Ever shifting sands and perpetual Pacific breezes make Marina a “favorite places” nominee among outdoor enthusiasts. Sheltered from Monterey Bay by the sand dunes of Marina Dunes Natural Preserve, Marina is hugely popular with hang gliding pilots, and captains of all manner of wind-propelled craft. Speaking of wind, every Mother’s Day weekend Marina hosts the annual Festival of the Winds: it’s quite possibly the one time a year when hang gliders and giant kites outnumber raptors and song birds along the coast. If there’s any space left on your digital camera’s memory stick, a trip to Marina State Beach with its unique Central California flora and fauna should put you in mega pixel overload.
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
