MACABEE BEACH: Probably the Monterey Peninsula’s
tiniest beach, located in the middle of Cannery Row. A perfect spot
for Kayakers to launch off from and a known spot for scuba divers to
come ashore from exploring parts of the bay. Amid restaurants that surround
it, it is a perfect little spot for children to dabble barefoot and
tourists are often seen enjoying the calm tides rolling in from the
bay.
CLIMATE: The weather in Monterey Bay can
be changeable, and sometimes susceptible to thick marine layers bringing
in the fog from June through mid-August. The temperatures are fairly
moderate, and chillier during the winter months. Layered clothing is
advisable.
ACTIVITIES: There is not enough room on
this beach for a lot of activity. It is tiny, surrounded by restaurants
on Cannery Row. Quaint, it offers a lure for tourists who might want
to feel the sand between their toes while shopping or eating in Monterey.
It is a perfect spot for launching a kayak, or a great little resting
spot for divers.
LOCAL FLAVORS: Macabee Beach is smack dab
in the heart of one of the oldest attractions in the Monterey Peninsula,
“Cannery Row.” As far back as 1902,
with the start of the Monterey canning industry: Booth Cannery in the
Monterey harbor and the Japanese canning venture, Monterey Fishing &
Canning Co., were on the coastline near Macabee Beach. Also renowned
because of celebrated author, John Steinbeck, who made Cannery Row famous
in his 1945 novel, “Cannery Row.” There is a wide assortment
of gift shops, coffee shops, seafood restaurants and the world famous
Monterey Bay Aquarium and San Francisco’s own, Ghiraradelli Chocolates
in Cannery Row. The wharf is moments away, as is downtown Monterey.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
- Monterey Recreation Trail/On the waterfront
- Whale watching/Spring and winter only
- Monterey Museum of Art
- Monterey Jazz Festival/Mid September
- 17-Mile Drive/Pebble Beach
- Carmel by the Sea
- Carmel Mission Ranch Resort
- Laguna Seca/Summer months
- Point Pinos Lighthouse/Oldest working lighthouse on the west coast
- Golf/Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Spanish Hill and Quail Lodge to name
a few
by: Carla Iacovetti
©2006Carla Iacovetti
