Top Things to do in Monterey County
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Top 10 Historic Sites in Monterey County, Monterey County
Monterey offers a host of historic attractions from Cannery Row to the famed Monterey Aquarium. This incredible sliver of oceanfront offers an amazing bounty of things to do, with marine, floral and vine-fresh delights to savor. Monterey-Salinas Transit and Amtrak let you take your eyes off the road. Charming towns, world-class golf courses and idyllic inns lie at the hem of the glittering Pacific. Whether you're looking for calm or noisy beachside fun, the Monterey Peninsula has it in buckets.
Restaurants in Monterey County
1. Perry House
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
Built in 1860 by Whaling Captain Manuel Perry, and lovingly restored in 2011 as a private special events venue for weddings and corporate events.
2. El Carmelo Cemetery
3. San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 508 reviews
Established in 1771, this Spanish mission is one of the most beautiful in the state and worth a visit for its serene aura. The mission includes a working church, gardens and interior exhibits.
Reviewed By tinahN3641RS
I thought the grounds were gorgeous and the history very interesting, especially if you aren't stopping at other missions along the coast. The self-guided tour doesn't take long and is worth the stop.
4. Tor House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 168 reviews
The historic home of the poet Robinson Jeffers is open to the public for group tours Fridays and Saturdays. First Tour at 10AM, last tour at 3PM. Tours last about 1 hr 20 minutes. Docents describe the life and times of Robinson and Una Jeffers, his poetry, philosophy, and accomplishments of building his home of sea-tossed granite. Wear walking shoes to cope with uneven ground and steep stairs. No photography during tours. Special events annually are the Spring Garden Party held the first Sunday in May when photography is permitted in Tor House and Hawk Tower. Jeffers Fall Festival is held the first weekend of October and includes discussions and presentations on Jeffers' poetry and his life in Carmel. Both are paid events. Check the Tor House web site for details near the time of event.
Reviewed By Z8070LNjeanf
A most enjoyable tour of the Poet's home Robinson Jeffers. Our tour guide was very engaging and interesting, and read a poem to enhance the experience.
5. Larkin House
6. Doc Rickett's Pacific Biological Laboratories
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
A landmark on Cannery Row, this is the spot where John Steinbeck's good buddy and biologist Ed "Doc" Ricketts prepped the marine life he collected before shipping it to schools and medical facilities.
Reviewed By sfcawannabe
Growing up reading Steinbeck, I thought that Doc (Ed) Ricketts was a fictional character... I learned otherwise. Ed Ricketts was the grandfather of modern Marine Biology, and he was a real character. They only open up his lab once or twice a year for visits, but I can't remember when. If you're interested in Steinbeck and/or Marine Biology, this is a MUST SEE! Fun fact: Ed Ricketts was the man responsible for frog disection in high school biology classes.
7. Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 69 reviews
Reviewed By Apastoys - Soledad, United States
Soledad Mission has special meaning to me because I grew up in the city of Soledad.CA. One of my earliest memories was visiting this historic site as a grade schooler on a field trip. As I grew up a appreciated the significance that this mission played in early California history. The mission was founded on Oct. 9 1791 and was the 13th mission to be created by the Franciscans. The mission is located at 36641 Fort Romie Rd just south west of the city of Soledad and is opened from 10am to 4pm except for major holidays. The grounds and gift shop are maintained by staff and volunteers. You can stop by the gift shop get self guided tour brochures or to ask questions of the friendly staff. There is an on site museum with many artifacts from early California.and the chapel is still used today for Mass on the first Sunday for every month.
8. Point Sur Light Station
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By Outspokentraveler - Philadelphia, United States
Point Sur lighthouse has been closed for decades, but unknown to me despite my many visits to Big Sur, the lighthouse was open for occasional visitors. I mean occasional. Open a few days a week, and very limited hours, getting inside the cow fence to the long road and the steep, peculiar rock formation, was truly going back in time. Occasional in also the docent, who drives the long winding dirt road from the base of the rock to highway 1 and the cow gate, stops and slowly counts the cars and people — more than 7-10 and that is that. Luckily, there were only 7 of us; he waved his arms as we drove through the gate and made us follow him to the tiny parking lot with it’s johnny-on-the-spot, looking like last stop for a last stop. The docent, in his yellow rain slicker and official designation on a string hanging around his neck. He was a bit stern at first, especially about not going near the road’s edge to the sea because of erosion. The other two, clearly less senior docents, made it a slow walk up the long hill, pointing out nearly a dozen different forms of flower or vegetation and why it was unique or special the area. The 1,000 foot climb was slow. You have to actually Big Sur to drove towards Carmel, through the grassy flat cow pastures that ended at the sea. Black Angus dotted the landscape of vibrant green. And unlike the pure, overwhelming natural force of Big Sur, the lighthouse rock was a talk, lonely, isolated place…and if haunted, it was so by history; the several small buildings housed exhibits to its history. The actual lighthouse is down a little on the ocean side. But the story behind the light’s intense lens and its making, psychics and use were worth me going to Wikipedia for: The Point Sur Lightstation originally contained a first-order (the largest) Fresnel lens. The lens was in use until the 1970s when it was replaced by a modern aero beacon mounted on the roof of the fog signal room. The lens remained in the lighthouse tower until 1978, when it was disassembled and transported to the Allen Knight Maritime Museum of Monterey for display. The aero beacon was later moved into the lighthouse tower. The Fresnel lens was invented by Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist. Fresnel's invention revolutionized lighthouses world-wide. Within a short time his lenses were accepted as the best available. Many are still in use today. The first-order lens apparatus that was once a part of Point Sur is 18 feet tall, with the optical portion being almost eight feet tall and over six feet in diameter. The optic alone weighs 4,330 pounds. It consists of 16 panels of prisms, each with a "bullseye" in the center surrounded by concentric rings of prismatic glass. Each ring projects a short distance beyond the previous one. Additional reflecting prisms are located above and below the center. As the cylinder of prisms turns, each panel "collects" and "bends" light into a single focused beam. Light from Point Sur's Fresnel lens was visible for 23 nautical miles. Thank you, Wikipedia. The final comment goes to the main house, where the families who lived on the rock spent their daily lives. The entire house was a well-crafted homage to the 1940-1950’s…so many every day collectibles. Every room a still image. Despite the howling winds outside, you expected to turn a corner and bump into the family member running off to the kitchen for dinner.
9. Cannery Row
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4,339 reviews
Cannery Row is the Central Coast’s premier visitor destination. Home to some of the most luxurious hotels, world-class restaurants, boutiques & galleries, spas, premium wine tasting & exciting recreation Monterey has to offer, including the best nightlife. Walk everywhere. The breathtaking coastline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the backdrop for every Cannery Row experience. Parking is never a problem, and everything is within walking distance.
Reviewed By al130
Nice tourist area with a large variety of restaurants and tourist stores. The wine tasting stores are also nice
10. Cooper-Molera Adobe
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 26 reviews
Step back into the life and times of the 19th century when visiting this historic home and gardens dating back to the 1800s.
