours on US-101 south to CA-68.
• Weather: Summer fog is common through July; September and October bring the clearest skies and warmest temperatures.
• Whale watching: Gray whale migration peaks December–March; humpbacks are frequent May–November off Moss Landing, 15 miles north.