Old Fisherman's Wharf - Where Monterey Meets the Bay

Photo: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Monterey Cannery Row and Waterfront, a free self-guided tour.

Welcome to the wooden wharf that has tied Monterey to the sea for generations. The wharf you are standing on was built in 1870 by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company to load passengers and cargo. The city took it over in 1913, and during the sardine years it became a busy fish market. In 1923 a ship loaded with sardines leaned so hard against it that 132 feet of wharf collapsed, and it was rebuilt longer than before.

When the sardines vanished after World War II, the wharf turned to visitors. Today it is lined with seafood restaurants, candy shops and galleries, and whale-watching and fishing boats leave from here.

Before you move on, look down between the boards and out toward the moored boats. Sea lions often lounge on the pilings and buoys, and if you are lucky you may spot a sea otter floating on its back nearby.

Getting here: Start at the foot of Old Fisherman's Wharf, where it meets Custom House Plaza, and stroll out along the wharf.

Did you know?: Monterey's second, commercial wharf next door, Municipal Wharf II, was built in 1926 when the fishing business outgrew this one.

Photo op: From partway along the wharf, look back toward shore to frame the colorful shopfronts with the hills of Monterey behind.

More on Wikipedia: Fisherman's Wharf · Monterey, California

Old Fisherman's Wharf - Where Monterey Meets the Bay

Stops on this tour