Monterey Cannery Row and Waterfront

Monterey Cannery Row and Waterfront

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

Monterey was the capital of California under Spain and Mexico, then a whaling port, then for a few roaring decades the sardine capital of the world. This walk follows its shoreline from Old Fisherman's Wharf, past the Custom House where the American flag went up in 1846, along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail to Cannery Row, and ends at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

On the way you will meet barking sea lions, divers and kayakers, the immigrant workers who canned the sardines, the marine biologist Ed Ricketts and his friend John Steinbeck, and the story of how a bay emptied of fish came back to life.

The route is about 2 kilometers one way on a flat paved trail and sidewalks, and takes around two hours with stops. Start at the foot of Old Fisherman's Wharf beside Custom House Plaza. The free summer trolley or a short walk will bring you back. It pairs well with a drive along 17-Mile Drive the same day.

11 stops on this tour:

Old Fisherman's Wharf - Where Monterey Meets the Bay

Custom House - Where California Became American

Coastal Recreation Trail - Riding the Old Rails

Coast Guard Pier - Sea Lion Central

San Carlos Beach - From Cannery to Kelp Forest

Cannery Row - The Sardine Capital

McAbee Beach - Monterey's Chinese Fishermen

Steinbeck Plaza - Cannery Row in Bronze

Pacific Biological Laboratories - Doc's Lab

Workers' Shacks - Homes of the Cannery Crews

Monterey Bay Aquarium - A Cannery Reborn

Plan your visit

  • Route: 11 stops · about 1.7 miles · walking, one way
  • Time: about 2 hours at an easy pace, with stops
  • Start: Old Fisherman's Wharf (directions)
  • Cost: free tour

Stops on this tour

  1. Old Fisherman's Wharf - Where Monterey Meets the Bay
  2. Custom House - Where California Became American
  3. Coastal Recreation Trail - Riding the Old Rails
  4. Coast Guard Pier - Sea Lion Central
  5. San Carlos Beach - From Cannery to Kelp Forest
  6. Cannery Row - The Sardine Capital
  7. McAbee Beach - Monterey's Chinese Fishermen
  8. Steinbeck Plaza - Cannery Row in Bronze
  9. Pacific Biological Laboratories - Doc's Lab
  10. Workers' Shacks - Homes of the Cannery Crews
  11. Monterey Bay Aquarium - A Cannery Reborn

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