City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Monterey, California
Located along California’s central coast, about halfway between San Francisco and Pismo Beach, Monterey boasts a landscape of rugged cliffs, Pacific swells and the Big Sur views of State Route 1 (a scenic drive that you won’t want to miss). Conquer a fear of heights by traversing the impressive and often photographed Bixby Creek Bridge, which spans a length of 714 feet about 279 feet above the Big Sur coast.
Bixby Creek Bridge (via Wikimedia)
Whether you’re in town for the golf links and sandy strands of Pebble Beach, the surfing and stacked rocks of Spanish Bay Beach or boating and fishing along Monterey Bay, we’ve got a few things to visit from a private boat dock for rent in Monterey.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium is located among the shops, art galleries, restaurants and seasonal events of Cannery Row. You can check out sea otters, jellyfish, penguins, sea turtles and more. Habitats include beach dunes, kelp forests, coral reefs, coastal wetlands and deep-sea environments.
The aquarium is one of the first, and most well-known, organizations to develop a sustainable seafood program. Seafood Watch is a guide that rates and recommends seafood items based on environmental safety and well-managed and responsible practices (either farmed or wild-caught), allowing chefs and consumers to make choices while either shopping or dining.
Monterey Museum of Art
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Step off the boat slip rental and head out for an art fix. For American and California paintings, photography and contemporary art, the Monterey Museum of Art is a must-visit Monterey attraction. It features art from 1875 to the present, in ongoing and traveling exhibits, from artists such as Karen Halverson, James Fitzgerald, Ansel Adams, William Giles and Francis McComas.
Old Fisherman’s Wharf
Photo: Pixabay
Old Fisherman’s Wharf was first built in 1845 as a wholesale fish market. Today, it offers shopping, dining, live theater, whale-watching excursions and fishing charters. We just think it makes an enjoyable day trip from a boat slip for rent. Enjoy the scenery and pick up a souvenir or two. If nothing else, it’s a great spot to watch sea lions and other marine life.
Monterey State Historic Park
Photo: Monterey State Historic Park (via Facebook)
Spanish explorers first landed in Monterey in 1602, so there’s a lot of history just waiting to be explored. If you have any history buffs aboard the private boat slip rental, the Monterey State Historic Park is an excellent way to visit California’s most historic homes, buildings and gardens. The historic district – declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970 - has about 17 buildings that include California’s first theatre, the Monterey Custom House, Colton Hall, the Stevenson House, the Pacific House Museum and the Old Whaling Company. They display California’s history and culture as well as Spanish, Mexican and American history. Take a walking tour and check out the museum store.
Lovers Point Park
Photo: Flickr Commons/Ed Suominen
If you’re looking for somewhere to stretch your land legs after being aboard a private boat lift for rent, a park makes the perfect choice. The 4.4-acre Lovers Point Park offers wildlife viewing, nature trails, bicycling, swimming, picnicking, fishing and surfing as well as kayak and bike rentals. The marine protected area has a concrete pier, a volleyball court, a children’s swimming pool, a restaurant and a snack bar.
We hope you’ve found some fun things to do the next time you’re visiting Monterey from a boat lift for rent.
