Essential Monterey Travel Guide: What to See & Do

Monterey is a coastal city where California’s Spanish, Mexican, and American past meets a lively marine landscape. Founded in 1770, it served as a capital of Alta California and later hosted the state’s first constitutional convention. Today, that layered history remains visible alongside a waterfront shaped by fishing, literature, and the Pacific Ocean.

Explore Monterey State Historic Park

Monterey State Historic Park preserves the city’s early civic and cultural history through landmarks including:

• The Old Customhouse
• Colton Hall
• Larkin House
• California’s First Theatre

Together, these sites reveal Monterey’s importance during California’s Spanish, Mexican, and American periods.

Discover Cannery Row and Its Literary History

Cannery Row began as a small fishing community before becoming the center of a major sardine-packing industry. When the canneries closed, the district was transformed rather than forgotten. Former industrial buildings now contain restaurants, galleries, shops, tasting rooms, and attractions.

The Cannery Row Monument in Steinbeck Plaza celebrates figures connected with the area’s past. Cannery Row’s literary identity is closely linked to John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts, whose friendship and work shaped the world of Cannery Row.

Experience Monterey’s Marine Life and Waterfront

For travelers looking for things to see in Monterey, the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers an engaging introduction to the region’s extraordinary marine life.

Nearby, Old Fisherman’s Wharf retains the atmosphere of a working harbor, with fishing activity, seafood, and views across the bay. Shoreline trails connect these districts with beaches and scenic public spaces, creating opportunities to experience Monterey’s coastal setting on foot.

Best Places to Visit in Monterey

Whether your interests include history, literature, food, wildlife, or ocean views, the best places to visit in Monterey reflect a city shaped by both human enterprise and the Pacific. Compact yet rich in character, Monterey offers an unusually deep sense of place.