15 Romantic Things to Do in Monterey

One of my wife’s and my favorite places for a romantic getaway is the Monterey Peninsula. We have spent about half of our anniversaries in the area. Here are some romantic things to do on a weekend for two MontereyPacific Grove, and Carmel.

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Stay in an inn

There are some great hotels on the Peninsula, including some right on the water in Monterey or right in the middle of touristy Cannery Row, but for my money, staying at one of the many inns in Pacific Grove is more romantic.

A number of Victorian-era homes and inns in Pacific Grove have been converted into inns. The Seven Gables Innthe Martine Inn (see my review), and the Green Gables Inn have great locations right on the water between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Lover’s Point.

They are also some cheaper options inland a few blocks, including the Gosby House, and our perennial favorite, the Centrella Inn. For an extra splurge at the Centrella book one of the cottages or the Lover’s Loft. This is the kind of place where you can have a glass of wine and something tasty with the other guests in the evening and a delicious breakfast in the morning. This isn’t the place you go to watch movies on TV… because there isn’t one.

Take a ride on Seventeen Mile Drive

Seventeen Mile Drive has been attracting tourists since I moved to Monterey County in the 1960s. If you’re a golfer, a visit to Pebble Beach is almost mandatory, but whether that fits into a romantic weekend is up to you and your sweetie.

Stop at the Lone Cypress for a photo opportunity at what is said to be the most photographed tree in the world. Be thankful that, unlike the Cypress, you are not alone.

Take a walk along the coast

While Seventeen Mile Drive may be a big draw, it’s mostly made up of mansions and golf courses. I would recommend a coastal walk in Pacific Grove instead. Our favorite hike is the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail from Lover’s Point to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. You are sure to see harbor seals on the beach at the Hopkins Marine Station. There’s also a good chance you’ll see sea otters floating on their backs among the kelp, so bring binoculars. Sea otters mate for life. Be inspired by that.

If you’re in the area on the weekend you’ll probably see a wedding or at least a wedding party or two taking photos at Lover’s Point or somewhere along the trail. I can think of worse places to propose, if that’s what you’re into.

You can combine a walk with dinner at the Beach House, which has some of the best views of the coast, or at one of the restaurants near Cannery Row. For an upscale splurge restaurant, try The Sardine Factory or Chart House.

Take a bike or Surrey ride

You can rent a bike or even a surrey and explore the coastal route further. The path continues from the Aquarium to Fisherman’s Wharf and then miles along the coast to Marina. The part of the route from Lover’s Point to Fisherman’s Wharf is flat and the most beautiful part. But further north along the bay you will find large sand dunes, starting around the bay Monterey Tides Hotel.

Rent a sea kayak

Whether you take a guided sea kayak tour or just rent a kayak, nothing can test your love for each other than maneuvering a double sea kayak together (there’s a reason some guides call these separation boats). Even if your long-term relationship requires you to rent two separate boats, exploring the bay coast from a kayak can be a wonderful experience.

Take a ride on Highway 1

In my opinion, a better ride for two people is along the California coast on the iconic Highway 1. You can drive Highway 1 as a way to get from one end of the state to the other… if you have time, but what I am Highly recommended here is a drive from the Monterey Peninsula to the Big Sur area and back as a road trip.

Taking this drive will leave you plenty of time to get out of the car and walk to a waterfall at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park or walk to the beach at Andrew Molera State Beach.

Bring a picnic to enjoy along the way. Buy a bottle of wine at a local winery, some Monterey Jack (yes, it was invented here) and hop off at one of the parks or even just one of the pullouts along the way to enjoy lunch with just you, your loved one, and a picnic.

Stop for a romantic dinner at one of the few restaurants near Big Sur. My favorite is Nepenthe, just south of Big Sur. Nepenthe has been around since the 1940s. Sit on the back terrace with beautiful views of the rugged coastline. The food is great and the atmosphere is better.

End your ride with a stop at the Hoogland’s Inn in Carmel Highlands for a drink on their terrace while watching the sunset. You don’t want to be driving on Highway 1 at night, so it’s a good idea to get back to Carmel Highlands before dark.

Take a walk

There are a number of great state and regional parks in the area, but the gem is Point Lobos State Reserve. This point is covered with gnarled cypress trees and Spanish moss. It offers beautiful coastal walks. What it doesn’t have is parking. So this is the park for the early birds. Those of you who like to sleep in may need to park along the highway and walk into the reserve.

There are no bad hikes at Point Lobos, but one of my favorite short hikes is to Sea Lion Point overlooking Sea Lion Cove. In the past you could swim in the cold water in this bay until the sea lions claimed it.

Jacks Peak is the highest point in the area at 300 metres, making Jacks Peak Park a popular place for walks with locals. The newer Fort Ord National Monument has opened hiking trails between Salinas and Monterey on what used to be the home of the 7th Light Infantry Division. These trails and the trails at nearby Toro County Park will generally be warmer than those on the coast.

Try wine tasting

Carmel used to be all about art galleries, restaurants and small shops, but in the days of Amazon.com it was difficult to run a small shop. A new trend in Carmel is wine tasting rooms. There are at least 16 different wine tasting rooms in Carmel today. Many of the wineries wave the cost of a tasting if you buy a bottle.

Our favorite tasting room is the comfortable De Tierra where you don’t have to stand at the bar. We know we’ll undoubtedly pick up a bottle of their Franan red wine blend, but we might also discover something new. During COVID, tasting rooms and restaurants in Carmel were each given a parking space or two to move outdoors.

If you want to visit a winery and not just a tasting room, you don’t have to drive all the way to Napa and Sonoma. The two closest areas for wineries are Carmel Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands nearby Soledad in the Salinas Valley. See my reviews of Folktale in Carmel Valley and Hahn Family Winery in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Beach House at Lovers Point

Romantic dinner

If you can’t find a great restaurant for a romantic dinner on the Monterey Peninsula, then just don’t try it.

For seafood you can go to one of the restaurants on the quay Old Fisherman’s Cave or one of the local favorites like Monterey’s Fish House on busy Del Monte Ave or the Pisces woman off the beaten path in Pacific Grove.

If your budget is set to ‘splurge’, The House of Cards on Pacific Grove has been around longer than I’ve been alive but still gets great reviews. The Beach House at Lovers Point has one of the best views but in a more affordable price range. Our favorite is Peppers Mexicali Café in Pacific Grove.

Attend the Monterey Jazz Festival

Of all the events happening on the Monterey Peninsula, the Monterey Jazz Festival seems to me to be the most romantic. The Monterey Jazz Festival is held in September during normal years. Other festivals and events in the area include the Carmel Bach Festival, the Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival, Monterey Festa Italia Fisherman’s Festival, and the Castroville Artichoke Festival.

Play golf with two

Golf is not my game. I hold the course record for the municipal course in Salinas… for most strokes. But if you and your loved one are both golf fans, there are legendary golf courses in the area, such as Pebble Beach and Spyglass. You can reserve a round of golf, but do this in advance.

If the price of a round of golf at Pebble Beach is out of your budget, consider the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course, also known as the “Poor Man’s Pebble Beach.” The back nine is located along the coast with beautiful views.

Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Any list of things to do in Monterey seems like it has to include the area’s biggest tourist attraction, the aquarium. But what’s romantic about an aquarium, you ask? I admit that watching the jellyfish or watching the sharks swim through the kelp forest may not seem romantic, but let me say two words: sea otters. Nothing is as cute and cuddly as sea otters and you may be lucky enough to see one as you walk along the coast, but you will definitely see a few at the aquarium.

Take a food tour

If the easiest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, how about a food tour of the Monterey area, where the emphasis is as much on what to eat as what to see. Get a dose of history, but served with beer, pizza, wine, chocolate, ice cream and pasta or another combination of local dishes. Do this at the beginning of your weekend to discover where you can go back later.

Go sailing

A sunset cruise can be a great romantic treat, but choose your cruise carefully. While deep sea fishing is possible, it may not be the right trip to pitch to your loved one. Likewise, a whale watching tour in Monterey Bay can be a lot of fun… but these trips often leave the calm bay for rougher seas. Getting seasick may not be the highlight of your trip, so bring Dramamine or check the weather first.

A better option might be to board one of the local sailboats with a captain and explore beautiful Monterey Bay.

See a sunset on the beach

Monterey actually faces mostly north, so it’s probably not the best place to see the sunset. You can get better sunset views from the white-sand Carmel Beach or further north at Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

My favorite beach for sunsets is Asilomar Stare Beach, which is located a little further up the coast from Lover’s Point. Here you can watch the sunset and the waves crashing along the coast. During the COVID pandemic, we brought camping chairs and just sat in this beautiful spot looking at the ocean.

Conclusion

Those are 15 things to do in the Monterey Area. There are many more. We’ve been coming to Monterey for over 30 years and we’re still not tired of it. What would you add to my list?