Monterey is a Spanish colonial town situated at the southern tip of Monterey Bay, about 2.5 hours drive south of San Francisco. The town offers a rich variety of compelling attractions, and is ideally located for exploring California's Central Coast from Mendocino in the north, to Santa Barbara in the south. Nearby Carmel, Big Sur and the Santa Lucia highlands offer unique arts and quaint shops, rugged cliffs and spectacular beaches, and award-winning viticulture.
Ah, Monterey! The perfect place for the whole family!

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Monterey, Monterey Bay, and Carmel

Originally explored by Europeans in 1602, the Presidio of Monterey was established in 1770. Monterey became the capitol of Alta California in 1777, continuing in that capacity until Mexican rule ended in 1847. Several of the colonial adobe buildings remain preserved in Monterey, allowing visitors the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Spanish era.

Monterey Bay has always been associated with abundant sea life. From the numerous sea lions and whales cited by the early Spanish explorers to the great forests of giant kelp (seaweed) growing under the waves, Monterey's history has been one intertwined with the sea. The early 20th century brought a boom of commercial fishing to Monterey, the ecological and human costs of which were chronicled by John Steinbeck in his famous novel Cannery Row. Today, the Monterey Bay Aquarium allows visitors to experience local sea life as it occurs in the Bay, including a giant tank hosting its own kelp forest. The defunct factories of Cannery Row have been carefully transformed into shops, restaurants and museums while retaining their historic architecture.

The town of Carmel is a haven for the visual, tactile and culinary arts situated just a few kilometers south of Monterey. Here, visitors can explore countless galleries, lunch on a sophisticated burger at Clint Eastwood's Hog's Breath Inn, spend a few sunny hours on the beach, golf on world-famous links, or explore how the upper class live among the Cypress trees and sea spray along the famous 17 Mile drive.

The Monterey Bay coastline begins about 40 miles north in Santa Cruz, and continues along the eastern edge of the Bay, south through the city of Monterey proper, then further south along the Pacific Ocean to Carmel and beyond to Andrew Molera State Park, just north of Big Sur. From our Concilium hotel, it is possible to explore several miles of Bay and Pacific beaches by bicycle via the Coastal Trail, which runs from Seaside, north of Monterey, to Pebble Beach in the south.