Morro Bay to Monterey, California. Pacific Coast Highway

PCH Highway 1 Directions

From Santa Barbara, continue your California sightseeing drive on Route 101 to pretty Morro Bay (about 110 miles). The Pacific Coast Highway Route 1 can be used for the journey, but it runs inland for much of the way, so you may choose (as we did) the faster journey times that Route 101 offers. However, you should use PCH-1 for the drive between Morro Bay to Monterey (139 miles) to see the best California coastal scenery.

Morro Bay

Morro Bay is a pretty, small central California coastal community dominated by a huge volcanic rock that towers to 581 feet (175 metres) from the Pacific Ocean. There's a nice beach and a number of decent restaurants.

There's plenty of good-value accommodation at Morro Bay, so if you don't feel like driving another three hours onto Monterey you can stop off here and rest.

Morro Bay has a championship golf (18 hole course)  and some good motels and three star hotels, some with ocean views.

Hearst Castle, San Simeon

About 45 miles north of Morro Bay, is San Simeon, home of Hearst Castle. Completed in 1947 by George Hearst, a wealthy miner and Julia Morgan his San Francisco architect, it's an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of landscaped gardens and terraces. Tours of the main house 'Casa Grande' and its guesthouses are only possible by tour coach and you'll probably need to pre-book.

Monterey via Scenic Highway 1 California

From Hearst Castle, take the famous California Scenic Highway 1 to Big Sur and then onto Monterey. Highway 1 runs directly along the California coast and is most scenic on the stretch from Hearst Castle to Monterey.

The PCH-1 is often narrow, with frequent sharp turns, so take care! Look out for the best scenic lookouts and for great photographic opportunities on the way especially at sunset.

Morro Bay to the Monterey Peninsula

Take the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH-1) from Morro Bay to Monterey as this 3 hour drive has some of the finest California coastal scenery.

Monterey Sightseeing - 17 Mile Drive

Monterey and the beautiful town or Carmel sit side by side on the Monterey Peninsula. Both towns have fantastic beaches. In our opinion, Carmel has one of the best beaches and it was amongst the cleanest we've ever seen. Carmel's beach has immaculate white sand dunes and clean bathing.

For top Monterey sightseeing take the '17 Mile Drive' which runs along Pebble Beach, California (small admission charge). Click here for a high quality picture of the famous "Lone Cypress viewpoint" (163Kb). The 17 Mile Drive takes in Pebble Beach with it's luxury Mansions, world class hotel and the Del Monte Forest.

Some of the best times for Monterey sightseeing and the 17 Mile Drive are during September or early Fall to avoid the summer fog. Take the scenic 17 Mile Drive to see the spectacular California coastline which makes the Monterey Peninsula famous. You will pass the famous Peter Hay Par-3 Golf Course which has hosted the US Open Golf Championship. More pictures taken on the 17 Mile Drive and elsewhere in California and Arizona can be found in our Image Gallery by clicking here.

Whale Watching

Depending on the time of year, whale watching sightseeing trips start from Monterey wharf. See a wide variety of Whales including Humpback Whales and occasionally Killer Whales on professionally run cruise excursions.

Monterey Aquarium

Opened in 1984, The Monterey Aquarium is renowned as one of the world's best Aquariums and a popular Monterey sightseeing attraction. The Outer Bay Water's exhibit is a million-gallon enclosure with sharks, sea turtles and tuna. The Monterey Aquarium is a great 'Monterey day out' for all the family.

Piers and Wharf

Monterey's piers and wharf offer ocean-front seafood restaurants and dining and a number of varying quality souvenir shops. There is ample metered parking at both main Piers.

Attractions for Kids and Children

There's a great Dennis The Menace Playground about half a mile from the Pier in Monterey. There's lots of activities here to keep your kids amused for an hour or two.

Monterey Hotels, Car Hire and California Holidays

Find cheap Monterey hotels using our USA hotels page. Search our last minute California holidays for a great selection of late deal USA holidays.

Monterey Peninsula to Morro Bay Sightseeing Web Sites

Select other Monterey and central California sightseeing resources using the pull-down menu below. To request the addition of your Monterey web site here, please contact us.

Disclaimer

We've made every effort to ensure the accuracy of our Monterey Sightseeing Guide. However, Travel Guides cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions on this page.