Dog-friendly fun in sunny Monterey

Monterey is a quirky little coastal town that is a great dog-friendly destination. There are lots of attractions and things to see and do with your dog, many of the eateries welcome pets and the year round mild weather makes it a great place to visit any time.

THINGS TO DO

Old Fisherman's Wharf

While the wharf is super touristy, this also makes it lively, colourful and fun, with dogs welcome to visit so long as they are leashed and well behaved.

There are lots of places to eat, ranging from ice-creams and quick bites - to restaurants specialising in fresh seafood. We found that places that had outdoor seating were dog-friendly - but there were also lots of other spots around the wharf to sit or lean on. And if you're lucky, you and your our pup might even spot a seal from the wharf!

If you're more into shopping, then there are stores galore to buy beach wear, souvenirs, candy etc. The buildings on the wharf are an attraction on their own, painted in bright colours - and with enticing shop fronts it’s hard to resist going in. Some of the non-food related stores allow dogs to shop with their people.

Click here for a map and store directory: Old Fishermans Wharf

Lots of colour on Old Fisherman’s Wharf

Old Town Area

Not far from the Downtown area is the Old Town area which includes the Monterey Building Official’s Office that has a small dog-friendly park out front as well a few interesting things to see. These include the building itself - and its neighbours, the City of Monterey building and the Old Monterey Jail . On the lawn outside is a cute sculpture of a mama bear and her playing cubs. You can also see the 'Moon Tree' in the park (the seed for the tree travelled to the Moon and back…) and on the left side of the park is a small plaza. We spent about 30 mins walking around and checking it out.

Cute sculptures in Old Town

Downtown Area

The main street, Alvarado, is full of shops and restaurants and we saw plenty of dogs walking the streets which is a great sign of a dog-friendly town! As you walk further down Alvarado you’ll eventually reach Del Monte Ave, where the road becomes a pedestrian area which means there's a bit more space to wander with your dog. There are plenty of opportunities to window-shop and check out the different buildings along this main street.

This area then leads on to the large 'Custom House Plaza' where different events take place (there were markets happening the day we visited). From the Plaza you can go left to a small park and grassland, or head right to get to see the waterfront and get to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Cannery Row Area

We parked the car at San Carlos Beach and walked the short distance from there to Cannery Row. The walk itself is beautiful - as even though you're walking down the main street, in parts you can see out to the ocean, so every now and then you come across a gap where you can see through to the beachfront, or an interesting piece of art.

There are also some iconic places to get photos in this area, including the 'Cannery Row Company' bridge that spans the road, the rust red 'Monterey Canning Company' building and the Monterey Aquarium. The Aquarium is quite famous in its own right, but if you want to visit, it will need to be sans fur kid. There are also a number of other interesting buildings to check out, some small plazas to where you can sit and look out to the ocean, and lots of cute little stores.

The iconic Monterey Canning Co building

Scenic Road - 17 Mile Drive

If you're staying in Monterey and want to visit Carmel or go for an amazing drive - then you have to take the stunning scenic road, officially called the ' 17 Mile Drive' . It costs $11.25 per vehicle, which you pay on entry and dogs are welcome to join you.

The views along the way are fantastic and you'll see a wide range of vistas, from rocky beaches to multi-million dollar mansions peeking through the forests. There are 17 spots you can stop at along the way, including Spanish Bay Beach, Fanshell Beach (where we spotted deer in the paddocks across the road), and the Lone Cypress. We found that Beatle was fine to get out of the car and explore at all of these spots, so long as she was on lead.

As you get near the end of the drive you come across the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Club. We weren't driving the Ferrari that day (kidding) so we didn't stop, but the club itself is open to the public, and I understand that dogs are welcome in some areas, such as the restaurant patios. To see more info about the drive and get a sneak peek at the highlights visit: 17 Mile Drive

Beatle loved all the stops along 17 Mile Drive

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Dog Friendly Beaches

If you're looking for dog-friendly beaches, then head to Monterey State Beach (South of the Monterey Tides Hotel). The regulations for visiting this beach with a dog can be found here: Monterey State Beach

Whale Watching

While we would have loved to have done this, it unfortunately didn't work out with our limited time in Monterey, but both Discovery Whale Watch and Monterey Bay Whale Watch welcome good boys and girls on their tours. This would be a pretty cool thing to do with you dog (providing they have their sea legs and won't get upset tummies with the boat's movement).

GETTING AROUND

The actual Monterey town centre is reasonably compact and we were able to navigate it on foot quite easily. As we visited during summer, we did drive out to the Cannery Row area rather than walk - but I imagine this would be nice walk to do with a dog early in the day or during the cooler months.

EAT

We had a good time at Alvarado Brewery which has a big, dog friendly patio out back as well as seating out front. Judging from the number of dogs we saw around town and dining with their people it seemed like anywhere that had an outdoor patio was happy to welcome a cute doggo.

IN SUMMARY

For more info about dog friendly restaurants, shops, accommodation and hiking options in the area visit the the See Monterey website