Monterey Travel Forum

Still trying to plan our family vacation and we can't seem to make up our minds
We're thinking either Monterey or San Francisco - we'd like to spend 2-3 days at the beach too -
Are there any beaches in the area where we could actually go for a swim? That means we’d need to find a hotel by the beach obviously -
Are there any day-trips from Monterey to SF that you know of?
We'd be flying in from Toronto - thinking of staying in Monterey but would also like to see a bit of SF as well ...
Please let me know if you have any suggestions -
THX!

Generally speaking, the water temperature is too cold for an enjoyable day at the beach in Monterey. While I often see children play in the surf and teens boogie board in Pacific Grove at either Asilomar or Lover Point Beaches; only those with wet suits stay for long. The beach at the end of Ocean Avenue in Carmel is very nice and I would probley head there if I were to swim.

In Monterey proper, there aren't any great places to swim, although the beache north of Monterey, is wide open and you can swim there as well. I'm not awareof any day trips from Monterey to SF. I would rent a car. Hope that helps.

For Beaches stay in Santa Cruz-easy drive to Monterey-45 min and easy drive to SF 1 hour 20 minutes or so.
Or Seaside-embassy suites or there is another hotel on the beach there.
San Francisco is worth the stay though there is so much to do there-Fisherman's Wharf, Baseball Game, lots of famous sights.

As noted above, the water is really too cold to swim much in Monterey and San Francisco. I lived in the Monterey area for two years and I think I went in the water maybe twice (not for very long, either!) The best beaches right there are either the one in Carmel (park at the west end of Ocean Ave.) or in Seaside/Sand City (sneak to the west of Rte. 1 on Bay Drive). There is also a small beach you can swim at right by the wharf in Monterey. The Monterey Peninsula has some gorgeous oceanside scenery if you are not swimming, of course--the shore at Carmel, Asilomar State Park in Pacific Grove, and 17 Mile Drive (this one costs money) are real highlights. And of course drive south on Rte. 1 to Big Sur for the spectacular views from that road.

You can go to SF for the day, if you're prepared for a long day. It takes about 2-2.5 hours to drive there if you go on Rte. 101. Incredibly, there is no Greyhound bus service to Monterey, and there is no train either, so you have to drive.

There are the Missions. Monterey aquarium is good. If you're into John Steinbeck you should visit Salinas. 17 mile drive is good, also Pacific Grove generally.

Travelling Pacific Coast Highway (etc.) is worth it. Bixby Bridge is said to be the most photographed man-made structure in North America, or something. personally I doubt it but ...

Big Sur lighthouse is a good visit, if it's open (maybe only Sunday morning). said to be good breweries in San Luis Obispo

As one of the posters above stated, Santa Cruz has a great beach and with it comes a great board walk with all kinds of rides and games. It's been around since the 30's. Another beach is Capitola, you will find beaches from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, along the coast. Santa Cruz would be a great place to use as a base for your holiday.

I live in Southern California, so when I go to the bay area, I don't head to the beach.

That said, I understand there are some beaches in San Francisco. As mentioned before, the beach in Carmel is also a possibility.

However, the weather in Northern California is rarely "spend 3 days on the beach" warm. If you want a "beach vacation," you'll probably be better off going farther south. (Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County.)

Santa Cruz has about a dozen beaches. As will all beaches in this part of the state, the water is cold. I did a lot of swimming here when I was younger, but most swimmers don't stay in too long. SC is VERY popular for surfing, with some of the best on the west coast. Both Santa Cruz and expecially Capitola are popular. If you e-mail me I'll give you specifices of my favorite beach, which is easy to get to but untouristed. There is some info on these beaches on my VT pages, however.

Carmel Beach is a delight. Beautiful sand and convenient to walk to the tony village shops.

Between SF and Santa Cruz there are many wilder beaches, great for walking but not for swimming. Most are unmarked and unofficial. An exception is Greyhound Rock. They have a big parking lot, picnic tables and extensive beaches. Between Santa Cruz and Monterey there are endless beaches, most of which are run by the State: Sunset, New Brighton, Seacliff. A good one is at Moss Landing, which is a cute little town with some antique shops and restaurants.

If you want to see the other side of San Francisco, you can take one of the 10 best ferry rides in the US (according to Budget Travel) and go to Sausalito. It's around 30 minutes by ferry from the SF's Ferry Building. You'd enjoy the open-air cafes, marina of yacths, farmer's market and spas.

Check out my article for pictures and how to get there http://www.ehow.com/how_5066581_use-san-franciscos-alcatraz-sausalito.html
You can even bring your bike in the ferry so you can bike your way across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Here are other things to do around SF http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/7f095/b870f/4/

Enjoy!