South of San Francisco on California’s central coast, sits Monterey Bay. With Santa Cruz on it’s North end, the city of Monterey on the South end, and Carmel-by-the-Sea in neighbouring Carmel Bay, this region has so much to offer. Known for it’s beautiful scenery and welcoming communities, Monterey is a really amazing spot to visit with gorgeous beaches, stunning coastlines, charming towns, and so much natural beauty. If you’re looking for an amazing travel destination in the United States that has laid back beach vibes and spectacular coastal views, keep reading for our lesbian guide to Monterey Bay!
What To Do
See the City of Monterey
The city of Monterey sits on the South end of Monterey Bay, and is well known for its Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, and the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s a beautiful California city, and a great jumping off point for a trip to the Monterey area. Start with exploring the city centre, and the great shopping and dining on the historic wharf, then head to New Monterey and explore Cannery Row, where old cannery factories have been transformed into trendy restaurants with great nightlife. At the North end of Cannery Row is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a non-profit public Aquarium that does exceptional work in conservation – check out their Seafood Watch program. Next to the Aquarium is McAbee Beach, one of Monterey’s beautiful small beaches with gorgeous views of the bay. Other nearby beaches include nearby San Carlos Beach on the South end of Cannery Row, and the bigger Del Monte Beach and Monterey State Beach along the Bay. Monterey is a gorgeous California destination with a lot of different things to offer. Be sure to spend some time here to soak it all up.
Visit Carmel-by-the-Sea
South of Monterey Bay is Carmel Bay, and the adorable town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. It’s one of our favourite spots because of how dog-friendly it can be, and how adorable and picturesque the village is. The city centre is full of restaurants, art galleries, museums, inns, and boutique shops, and it’s a beautiful spot to stroll around and explore. Many of the restaurants offer dog-friendly patios, and some even offer dog menus! This beach town is completely adorable. Carmel is an absolute must visit if you’re in Monterey County! Start by soaking up the town, and then head down to Carmel Beach. This one mile stretch of gorgeous sandy beach, offers beautiful views of the bay, and it’s a dog friendly spot where you can bring your pup! Something else that makes Carmel a special place, is that it’s home to the legendary Doris Day who also co-owns the pet friendly Cypress Inn. Another notable star, Clint Eastwood, was once mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and owns the city’s well known Mission Ranch Hotel & Restaurant. Carmel is such a unique spot, and absolutely a must do.
Stop by Santa Cruz
Sitting on the North end of Monterey Bay, is the city of Santa Cruz! Best known for its long wharf and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, this coastal town is absolutely worth a visit if you’re in the Monterey area. Start by strolling through downtown to find plenty of one-of-a-kind boutiques and shops, as well as cute cafes, and great restaurants. Next to downtown, is the San Lorenzo River Walk, a scenic route along the river that leads down to the beach. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an amusement park featuring vintage rides and classic games, stretching along the gorgeous coast. Even if you don’t visit the park, it’s still worth exploring the boardwalk for the beautiful views of the bay and the sandy beach. At the end of the boardwalk is the Santa Cruz wharf that reaches out into Monterey Bay. From the wharf you’ll see a perfect view of the boardwalk, and you can often spot the local sea lions. The wharf is also a great spot to watch the surfers, or if you want to catch some waves yourself, grab a board and a wetsuit (the water can be cold!). Santa Cruz is a great place to spend an afternoon if you’re visiting the Monterey Bay area, don’t miss it!
Take a Day Trip to Big Sur & Bixby Creek Bridge
This part of California is famous for its most scenic stretch of coast called Big Sur, that stretches between Carmel and San Simeon. Stunning views include the beautiful mountains, the gorgeous Pacific Ocean, sandy beaches, waterfalls, state parks, amazing cliffs, and the epic Bixby Creek Bridge. It’s easily one of the most incredible drives we’ve ever done, and definitely a major highlight of visiting this part of California. Big Sur and the Bixby Creek Bridge can easily be done as a day trip from the Monterey Bay area. You can take as much or as little time as you’d like, and see a lot on this drive! There are plenty of pull offs and vista points, and so many beautiful sights to take in. It is absolutely worth taking the time to see, and the number one thing that we recommend doing in this area! Bixby Creek Bridge is located about a 25 minute drive South of Carmel, and there are numerous view points along Hwy 1 to stop and take photos of it. If you turn off Hwy 1 onto the dirt road to the left just before you reach the bridge, there are also some really stunning views from up there! However you do it, be sure not to miss out on this amazing part of the Monterey region. Enjoy!
Where to Stay
Deciding where to stay in the Monterey Bay area, entirely depends on your budget as well as the type of experience you’re looking for. The city of Monterey has everything from upscale hotels to mid range motels, but it does tend to be a more expensive area for accommodations. Carmel-by-the-Sea is similar, with an assortment of charming inns and cottages that are completely adorable, and a handful of very high end hotels and ranches. Santa Cruz is definitely a great option, with plenty of cute and affordable beachside motels, and there are smaller towns along the bay that are still central if you don’t care to stay in any of the city centres. When booking hotels, inns, or similar accommodations, we like to use Hotels.com. Not only do they have competitive rates, they also do price matching, and have a great rewards program. For every ten nights you stay, you get one night for free. In an area like Monterey Bay, we also recommend considering an Airbnb. We love staying at unique properties because it offers an entirely different travel experience, and lets you discover the destination as more of a local. If you’ve never used Airbnb, click here to save on your first stay.
Where to Eat & Drink
The Monterey Bay area has a lot of great food options, and it definitely has something for everyone! In Santa Cruz, you’ll find cute and casual bistros, eateries, and restaurants sprinkled around downtown, the beachfront, and on the wharf. There are also plenty of plant based and health conscious options, which we loved; our faves being Cafe Gratitude, and Veg on the Edge. In the city of Monterey, the food scene is more upscale, with a focus on local ingredients! Monterey County is also well known for it’s wine and sustainable seafood. Head to Cannery Row for some of the trendiest spots, and if you’re interested in some awesome vegan options (we always are), check out El Cantaro and Hula’s Island Grill! In Carmel-by-the-Sea, the best cafes and restaurants are scattered around the downtown area. The food scene in Carmel is more classic and charming, and one of the best parts is that many of the restaurants have dog friendly patios! Expect to find a range of cuisines here, but fewer plant based options. The spots we discovered with vegan menu items were Village Corner California Bistro, Forge in the Forest, and Portabella. If you’re looking to grab a drink in town, be sure to check out Terry’s Lounge in the iconic Cypress Inn (Doris Day’s hotel). Terry’s has an old Hollywood feel with a well-rounded cocktail menu and four-legged friends are always welcome, both on the large patio and inside at the bar! Another quintessential Carmel experience is dining at Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch restaurant. The former dairy farm and current hotel and restaurant is located a little south of the other spots in town, but the views from the dining room are magnificent. The menu has a locally sourced theme, and is pretty heavy on the meat and seafood dishes. The food scene in the Monterey area is incredibly well-rounded, and you’ll be eating well no matter where you choose to go!
Lesbian Friendly
This part of California is progressive, open minded, welcoming of travellers, and quite LGBTQ+ friendly, despite there not being a lot of gay culture in the area. Unlike the nearby gay mecca of San Francisco, which is overflowing with LGBTQ+ history and gay/gay-friendly establishments, the Monterey Bay region doesn’t have any specific gaybourhoods. That doesn’t stop it from being a welcoming destination, and we’ve felt very comfortable every time we’ve visited. Locals are always kind and friendly, and we’ve never had any issues showing affection in public, or being open about our relationship. The state of California is seen as one of the most liberal in the US when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, and they have been leaders in the fight for equality on numerous occasions. California was the first state to legalize same-sex domestic partnerships in 1999, and they legalized same-sex marriage for the first time in 2008, and again in 2013 after the ban was lifted. The state has legally banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and same-sex couples have equal marriage rights, and equal access to family planning. California has also banned conversion therapy on minors, and public schools are required to teach LGBTQ+ history in their curriculum. All of this makes California very progressive and a popular destination for LGBTQ+ travellers. The Monterey Bay area is certainly welcoming of gay travellers, and the most prominent gay “scene” can be found in Santa Cruz. The small city hosts annual Pride celebrations, and offers weekly and monthly LGBTQ+ events, and a lesbian social meet up group called LezCruz. There is also an annual Pride celebration for the whole Monterey Peninsula.
How to Get Around
Drive
The best way to explore the Monterey Bay area, is definitely by car! You will be able to cover so much ground, explore all of the cities and seaside towns, and experience the incredible drive down the coast. Driving and parking in the cities of Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and Santa Cruz is low stress, easy, and most of the time, free. You won’t have any trouble finding street parking, and there isn’t a lot of traffic. Driving around the Bay is scenic and beautiful, and making it down to Big Sur is an absolute must. Road tripping is definitely the way to go in this region!
On Foot
Monterey, Carmel, and Santa Cruz are all very walkable in their city centres, so once you get there, park the car and explore on foot. There are beautiful places to be discovered, and plenty of incredible sights to find while wandering around these spots.
Taxi or Rideshare
If you’re looking for a ride home after a couple of drinks, or just a quick and easy way to get around the cities without your car, the Monterey Bay area has both regular taxi services, as well as Uber and Lyft.
Has anyone else fallen in love with Monterey, California? Let us know in the comments
2 comments
Love your guide I would add two things 17 mile drive thru Pebble Beach and second if you are a golfer Monterey Bay is a golfer’s Paradise more gorgeous courses than you can play in all price ranges
Those are great additions! Pebble Beach is definitely the most iconic golf course I can think of (and that’s coming from a non-golfer). Thanks for the tips!