Seaside (California)
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Sand City, a three-square-mile town with a population of around 300, is surrounded by Seaside on three sides. A former sand manufacturing area, it has become an artist's colony, and its industrial buildings now house an array of galleries.
Get in
Most visitors get to Seaside by driving. It is located directly on coastal Route 1. Visitors coming from Route 101 South can take Route 68 west to Route 1 North; visitors coming from Route 101 North can take Route 156 west toward the Monterey Peninsula. Route 156 merges with Route 1 South and leads directly to Seaside.
Visitors can also take Amtrak's Coast Starlight to Salinas, and then take Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) Route 20 to the Edgewater Transit Exchange, at the Edgewater Shopping Plaza in Sand City, across the street from Seaside.
Get around
Seaside is a small town and can easily be seen on foot. Many people use bicycles to get around and they can be rented from vendors near the beach in Monterey. For car drivers, traffic jams are rare, and parking spots are plentiful.
Bus service from Monterey-Salinas Transit gives access to Seaside and nearby towns, such as Monterey and Pacific Grove.
Bus service from Monterey-Salinas Transit gives access to Seaside and nearby towns, such as Monterey and Pacific Grove.
See
Seaside Beach and Sand City beach are great places to watch the sun set.
Sand CityThis former industrial site is now has a large number of artist's galleries, most open to the public. It also has an annual arts festival, the Sand City Westend Celebration, every August.
Do
Seaside Beach is a popular spot for kite-flying, while Sand City beach is known for its parasailers.
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Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course
phone: +1 831-899-7271address: 1 McClure WayThese two golf courses were originally the golf course for the Fort Ord military base, and have been upgraded since. The Bayonet Course is a 7,104 yard par 72 that may be the most difficult course on the Monterey Peninsula, while the Black Horse Course is a 7,024 yard par 72. -
phone: +1 831-372-3196address: Canyon Del Rey RdA unit of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, this 17-acre wetland is open to the public and an excellent place for birdwatching. Limited parking is available on the shoulder of Canyon Del Rey Road. Wildlife present in the preserve includes frogs, deer, hummingbirds, towhees, mallards and western fence lizards.
Eat
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phone: +1 831-394-2027address: 789 Trinity AveServes fresh, local produce and seafood with both California and Caribbean influences.
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phone: +1 831-899-3070address: 1204 Echo Ave #CAn authentic German restaurant run by a Bavarian couple renowned up and down the coast for its fantastic menu of genuine German comfort food.
Sleep
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phone: +1 831 394-5335address: 1400 Del Monte Blvd
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phone: +1 831 899-4221address: 1875 Fremont Blvd
Go next
Nearby cities include Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel. Big Sur is about 45 minutes south on Route 1.
- Monterey - Neighboring Seaside to the southwest, Monterey was founded in 1770 and served as the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico, was a bustling fishing port until the 1950s, and is now a major tourist destination. Attractions include a pier filled with seafood restaurants, a world-class aquarium, a harbor that is home to an enormous number of seabirds, sea lions, sea otters, seals, and other marine life, the historic Cannery Row, and opportunities for whale watching, kayaking, or other excursions into Monterey Bay.
- Marina - Located seven miles to the north, Marina is a small city that offers a handful of hotels and restaurants, but may be more interesting to travelers for the nature opportunities around the town. The Marina Dunes Natural Preserve protects the largest sand dunes on the Central Coast, while the Fort Ord National Monument offers 15,000 acres of countryside and 86 miles of hiking trails on a former army base that was declared a national monument in 2012.