Monastery Beach
About
Monastery Beach is a public ocean beach on the California coast, about 2 miles from Carmel-by-the-Sea, within the San Benito-Monterey Unit. The beach has restrooms and accessible access, and there is no fee to visit. Late summer into fall is the warmest and driest stretch. Typical averages from the Monterey weather station nearby show September and October highs around 71°F, with only two to four wet days a month. Winter brings highs near 60°F and roughly 10 to 11 wet days a month. Hikers can pair a beach visit with nearby trails, including the Redondo Real Trail about 3 miles away, the Peak Trail at roughly 4 miles, and the Coffeeberry and Rhus trails, each about 4 miles off.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible access
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Monastery Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jan–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–71°F and lows of 45–54°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Monterey, CA weather station, 4.8 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan60° high45° low
- Feb61° high45° low
- Mar63° high46° low
- Apr63° high47° low
- May64° high49° low
- Jun66° high51° low
- Jul67° high53° low
- Aug69° high54° low
- Sep71° high53° low
- Oct71° high52° low
- Nov64° high48° low
- Dec59° high44° low
Where it is
- San Benito-Monterey Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Carmel-by-the-Sea, California · 2.1 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Redondo Real TrailHiking3.1 mi
Peak TrailHikingPhoto: Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3.8 mi- Coffeeberry TrailHiking4 mi
- Rhus TrailHiking4 mi
- (unmaintained trail)Hiking4 mi
- Iris TrailHiking4.3 mi
- Pine TrailHiking4.4 mi
- Lower Ridge TrailHiking4.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Monastery Beach
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
60° / 45°
11 wet
Feb
61° / 45°
11 wet
Mar
63° / 46°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 47°
7 wet
May
64° / 49°
5 wet
Jun
66° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
67° / 53°
3 wet
Aug
69° / 54°
2 wet
Sep
71° / 53°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 52°
4 wet
Nov
64° / 48°
8 wet
Dec
59° / 44°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Monterey, CA, 4.8 mi away at 260 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
