Del Monte Beach

Monterey, California, USA

Description

Del Monte Beach, or Monterey State Beach, is such a delight in the morning! Eucalyptus trees give way to Monterey cypress trees as you near the sand. The pale dunes are covered in tiny wildflowers. Seals bark in the distance, and flocks of birds soar by. Everything is of a pale hue- the light grey sea, the sky, the dunes.
It's lovely to walk or bike on the bike path called the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail that runs behind the dunes among eucalyptus strands, through Monterey Bay Park with its big lawn, flower beds, and whale sculpture playground, to Fisherman's Wharf.
A walk along the beach doubles your bliss- bring a warm jacket though! The harbor in the distance and the lion-colored hills behind Monterey frame the scene.
If it's too cold to walk, you can park at the Monterey Bay Park parking lot and watch the water from your car.

Photo Gallery

The unique colors of flowers you find along the path. Everything has a silvery hue at Del Monte Beach.	The pale morning light at Del Monte Beach.	Flocks of birds fly by.
Steps leading down from the beach to the bike path area.	View of the harbor from the beach.	Del Monte Beach on a rare warm summer evening!
Kids having fun playing in the sand at Del Monte Beach.	Watching the water from the Monterey Bay parking lot, on a cold morning.	Bike path that runs along the beach through Monterey Bay Park.
The beach on a foggy morning.	Women walking along the shore, and a sailboat.	The gorgeous trees and sloped sand.
Bike path that runs along the beach.	Geese in the Monterey Bay Park parking lot.

Directions

This is an interactive map, you can zoom and move it.

There are plenty of signs to Monterey. But here are directions all the way from the 101 northbound. Exit at Monterey Peninsula. Turn right on Sanborn. Follow it for 2 miles and then turn left on Main. Follow Hwy 68 for about 15 miles and exit at Monterey.
Then, to get to Monterey State Beach, turn right on Fremont, right on Camino El Estero, left on Del Monte Avenue, and then immediately right into the parking lot for Monterey Bay Park. Parking is $5 in the machine.