Monterey Travel and Tourism Guide

Monterey is a spectacular coastal community in northern California with a temperate climate year-round. Visitors from around the world come to Monterey to experience its natural beauty, cultural resources and rich historic past. Located 115 miles south of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles, Monterey offers an excellent quality of life and unparalleled beauty.

The city is noted for its rich history of resident artists beginning in the late 1800s and its historically famed fishery. At one point in time Monterey was considered the sardine capital of the world. Monterey is home to the Naval Postgraduate School the Defense Language Institute, and California State University Monterey Bay; Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey American Viticultural Area; Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and a Marine Mammal Center field station located in the area.

The former Fort Ord Army base is located on the eastern edge of the city and is home to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a world famous road race course.

Many California "firsts" occurred in Monterey; including the first theater, brick house, publicly funded school, public building, public library, and printing press. California's first constitution was also drafted here in October 1849. Lastly the Monterey Bay area is also know for its natural beauty, kelp forests, sea otters, and extensive marine research and exploration history.