Pebble Beach
Del Monte Forest, California
The community of Pebble Beach, California, is best known for the Pebble Beach Golf Links and other high-end golf courses along the Pacific Coast between the towns of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. It’s certainly a golfer’s heaven, but it also draws visitors for its coastal scenery and fine restaurants and hotels.
If you’re not golfing, 17-Mile Drive is the main attraction, winding through Pebble Beach and neighboring Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula. It’s a scenic drive (with an entrance fee) that takes you past large homes, golf courses, and natural attractions like the Lone Cypress, a landmark tree that stands on a cliff above the sea. Many day tours from Monterey and even San Francisco include 17-Mile Drive.
Aside from golfing, activities in Pebble Beach mostly involve pampering yourself, from spa treatments to elegant meals. Horseback riding is available at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center.
Pebble Beach is essentially a private gated community with few businesses aside from its resorts, golf clubs, and restaurants.
Head to the Inn at Spanish Bay or the Lodge at Pebble Beach for public services such as dining and cocktails.
Motorcycles are not allowed on 17-Mile Drive.
Pebble Beach is 120 miles (190 kilometers) south of San Francisco and 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Monterey; turn west off California Highway 1 just before you reach Carmel to get on 17-Mile Drive.
Pebble Beach is beautiful any time of year, and annual events provide a festive atmosphere and an additional reason to visit. Foodies flock to the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival, held in April, and the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a one-day event in August, brings classic-car enthusiasts out to view 200 of the world’s most prized collector cars.
For golfers, Pebble Beach is a bucket-list destination, with the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, and the Links at Spanish Bay providing some of the best golfing in the United States. Pebble Beach Golf Links has been named the best public golf course in the country by Golf Digest since the rankings began in 2003.
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