Dunes, art, beer & wind sailing

Whizzing by the signs for our seaside towns in a rush to Monterey and points south, most folks never know they’re passing by some of the best beaches in all of central California. Marina and Seaside are neighboring cities with Sand City tucked in at the waters edge.

Why we ❤ it

Secret beaches. The spectacular dunes of Sand City were formed during the Pleistocene era at the tail end of the last ice age, some 6,000 to 15,000 years ago—the highest dunes found on California’s Central Coast. Hidden behind them is our beautiful Sand City beach, a hot spot for paragliding. The winds are right, the launch area ideal, and the view incredible. Just to the north, the Marina State Beach is a great spot for hang gliding and one of the best places on the coast to watch dolphins.

Peace dividends. The closing of Fort Ord military base in 1994 and subsequent cleanup helped transform our communities to a leading conservation and environmental research hub. The transformed site now hosts the first nature reserve in the United States created for conservation of an insect, the endangered Smith’s blue butterfly. California State University of Montery also works here with NASA Ames, leading the earth science community in ecological forecasting for coral reef monitoring, land use, and carbon modeling. The Fort Ord trails cover a wide range of habitats.

Slow down. Stretching 29 miles from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south, the Monterey Coastal Recreation Trail hugs the coast, following the same route as the old Southern Pacific Railway. Biking or hiking, the trail is a great way to reach destinations in Monterey and avoid the busy highways.

New hot spots. Marina and Seaside are growing with new eateries, breweries, night life, galleries and artists studios with cool ocean breezes!

Sustainable Seaside. Local community action group works to protect and preserve their community.

Eco-guide to living lighter

Marina, Seaside & Sand City

Marina, Seaside & Sand City

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