McAbee Beach

Who doesn’t like an unexpected beach in the middle of Cannery Row? Picnic time! Take off your shoes and slip your toes into the calm Monterey Bay! I for one LOVE to do just that!
McAbee beach cove is on Cannery Row & Prescott Ave., behind the now Spindrift Inn. Originally this beach was like the best kept secret. Walking along the Row and coming across a family friendly beach, wow! Stop the brakes! I wanna beach comb! The small beach used to be the cove for early fishermen. You’ll see the exposed and forgotten concrete holding tanks once used to hold sardines. Rusty pipes and pilings are fun for the kids to walk or play on but be careful as these are sometimes submerged and sometimes exposed in the surf. With the warm sun shinning (on your lubed up with sunblock) face you’ll enjoy the sounds of the waves rolling in and sounds of sea birds in the air above you, you just might see this ‘thing’ emerging from the green waters… then realize, oh geeze it just a scuba diver! Whew!
The cove was named after Scotsman John B McAbee. Whom long ago had a seaside business here at the beach renting boats, umbrellas, chairs, scuba gear and such.
The Spindrift Inn was long ago called the Ocean View Hotel. Erected in 1927. In 1985 the hotel was remodeled and renamed the Spindrift Inn.
No parking lot for the beach. Your best bet is to find a lot and pay by the hour and visit all the area shops and beach. Unless you really lucky and find metered street parking.

This beach is a classic Cannery Row happy place. White sand, blue water, a few tidepools, a mural… What’s not to love? (And great for people watching those tourists too.) Have a sit down, drink a coffee and soak up the ocean air.

There’s not a whole heck of a lot of beach here but McAbee Beach does offer a nice, short diversion for those visiting Steinbeck Plaza/​Cannery Row. There are lots of rocks near the Steinbeck Plaza side of the beach and the waves can be pretty strong so it’s not great for little kids who want to play in the water, but that is more than made up for by all the smooth, worn down sea glass that kids can find in the sand.

I don’t know if we just went on a bad day, but there was a lot of trash on the shore and an angry homeless man screaming at his dog… not my idea of a good beach…

I did my open water cert. beach dives here 20 years ago. A seal tried to mug the dive float. The beach seems to have more mammals bopping around than breakwater, but that is probably just my particular luck. Lots of fun in that regards but vis has always been suckey. Other people say they have had great vis here so maybe it’s just my luck as well. I seriously prefer breakwater, tho.

Take Your Shoes Off and Wade In The Gentle Waves
A well protected small cove of a sandy bottom beach. Great rocks for the kids to explore during low tide. I enjoy the peace of watching the shore birds catch the air currents and a playful harbor seal flopping in the tops of the thick kelp. A good spot for scuba divers to walk in or a kayak to enter the water. Parking is at least a block away at meters or in the Cannery Row garage. Restrooms at nearby businesses in Steinbeck Plaza. The view is really five stars.
Dog Friendly — Three paws for lots of things to sniff and occasional shade.