City Guide: Monterey

     Monterey is a city of firsts.

     It was a pioneer in the printing business in California, a location for the first theatre in the state and the first to serve as the capital of California from 1777. In fact, it served for more than the Californian capital, but the seat for Spanish, Mexican and American rule in California.

     You can discover more about Monterey on your trip there. Be it a room in cheap hotel in Monterey or luxury offer we have collected them all with maps, photos and secure forms at Booked.net.

     From the capital of the Spanish colony to Mexican rule and the period of independent California, Monterey served as the seat of various governments. These made of Monterey a city of many faces. You can see it on your own if take a stroll of the city among its Colonial-style houses set side-by-side with Spanish homes and modern architecture.

Attractions include;

- Monterey Bay Aquarium, a large aquarium with exhibits on local sea life, but famous for its exhibit of a large tank of silver anchovies

- The Pacific House Museum, a display on local history and Native American life

- The Maritime Museum of History offers exhibits on Monterey's history as a port

- Dennis the Menace Park, a kid’s park with a full sized train, bridges and ducks to feed

- The Monterey Museum of Art has eight galleries with permanent exhibitions

     In 1602 Sebastián Vizcaíno landed in the area of today’s Monterey to name it after the Duke of Monte Rey, a head of the expedition. Later this small settlement by Spanish would serve as the capital of Alta California. The Spanish colonists lost control over the area to the Mexicans in 1821. It soon became a bustling trade spot for exotic goods exchanges. As soon as the American took over the area in 1846 Monterey ceded capital credentials to San Jose and the city of Monterey was then forgotten for more than 30 years till it received the first luxury hotel in 1880s. Since then the city has capitalized on tourism and its gateway location in Monterey Bay. By the 1930s, Monterey put sardine canneries to use and was ranked the ''Sardine Capital of the World''.

     Even though history is still alive in Monterey, its present attracts tourists more. In the city you can find six universities, award winning restaurants, and the best shopping in the state of California. You can experience it all in Monterey with Booked.net.