Point Joe
A stop on 17 Mile Drive, a free self-guided tour.
Point Joe has a grim nickname among sailors: in the 1800s, captains approaching in fog sometimes mistook it for the entrance to Monterey Bay, turned in, and ran onto the rocks. Several ships were wrecked along this stretch.
The point is named for a Chinese man known as Joe who lived here in a small shack around the turn of the 20th century and is said to have sold trinkets to passing visitors. Little else is known about him, but his name has outlasted almost everything else from that era of the drive.
The view takes in the open Pacific and a wide band of reefs, with the Restless Sea churning just offshore. On a clear day you can follow the coast north toward Asilomar and Pacific Grove.
There is a small parking area. The rocks are slippery and waves can surge unexpectedly, so stay well back from the edge.