If you are looking to enjoy the holidays without having to shovel snow, then winter in Monterey is the season for you! Look forward to great weather, fewer crowds, plenty of fun and winter festivities!
Top 7 Reasons to Visit Monterey, CA in Winter
From whale watching to enjoying a cozy beverage with a view, here are the top 5 reasons to visit Monterey County this winter.
1. Festive Events
There are over a dozen Monterey County Holiday Happenings between late November and January, so plan accordingly. Looking for a comforting meal without having to cook? Get into the spirit and Ice Skate by the Bay in the Custom House Plaza or attend a holiday tree lighting at one of these Christmas events! If you are still here to ring in the New Year, celebrate at First Night Monterey which is an all-day family-friendly event.
2. No Snow!
Need we say more? Enjoy Carmel Beach, a beautiful, peaceful haven. The pristine white sandy shores and gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean will take your breath away! Fog is not usually an issue in the winter months and it's often our sunnier time of year. Take advantage of the great weather and get outside this holiday season.
3. Fireplaces With a View
Cozy up next to the warm fireplace and listen to the bagpiper play at the Inn and Links at Spanish Bay. Or enjoy alfresco dining and watch the sunset from the upper deck at Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette Restaurant.
For a more intimate take, book a room at Carmel Valley Ranch where every suite has a fireplace. Whether you're looking for a scenic view or a spot to enjoy some people-watching, you'll find the perfect fireplace just for you.
4. Warm Up With a Steamy Beverage
There are many restaurants and cafés in Monterey County offering cozy concoctions that are bound to warm you up!
Take in the legendary views of the Big Sur coastline at Nepenthe where they brew up a legion of coffee drinks, the highlight of which is without a doubt the Keoki Coffee, made with specialty coffee, Kahlua, Créme de Cacao and Brandy topped with whipped cream.
Get the “Best of Both Brews” and visit The Beerded Bean where coffee and beer are served! Try their Mexican Mocha or one of their seasonal drinks.
Indulge in luxury and a liquor libation at The Lobby Lounge located at the Inn at Spanish Bay. Sit by the fire pits on the patio to admire the views and listen to the bagpiper play right before sunset. Every hot drink is done to perfection, from the traditional Irish coffee to the Nutty Scotsman or the Hot Oaxaca Chaca, which is made with Hornitos Reposado, Agave, hot cocoa, whipped cream and cinnamon. Explore all the holiday cocktails around Monterey!
5. Winter Whale Sightings by Land and Sea
Winter is prime time for spotting whales along California’s central coast. From December through mid-April, giant gray whales travel more than 10,000 miles from the icy Alaskan waters to the warm birthing lagoons of Baja California and Mexico. They’re often accompanied by pods of orcas and a variety of dolphins (lured by tempting anchovy treats filling Monterey Bay). Hop aboard a whale watching cruise for up-close views of these gentle giants. Landlubbers can stroll along sandy beaches in places like Garrapata State Park and Marina State Beach to view breaching whales clearly from the shore when they come to feed in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, the third largest in the world.
6. Winter Monarch Mecca
Witness fluttering clouds of orange and black descend upon charming Pacific Grove, also known as Butterfly Town, U.S.A. California’s central coast is the only place in America where monarch butterflies migrate to overwinter. They begin arriving in October and stay through February, creating spectacular effects as they flit and float through the air and hang in clusters from eucalyptus, pine and cypress trees in Pacific Grove’s Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary. Because monarch butterflies have a lifespan of less than one year their migration remains a mystery. They arrive each year, never having been to this destination before. Visit in the early afternoon, the warmest time of day, to see these delightful creatures when they’re most active.
7. Birding in Winter
Monterey County is part of the Central Coast Birding Trail. So, birding enthusiasts: pack up your spotting scopes to view an intriguing mix of wintering birds such as rhinoceros auklets (cousin to the puffin), murrelets and uniquely beaked northern fulmars. Elkhorn Slough is one of the last remaining coastal wetlands in California, providing varied habitats for wintering shorebirds such as black turnstones, surfbirds, brown pelicans and dozens of duck species, including buffleheads and mergansers. You can kayak amid diving loons and grebes or enjoy a free birding tour along boardwalk trails the first Saturday of each month.
Dark-eyed juncos and towhees flutter and forage around willows and underbrush in Pinnacles National Park. The park’s rocky peaks are home to migrating raptors and smaller birds, like the acrobatic violet-green swallow. The fragrant forest of rare Monterey Pine in Jacks Peak Park offers breathtaking ridge-top vistas and the potential to glimpse migrating hawks and swifts. The Marina Dunes Preserve and sandy shores of Carmel River State Beach play host to wintering flocks of threatened snowy plovers and the beach’s freshwater lagoon attracts many wintering species including champion-flyer Arctic terns.
Bonus: Baby Seals, Sea Lions & Otters, Oh My!
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the best places in the world to see seals, sea lions and sea otters. You can typically hear the piercing bark of playful, raucous sea lions before you see them, packed together on rocks, jetties and under wharfs. Shy harbor seals can be seen resting on rocks and secluded beaches just offshore. While sea otters float on their backs near kelp forests – newborns cuddled on their mother’s tummies. From late winter through spring, witness the antics of their adorable pups at places like Elkhorn Slough, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and all along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail.
