Town Center Travel Guide
Pacific Grove





Visit Town Center
Popular places to visit

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Step into a field guide to the Californian Central Coast, packed with local birdlife, marine life and Native American culture.

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, you’ll find a spectacular window into life both above and below the waves.

Lovers Point
Enjoy a day of sun and surf at this beautiful beach, which is one of the few places on the U.S. west coast where you can watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.

Point Pinos Lighthouse
Experience a piece of American maritime history with a tour of one of the oldest lighthouses on the West Coast.

Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary
Enjoy a trip to Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary and popular activities such as golfing in Pacific Grove. Attend a sporting event or simply enjoy the seafood restaurants while you're in the area.

Asilomar Dunes Nature Preserve
You can take time to visit Asilomar Dunes Nature Preserve during your travels to Pacific Grove.
Things to do

Monterey: Monterey Bay Dolphin and Whale Watching Boat Tour

Historic Cannery Row: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of John Steinbeck's Monterey

Half Day Private Big Sur Driving Tour in California

Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Big Sur PCH Highway 1

Monterey: Treasure Hunt The Ride - Ticket + Power-Up Combo
Top hotels in Town Center

The Charles Pacific Grove - Artfully Designed Inclusive Inn
Warm welcome each day, comfortable room, cozy breakfast, afternoon wine and cheese, and meeting interesting people all made for a lovely stay in a convenient location. We hope to stay again.
Reviewed on 13 May 2026

Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay
Everything was pretty nice, comfortable, and clean. There were two spiders we found during our stay, but other than that all was good.
Reviewed on 13 May 2026

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
The adjoining room door was next to the bed. Very poor sound proofing. The next room’s conversations at normal tones sounded like they were in our room. They talked until 2:45AM. The hotel clerk did make note of it the next morning when I reported it. Hopefully they will fix the problem.
Reviewed on 11 May 2026

Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa
The dragging of bags in & out of buildings was terrible, we had to take an elevator & walk through 2 buildings to get to our room & go outside between buildings- some buildings did not connect making it even harder to find the room, would not recommend this for mostly this reason- people move & helpful, ...
Reviewed on 13 May 2026

The Monterey Hotel
I would not recommend this place. Our room was basically filled with the bed, and the carpet was so disgustingly dirty that we had to place towels on the floor to walk without our shoes. The walls were so thin that we heard several people snoring at night, as well as phones vibrating. We hardly slept! ...
Reviewed on 12 May 2026

Carmel Mission Inn
Clean room. Super helpful staff. Very nice pool and soft robes for wearing to and from. Beautiful hotel that’s convenient and well managed. Definitely worth the stay!!
Reviewed on 13 May 2026
Other neighbourhoods around Town Center

Hillcrest
While Hillcrest may not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like Monterey Bay Aquarium and Presidio of Monterey.

Retreat
If you're spending some time in Retreat, Monterey Bay and Monterey Bay Aquarium are top sights worth seeing.

Sunset
Sunset might not have many top sights, but Monterey Bay Aquarium and Asilomar State Beach are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Grove Acres
Grove Acres might not have many top sights, but Monterey Bay Aquarium and Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Country Club Gate
While Country Club Gate isn't home to many top sights, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Presidio of Monterey are some notable places to visit nearby.

Beach Tract
While there might not be top attractions in Beach Tract, you can explore the larger area and discover places like Monterey Bay Aquarium and Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary.

