Sardines, Steinbeck and sea otters: TPG's guide to exploring Monterey, California

05.03.2025 - 15:23 / thepointsguy.com / John Steinbeck

Roughly 100 miles south of San Francisco, the seaside town of Monterey is tucked into the southern curve of the bay that shares its name. Once the center of California's sardine-packing industry, Monterey is more likely to be recognized as the setting in John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row," Pixar's "Finding Dory" or the HBO miniseries "Big Little Lies" these days

As those works of fiction prove, Monterey is a multifaceted setting with something to offer many different types of travelers, whether you venture here searching for history, marine wildlife or a luxurious getaway. TPG even combined some business and leisure for a team-building retreat there in 2024.

This guide will help you get to Monterey on points and miles, find places to stay and eat, and discover the best things to do there.

Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) is just a short five-minute drive from downtown and has unique amenities like an outdoor courtyard to soak up some California sunshine before your flight departs. It has direct flights from the following airlines and cities:

It's usually more affordable to fly into a larger airport like San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) and rent a car to drive 1 1/2 to two hours down to Monterey. While Uber and Lyft are both available in Monterey — and many hotels provide shuttle service from MRY — having a rental car will make getting around and exploring greater Monterey County quite a bit easier, especially if you have plans to check out the alluring coastal town of Carmel (10 minutes away) and Big Sur (about 30 minutes away).

For a town of just 30,000 people, Monterey has plenty of points hotels for loyal customers of the major brands. Here are some of the highlights.

The Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course offers resortlike amenities across 22 acres and is just five minutes from the airport and downtown. This is where the TPG team stayed at a recent off-site retreat, and our staffers enjoyed bonding over outdoor amenities like the two swimming pools, giant board games, fire pits, racquetball and a hammock garden in between meetings at its conference center.

Its 560 rooms and suites, last renovated in 2021, are decorated in spare shades of white and beige with photographs of local scenery providing pops of color. A Hyatt Category 5 property, Hyatt Regency room rates start at $209 or 17,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Built in 1967, the Monterey Beach Hotel reopened in 2024 following an extensive renovation. Now part of Marriott's Tribute Portfolio, it is the only hotel in Monterey located directly on the beach. Its 192 guest rooms and suites have a laid-back beach vibe in muted shades of teal and white. Rates start at