Monterey is found at the south end of Monterey Bay, at the north base of the Monterey Peninsula.

A significant geologic feature in the area is the Monterey Submarine Canyon which bisects the bay. At 6000 ft deep, the Monterey Submarine Canyon is one of the deepest and largest underwater canyons in the world. Coldwater upwellings from the canyons provide the bay area with rich nutrients that attract marine animals including otters, dolphins, whales, and sea birds.

Beaches and dunes are the dominant land features of the area. Dunes as high as 100 ft flank some of the beaches. Much of the sand was supplied by the Salinas and Pajaros rivers over thousands of years, and by littoral drift from the north. Nevertheless, a number of forces deplete the beaches and dunes of their sand. The dunes migrate inland covering roadways. Much underwater sand is lost to the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Two sand mining operations remove more than 350,000 cubic yards of sand each year from the dunes.

Some are concerned that the reduction in sand supply, in part due to sand mining, may be causing rapid rates of coastline erosion.

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17 Mile Drive | Alcatraz | Ano Nuevo | Carmel | Half Moon Bay | Monterey | Pescadero | Rockaway Beach | San Francisco

San Diego Area | Santa Barbara to Malibu | San Francisco to Monterey