Located on the northern most tip of Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove is a place of romance, natural splendor and great outdoor hikes, bicycle rides, kayaking and exercise.

Pacific Grove is also known for its public golf course complete with its very own lighthouse. The community golf course overlooks the bay and is a place where deer roam freely all day. Quaint charm and lesser known shops and restaurants that are slightly off the beaten path make this the ideal spot for those seeking the beauty and charm, minus the crowds. This scenic region is timeless in its beauty and each nook and cranny in the road provides a different but equally stunning view of the ocean.

Pacific Grove shares borders with the Monterey Bay, City of Monterey, Pacific Ocean, and the Del Monte Forest. Its attractions include an award-winning natural history museum, a nationally-recognized 18-hole golf course, a monarch butterfly habitat sanctuary, sandy beaches and, the oldest continuously-operating lighthouse on the west coast. Known for its small-town hospitality and friendliness, locals call it "P.G."

Pacific Grove offers rugged beaches, scenic bay views and fog which can cling to the coast for days. Nobel author John Steinbeck spent many weekends and holidays in Pacific Grove and left a legacy as one of the town's most colorful characters. John and his younger sister, Mary, spent their time exploring the rocks and tide pools near Asilomar and Point Pinos and were drawn to the ruins of the Chinese settlement at China Point (now called Cabrillo Point).

After Steinbeck married Carol Henning in 1930, they moved into 11th Street cottage. Later that same year, Steinbeck met Edward F. Ricketts and a close friendship developed as two creative souls shared ideas. Although Steinbeck moved from the area, he returned many times. He lampooned it but also found a spiritual home in Pacific Grove.

Pacific Grove is a charming, scenic and romantic spot many writers find appealing. Known for gentle fogs which appear often, people tend to snuggle up to to a hearth and enjoy the ambiance offered in historic bed and breakfast hotels overlooking the Monterey Bay or situated in nearby neighborhoods. Europeans travelers feel at home with the cottages and afternoon teas they discover in Pacific Grove, Carmel and the Monterey Bay area.

A statue of a girl in front of the post office commemorates Monarch butterflies that flock to Pacific Grove to nest in the trees each spring. Butterfly docents/citizens act as fierce protectors of Monarchs, who migrate North in March.

The "Butterfly Trees" were first described in 1850, and have made Pacific Grove the best known winter home of monarchs that fly from as far as 2,000 miles away to escape harsh winter weather. The city has long called itself "Butterfly Town, U.S.A.," and for the past 66 years has welcomed the winter visitors with schoolchildren dressed in butterfly costumes parading through town. www.pgmuseum.org or pgmonarchs.org.

Walking tour and 7 things to Do

Point Pinos Lighthouse