You can absolutely stop along 17-Mile Drive! In fact, we encourage you to. As the name implies, the drive itself is actually fairly short, although very beautiful. The way to truly enjoy your time on the drive is to stop anywhere that strikes your fancy, whether it’s a beach, a rocky cliff, or even one of Pebble Beach’s many restaurants. There’s a lot to do and see along the drive, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t get out and smell the roses plenty of times while you’re there.
As you might expect, Pebble Beach features some really gorgeous beaches along its coast. Spanish Bay is perhaps the most popular, and for good reason, although it can be a little crowded if you visit during the tourist season. If the Spanish Bay beaches are a little too packed for your liking, we recommend heading a bit down the road to the beaches just past China Rock, which are more hidden.
Make sure you stop and take a break at Bird Rock as well. You’ll definitely know it when you see it – Bird Rock is a popular resting spot for a lot of the area’s wildlife, including pelicans, cormorants, and sea lions. If you come between November and March, you might even be able to catch a glimpse of some migrating gray whales.
Finally, no 17-Mile Drive tour is complete without a stop at Crocker Grove, home to the oldest and tallest Monterey Cypress trees in the world. We also recommend checking out Huckleberry Hill, another forested grove that was a favorite of Robert Louis Stevenson’s when he lived in Monterey.
