Biking Beautiful Monterey
Written: Dec 11 '00 (Updated Dec 29 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great ocean vistas and beaches
Cons: Watch for tourist auto traffic
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| webguy's Full Review: Big Sur |
Monterey is a place of natural coastal beauty, where dramatic scenery and quiet, pristine beaches help your thoughts escape the daily grind. To this end, I'd recommend a bike tour along the Monterey coast!
Recently, I biked the coast from Cannery Row to 17 mile Drive. To share the experience, I’ve written this tour, supplemented by photos illustrating the beauty of Monterey’s beaches. To view the photos as you read, open another browser page set to: http://members3.clubphoto.com/curt238781/Epinions_tours_Page_1/
A trip for the whole family
Biking in Monterey provides a great opportunity for the whole family to enjoy a ride along some of California’s most spectacular coastline. And, it’s so easy to plan! You can skip the trouble of transporting a family’s fleet of bikes, as there are several rental shops on Cannery Row. Adventures by the Sea, at 299 Cannery Row, will rent bikes, inline skates, and four-person rickshaws the whole family can ride together!
What makes Monterey so great for family biking is its bike trail that extends for miles along the coast. Fully paved and protected from auto traffic, the trail extends from Cannery row and north to the hotels in Sand City. While the trail is often crowded during peak hours near Cannery Row, families can bike in safety knowing their children are protected from auto traffic. Note: the trail does make a few street crossings, so supervision is necessary.
Families can rent bikes at Cannery Row, and enjoy many hours of biking and viewing the coast from the seaside trail. And, if you’re in a more adventurous mood, you can make a day-long bike tour of the coast and 17 mile drive, all the way to the famous Lone Cypress (depicted in the Epinions photo for Monterey.) The whole tour is 28 miles, but can easily be split into smaller segments. It’s not necessary to ride the full tour, but it sure is exhilarating!
So let’s get started on the tour. First, you’ll need to park and possibly rent bikes. The best parking ($5/day) is located near the marina at Washington and Lighthouse. From there, it’s a pleasant 15 minute walk to Cannery Row. If you’d prefer to park closer to Cannery Row, you can do so for $2.00/hour at Hoffmann and Foam streets.
Need to rent a bike? Check out Adventures by the Sea, at 299 Cannery Row. There you can rent bikes, inline skates, and kayaks for reasonable rates. To reserve bikes and find out more call: (831) 372-1807, or go to: www.adventuresbythesea.com
Tours for families and the adventurous
Families will have a great time following the paved trail that extends south of Cannery Row along Monterey Bay. During your tour, you’ll have the chance to take in sun, fresh ocean air, and spectacular views of the Bay! An interesting landmark near the bike path is the marina, where you can enjoy a seafood meal or join a whale watching tour. See the photo labeled “marina” on the web-page. Beyond the marina, there’s miles of paved trail winding through the north part of town and beyond to beautiful beaches with pristine white dunes.
Another scenic tour
While the above tour is a safe and fun family activity, the coastal road north of Cannery Row is by far the most spectacular ride at Monterey. This section of Monterey is quieter, less developed, and has several excellent beaches along the way. While this route is generally safe for adults and teens, I’d like to point out that once the tour leaves Cannery Row, you’ll bike along the coastal road. For most of the tour, there is a bike lane. However, cyclists will need to carefully watch traffic in the tourist areas, as drivers are sometimes distracted by the scenery and unfamiliar surroundings.
Where you’ll go, and what you’ll see:
Begin this tour by taking the paved bike trail near Cannery Row, southward past the Monterey Aquarium and out of town. Soon, the bike trail merges into a bike lane on Ocean View drive. Once you’re on Ocean View, follow this road as far as your sense of adventure allows: from there to Lone Cypress, a popular tourist destination, it’s 14 miles of rugged, beautiful beaches and fresh ocean air! Of course, a shorter tour is just as enjoyable, and on this tour I traveled just beyond Spanish Bay (18 mile round trip). Below I’ve recorded highlights of that trip, supplemented by photos of beautiful ocean views.
Mile 2: A Coastal Lookout. (photo: “mile2”)
This is a rocky point, extending into the sea, that offers great views of Monterey bay and beyond to Santa Cruz. Here, you'll see sailboats as they slip out of the marina, and perhaps catch sight of whales in their migration!
Mile 4: Asilomar Beach. (photo: “mile4”)
This is perhaps the most stunning beach in the Monterey area. With pristine, white sand and sweeping views of the coastline, it’s my favorite beach to visit. There’s a special quality of light here from the sun shining through the sea mist that’s unlike any other beach I’ve seen. The air and sea sparkles as from an unseen source of light. On a sunny day, Asilomar can be one of the warmer spots in Monterey. Just last Christmas, it was 75 here middday! And, nearby you might also spot deer keeping the golf course well-trimmed. (see the photo). Beyond Asilomar, at 4.25 miles, there’s the “Fishwife” restaurant--a great place to stop for some seafood! The lunch entrees are reasonably priced, and the attire is casual--they've even let us dine in our bike clothes!
Mile 4.5: Turn right on 17-Mile Drive.
Just beyond Asilomar, and after a short hill, you'll spot a sign for 17-Mile Drive. Take a right, and stop at the deli on the corner for a snack. You'll continue on this road to Spanish Bay and the rest of the tour.
Mile 6: Spanish Bay (photo: “mile6”)
After a short descent on 17-Mile Drive, you’ll arrive at Spanish Bay. Here there's plenty of picnic tables for a lunch with excellent ocean views. This is another great spot to enjoy a quiet moment and take in sun and fresh air.
Mile 9: The End of My Tour (photo: “mile8”)
This tour was in early December, and while it started out pleasantly warm, by mile 8 I was facing a cold wall of fog. I took one more photo, fought the wind and fog a bit longer, then headed back home.
With the fresh ocean air and sweeping vistas, Monterey is my favorite area to bike. The weather can vary greatly from day to day, but if you pick the right day, you can enjoy pleasant biking weather well into December! If you have more questions on tours in Monterey, leave a comment and I’ll try to answer them--thanks for reading!
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webguy
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Member: Kurt S.
Location: California coast
Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 47 members
About Me:
I'm an avid kayaker, biker and hiker.
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