the beach today
Monterey Bay Guide

Monterey
State Beach

Whale Capital

Everything for a day on the south shore of Monterey Bay, from surf and tides to Old Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row and where to eat after. Wide sand at Del Monte Beach, sea otters in the kelp and one of the best whale-watching harbors on the Pacific coast.

Today on the Sand

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Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Del Monte Beach

Wide sandy main stretch of Monterey State Beach

Del Monte Ave lots

San Carlos Beach

Cannery Row cove, the top shore-diving spot on the bay

Cannery Row garage

McAbee Beach

Small pocket cove tucked into Cannery Row

Cannery Row garage

Lovers Point Beach

Calm Pacific Grove cove with a protected swim area

Ocean View Blvd

Asilomar State Beach

Rugged Pacific Grove coast with tidepools and dunes

Sunset Dr street

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Cannery Row

adjacent

Monterey Bay Aquarium and Steinbeck's old sardine row

Pacific Grove

10 min west

Lovers Point and the monarch butterfly sanctuary

Carmel-by-the-Sea

15 min south

White-sand beach, galleries and storybook village

Pebble Beach

15 min west

17-Mile Drive, Lone Cypress and famous golf

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Monterey State Beach. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Beach Hazards Statement out for Monterey State Beach until 8 PM Tuesday. Dangerous surf and rip currents. Swim only near a lifeguard. Right now at Monterey, the air is 67°F. Wind is 6 mph from the WSW and the UV index peaks at 4 (moderate) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 41 minutes right now. Today’s tides: High 5:46 AM, Low 10:54 AM, High 4:18 PM, Low 11:28 PM. Whether dogs are allowed here depends on which part of the beach you are on.