You may have fond memories of Monterey: splashing in the waves, hiking at Point Lobos, wine tasting in the Carmel Valley, and visiting the renowned aquarium and historic mission. But how long has it been? Long known for its stylish resorts, restaurants, wineries, and spas in dreamy settings like Pebble Beach, Big Sur, Carmel Valley, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Monterey region keeps raising the bar.
Historic lodges are being redesigned almost as often as Monterey County’s award-winning restaurants are upgrading their menus. There are new or improved spas and events. And that’s all on top of the timeless draws that keep visitors returning: the resorts, the beaches, the seafood restaurants, and the region’s quiet natural splendor.
Whether it would be your first or your 10th visit, Monterey has more than ever to offer visitors, and Highway 1 recently reopened after a shutdown of nearly three years, so there’s no excuse not to go. Here are some of the newer reasons why you should.
Resorts, restaurants, and spas are opening or renovating
Several resorts have made recent changes, including two of the three Pebble Beach Resorts properties. The Lodge at Pebble Beach remodeled all of its restaurants and lounges to better showcase the views of Stillwater Cove and the Links at Pebble Beach 18th hole.
Recently refreshed, the Bernardus Lodge spa offers yoga and many other activities and treatments.
Courtesy of See Monterey
These include a California coastal cuisine restaurant (Stillwater, with a wraparound main dining room), a steakhouse (the Tap Room, bursting with golf memorabilia), a lounge (Terrace Lounge, serving creative hot cocktails and bar food), and a new 24-person private dining room (the Lone Cypress). The adjacent Casa Palmero resort, also unveiled last fall, added in-room wellness options. Think spa-level infrared sauna blankets, PEMF therapy mats, percussion massagers, and CBD bath soaks.
Alila Ventana Big Sur also made upgrades in 2025, and Carmel-by-the-Sea’s La Playa Hotel underwent a $20 million renovation of all 75 guestrooms in 2023. Meanwhile, the Carmel Beach Hotel opened in 2023, and in Pacific Grove, the Kimpton Mirador opened in February 2026.
Maintaining the tradition of the latest in wellness that has defined the Monterey area for generations, resort spas are continuing to innovate. Spa Aiyana at Carmel Valley Ranch completed a rejuvenation in March and now offers sleep-wellness sessions and creative-breakthrough workshops.
The recently refreshed Spa at Bernardus offers experiences like tarot card readings and moon manifestations. And the Post Ranch Spa, exclusive to resort guests, will continue to offer sessions ranging from aromatherapy to astrology during a spring upgrade.
Besides the relaxation that Monterey delivers so deliciously in the form of serene spas, resorts, beaches, and parks, it also delivers wellness in the form of great food. The culinary scene continues to thrive and diversify.
The splashiest of several major restaurant openings in recent years was Chez Noir, an elevated seafood place in Carmel-by-the-Sea that earned a Michelin star in 2025. Other hot spots that opened in the last five years are three downtown Monterey restaurants—Coastal Kitchen (tasting menu and ocean views), Cella (bold flavors in an 1827 adobe building), and Stokes Adobe (seafood in an 1832 building)—as well as Maligne, a Seaside restaurant highlighting wood-fired seafood and contemporary European/Classic American food curated by Michelin-star chef Klaus Georis. Benny Walker’s, a Cali-Americana-Filipino fusion spot, plans to open this spring in downtown Monterey.
New wineries and tasting rooms
New shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms are abundant in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Courtesy of See Monterey
Only Monterey’s burgeoning wine scene rivals the growing dining scene. It’s one of California’s fastest-growing wine regions, where several new wineries and tasting rooms have sprouted since September 2025.
The first to open was Vin By the Sea, a Carmel-by-the-Sea boutique wine bar that moonlights as an all-day restaurant with a coastal menu by chef Paul Corsentino, formerly of the Sur House. Next was Lepe Cellars, which moved its tasting room from Carmel to Carmel Valley Village in October. And then Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Domaine Messier, known for its pinots, opened in Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Winfield Gallery in December.
The Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival (April 9–12, 2026) is bigger than ever. Almost all of the 50-plus events are held at Pebble Beach Resorts, teeing off with a golf invitational and continuing with wine and spirits seminars, walk-around tastings, and special lunches and dinners over four days and nights. Participants can mingle freely with the 150-plus chefs (including Nyesha Arrington, Roy Yamaguchi, and Maneet Chauhan), sommeliers, and winemakers.
The new Porsche Track Experience debuted in March at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Drivers can channel their inner Dale Earnhardt or Danica Patrick in a half-day, full-day, or two-day course as they roar around the same 2.2-mile track used by the stars of motor racing. (Pro tip: Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait too long to register for this literal thrill ride.)
Looking ahead, the 127th U.S. Open will be held for the seventh time (all since 1972) on the Pebble Beach Golf Links on June 14–20, 2027. The prestigious tournament attracts golfers from around the world and fans are encouraged to book hotels and register early to attend the tournament.
Another reason to plan ahead is that visitors can reserve tee times before, during, or after the tournament on any of Pebble Beach Resorts’ other courses: the Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill, Del Monte; or the Hay, a nine-hole course designed by Tiger Woods. (The Links at Spanish Bay is being renovated between March 2026 and April 2027, with widened fairways, expanded greens, and water conservation improvements.)
While so much is new in Monterey County, the classics remain just as compelling, such as visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the National Steinbeck Center, or Monterey Historic Park; hiking at Point Lobos; strolling the ocean path from Pacific Grove to Lovers Point; relaxing at Carmel Beach; driving 17-Mile Drive or the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur (seen often on Big Little Lies); and breathing in the sea air and chowder smells of Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Classic and new experiences coexist as seamlessly as sun and sea in this haven of luxurious and restorative moments.
