Seaside is a city in Monterey County in the Central Coast region of California. It is on the coast of the Monterey Bay, just north of the city of Monterey. Formerly the site of the Fort Ord military base, Seaside now has a PGA Tour-hosting golf course and the California State University of Monterey Bay. It is a good home base from which to see all the towns on Monterey Bay.

Sand City, a three-square-mile town with a population of around 300, is surrounded by Seaside on three sides. A former sand manufacturing area, it has become an artist's colony, and its industrial buildings now house an array of galleries.

Get in

Most visitors get to Seaside by driving. It is located directly on coastal Route 1. Visitors coming from Route 101 South can take Route 68 west to Route 1 North; visitors coming from Route 101 North can take Route 156 west toward the Monterey Peninsula. Route 156 merges with Route 1 South and leads directly to Seaside.

Visitors can also take Amtrak's Coast Starlight to Salinas, and then take Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) Route 20 to the Edgewater Transit Exchange, at the Edgewater Shopping Plaza in Sand City, across the street from Seaside.

Get around

Seaside is a small town and can easily be seen on foot. Many people use bicycles to get around and they can be rented from vendors near the beach in Monterey. For car drivers, traffic jams are rare, and parking spots are plentiful.

Bus service from Monterey-Salinas Transit gives access to Seaside and nearby towns, such as Monterey and Pacific Grove.

See

Seaside Beach and Sand City beach are great places to watch the sun set.

• 1 Sand City. This former industrial site is now has a large number of artist's galleries, most open to the public. It also has an annual arts festival, the Sand City Westend Celebration, every August. (updated Nov 2015)

Do

Seaside Beach is a popular spot for kite-flying, while Sand City beach is known for its parasailers.

• 1 Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course, 1 McClure Way, ☏ +1 831-899-7271, info@bayonetblackhorse.com. These two golf courses were originally the golf course for the Fort Ord military base, and have been upgraded since. The Bayonet Course is a 7,104 yard par 72 that may be the most difficult course on the Monterey Peninsula, while the Black Horse Course is a 7,024 yard par 72. Weekday/Weekend rates: $135 for a morning tee-time, $65/$80 after 2PM, $40/$45 for late afternoon, $75/$95 for seniors (60+) and $35 for juniors (17 & under). (updated Nov 2015)
• 2 Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, Canyon Del Rey Rd (between General Jim Moore Blvd and Highland St), ☏ +1 831-372-3196. A unit of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, this 17-acre wetland is open to the public and an excellent place for birdwatching. Limited parking is available on the shoulder of Canyon Del Rey Road. Wildlife present in the preserve includes frogs, deer, hummingbirds, towhees, mallards and western fence lizards. Free. (updated Nov 2015)

Eat

• 1 Fishwife, 789 Trinity Ave, ☏ +1 831-394-2027. Serves fresh, local produce and seafood with both California and Caribbean influences. (updated Nov 2015)
• 2 Stammtisch, 1204 Echo Ave #C, ☏ +1 831-899-3070. An authentic German restaurant run by a Bavarian couple renowned up and down the coast for its fantastic menu of genuine German comfort food. (updated Nov 2015)

Drink

• Other Brother Beer Co, 877 Broadway Ave, Seaside, ☏ +1 831 747-1106. T-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-8PM. Taproom with indoor and outdoor dining. Also sells to-go beer at their “Mini-Mart”. Has food from Ad Astra. (updated Jan 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Holiday Inn Express, 1400 Del Monte Blvd, ☏ +1 831 394-5335. $100+. (updated Nov 2015)
• 2 Sand Dollar Inn, 1875 Fremont Blvd, ☏ +1 831 899-4221. $50+. 

Go next

Nearby cities include Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel. Big Sur is about 45 minutes south on Route 1.

• 1 Monterey - Neighboring Seaside to the southwest, Monterey was founded in 1770 and served as the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico, was a bustling fishing port until the 1950s, and is now a major tourist destination. Attractions include a pier filled with seafood restaurants, a world-class aquarium, a harbor that is home to an enormous number of seabirds, sea lions, sea otters, seals, and other marine life, the historic Cannery Row, and opportunities for whale watching, kayaking, or other excursions into Monterey Bay.
• 2 Pacific Grove - Pacific Grove is a beautiful town that is home to the oldest continually operated lighthouse on the West Coast, and more Victorian homes per capita than anywhere else in America. It is also the northern gateway of the scenic 17-Mile Drive. The town's rocky coastline is filled with tide pools that are easy to explore, seals, sea otters and sea lions are commonly seen in the waters, and adding to its bounty of natural riches, in the winter thousands of monarch butterflies gather in a grove at the town's center.
• 3 Marina - Located seven miles to the north, Marina is a small city that offers a handful of hotels and restaurants, but may be more interesting to travelers for the nature opportunities around the town. The Marina Dunes Natural Preserve protects the largest sand dunes on the Central Coast, while the Fort Ord National Monument offers 15,000 acres of countryside and 86 miles of hiking trails on a former army base that was declared a national monument in 2012.
• 4 Carmel - Carmel is a beautiful oceanside town that is home to the historic Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, several large beaches, excellent restaurants and an abundance of upscale lodging. It borders the iconic Pebble Beach golf course and is the entry point to the 17-Mile Drive and its dramatic ocean views.

Routes through Seaside

Santa Cruz ← Marina ←

N  S

→ Monterey → San Luis Obispo