if you love rugged coastlines, charming towns, and world-class photo spots, Monterey should be at the top of your California road trip list. Just a two-hour drive south of San Francisco and a short hop from Big Sur, this stretch of the Central Coast delivers dramatic scenery, historic charm, and plenty of opportunities to fill your camera roll.

Here’s how to spend a perfect day and a half exploring Monterey and nearby Pacific Grove — with the best stops for photographers.

Day 1 – Pacific Grove & Monterey

Morning: Cannery Row & Aquarium

Head into Monterey and stroll Cannery Row, once lined with sardine canneries and immortalized by John Steinbeck. Today it’s filled with shops, cafes, and ocean views. Don’t miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium, often rated among the best in the world. The silhouette shot of visitors gazing into the giant jellyfish or shark tanks is an iconic photo op.

📸 Photo Tip: Use your ultra-wide lens for aquarium tanks to capture the entire scene and play with spectator silhouettes for dramatic framing.

Afternoon: Fisherman’s Wharf & Whale Watching

Continue to Fisherman’s Wharf for casual dining, souvenir shopping, and some of the best whale-watching tours in California. If you have time, book a trip — it’s an unbeatable experience for photographers with telephoto lenses.

Then it’s time to explore Pacific Grove next door.

I’d want you to start your morning early at the Pacific Grove Lighthouse for the best light, but it doesn’t open until 1 p.m. The soft sunrise light makes for spectacular shots — think puffy clouds, golden hues, and calm seas. Even if the grounds are closed early in the day, you can still capture great exterior shots through the fence or from nearby vantage points.

If you prefer to wait for the doors to the grounds to open, come back later, perhaps get a sunset shot, or while waiting for optimum lighting, check out downtown Pacific Grove, which is chock full of victorian homes, and rocky, dramatic coastlines.

Highly recommended: Lover’s Point, a small cove with turquoise water and dramatic rocks — perfect for wide-angle seascapes.