Window On The Bay Beach(Monterey State Beach, Monterey Bay Park, El Estero Park Complex, Dennis the Menace Park)

Located adjacent to the Monterey Bay Waterfront Park, Window on the Bay Beach - also known as Windows Beach - is a large beach with light brown sand and sparse vegetation. This beach is a part of an oceanfront state park named Monterey State Beach. The other portion of Monterey State Beach is present a mile away from Window on the Bay Beach. 

Window on the Bay Beach offers many amenities including lifeguards, biking paths, volleyball courts, and restrooms. In addition, water-sporting equipment rental shops can also be found in a nearby separate beach named Municipal Beach. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. 

Window on the Bay Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, biking, volleyball, swimming, surfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, jet-skiing, and wakeboarding. The water near Window on the Bay Beach is safer than other beaches along this part of the Monterey County shoreline due to its manageable depth. The water near Window on the Bay Beach also occasionally offers fun surfing waves suitable for all kinds of surfers. In addition, scuba divers and snorkelers often go into the water near the beach in order to explore the vibrant marine biodiversity present here. Apart from a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates, you can also see many kinds of marine mammals in the water near this beach including seals, otters, and sea lions. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Window Bay Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have dangerous rip currents. In addition, the water here also occasionally has high levels of pollutants and microbial contamination. If you are planning to fish in the water near Window on the Bay Beach, please ensure that you follow the local fishing regulations. The Window on the Bay Park present near this beach has picnic tables and barbecue spots, which makes it ideal for families. The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail passes near the beach and offers a fantastic biking experience. In addition, the trail also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Monterey County shoreline and the Pacific Ocean.   

Getting to Window on the Bay Beach is easy - the beach is situated near the intersection between Camino El Estero and Del Monte Avenue. You can park on the street at Del Monte Avenue and a paid parking lot is available near the end of Camino El Estero.

There are many attractions near Window on the Bay Beach. Monterey State Historic Park is a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places. The state park includes 17 buildings that are a part of the Old Town Monterey Historic District and have an immense historical value. These buildings include the Old Customs House which is the oldest government building in California and the Colton Hall where the constitution of California was drafted in 1849. The state park also includes the Stevenson House and the Sherman Quarters, which were the homes of the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson and American general William Tecumseh Sherman respectively. El Estero Park Complex is a large recreational area that is spread over 45 acres and contains El Estero Lake. This park complex has a seating area, a ball-park, a barbecue picnic area, a dog park, and an outdoor exercise course. The park complex also has a fishing pier on the shores of El Estero Lake and boat rental concessions are also present near this lake. In addition, El Estero Park Complex also has an interesting children’s playground whose design is inspired by the popular comic strip Dennis The Menace. As an interesting fact, Hank Ketcham (the original creator of the comic strip) also helped in establishing this playground. You can also view many kinds of birds in El Estero Park Complex including phalaropes and herons. If you are looking for another attraction near Window on the Bay Beach, Monterey’s iconic Cannery Row street has many shops, galleries, restaurants, and hotels. In addition, this area also has some interesting historic buildings. Cannery Row was featured in Bob Dylan’s song "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands." Cannery Row is also well-known for being the setting of renowned author John Steinbeck’s novels Sweet Thursday and Cannery Row, which was also adapted into a movie in 1982 starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Window on the Bay Beach. Schooner’s Monterey offers a pleasant oceanfront dining experience. In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent seafood. This restaurant has also been awarded Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence in 2019. Monterey’s Fish House is a very popular renowned restaurant that serves amazing seafood, steaks, and excellent pasta dishes including its famous Sicilian Holiday Pasta. In addition, this restaurant has been praised by many reputed publications including Lonely Planet, Fodor’s Travel, and the MICHELIN Guide. As an interesting fact, this restaurant was also featured in the television show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which is hosted by renowned television presenter and restaurateur Guy Fieri. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Window on the Bay Beach, the modestly priced Loulou’s Griddle In The Middle offers amazing seafood and breakfast dishes. This restaurant has also been featured in the television show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

If you are looking for a hotel near Window on the Bay Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a fitness room, a spa, a craft brewery, and a restaurant. The hotel also organizes interesting scavenger hunts for kids and also offers them goodie bags. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Monterey Hotel was built in 1904 and offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and a living room with vintage seating and a fireplace. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Window on the Bay Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Monterey Bay Lodge offers many amenities including a pool, a children’s splash fountain, a hot tub, and a garden courtyard.