Marina Dunes Beach(Marina Dunes Open Space Preserve, Marina Dunes Preserve)

Located to the north of the city of Monterey, Marina Dunes Beach is a large beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and a portion of the sand dunes around this beach is protected by Marina Dunes Preserve. 

Marina Dunes Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except some walking trails, so plan accordingly. The beach allows dogs on leash.

Marina Dunes Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, sand-boarding, sand-sledding, beachcombing, hiking, fishing, and wildlife watching. The water near Marina Dunes Beach is highly unsafe for recreational activities including swimming and surfing due to extremely strong rip currents and considerable depth. In addition, the water here also has a severe undertow, making it look calm on the surface but becoming dangerous once you go into it. In addition, we also strongly recommend that you do not leave children unattended anywhere near the water in Marina Dunes Beach as sneaker waves are also known to pull people offshore into the water.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Marina Dunes Beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. The sand dunes present around the beach offer a fun sand-sledding and sand-boarding experience. However, if you are planning to sand-sled or sand-board in Marina Dunes Beach, we recommend being extremely careful as some of the dunes here are fragile and are protected as a part of the Marina Dunes Preserve. The northern part of Marina Dunes Beach offers access to a series of oceanfront sandy areas which are great spots for beachcombing. The Marina Dunes Preserve present near this beach has interesting hiking trails which allow you to explore the preserve’s vibrant coastal landscape.

Getting to Marina Dunes Beach is easy - the access trail leading to the beach is situated near 3330 Dunes Drive, where street parking is also available.  

There are many attractions near Marina Dunes Beach. Locke-Paddon Community Park is a 17-acre park that has a series of freshwater ponds. These ponds and the area around them are great birdwatching spots and you can see many kinds of migratory and resident birds here including grebes, warblers, and coots. The park also has picnic spots, interpretive displays, and workout stations. San Juan Bautista State Historic Park is a state park that has remains of buildings that date all the way back to the Spanish Colonial era. This state park also has interesting exhibits highlighting California’s rich history. If you are looking for another attraction near Marina Dunes Beach, the Del Monte Golf Course is an 18-hole golf course that offers a fun and challenging session of golf. The course was built in the 19th century and is the oldest golf course in continuous operation to the west of the Mississippi River.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Marina Dunes Beach.  Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette has a rustic ambiance. In addition, the upscale restaurant also serves excellent seafood.  Tico’s Breakfast and Lunch offer amazing breakfast dishes, pizzas, salads, burgers, seafood, and pasta. In addition, the restaurant has also been praised by Monterey County Weekly. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Marina Dunes Beach, the modestly priced Keoki’s Hawaiian Barbecue Carry-Out Restaurant offers fantastic Hawaiian-style barbecued dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Marina Dunes Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star The Sanctuary Beach Resort offers many amenities including a restaurant, a pool, and a spa. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star SpringHill Suites by Marriott The Dunes On Monterey Bay which offers many amenities including a restaurant, a terrace, a patio with a fire pit, a pool, a gym, and a convenience store. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Marina Dunes Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Best Western Marina State Beach offers many amenities including a hot tub, garden, children’s playground, and complimentary breakfast.