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Adventures by the Sea
Categories: Active Life Bike Rentals Active Life Boating Active Life Rafting/Kayaking Bike Rentals, Boating, Rafting/Kayaking [Edit]
201 Alvarado StMonterey, CA 93940
(831) 372-1807
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
35 reviews for Adventures by the Sea
35 reviews in English
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Review from Cindy C.
Silicon Valley
2/27/2012
So much fun! Because we have two young kids, we rented a surrey from here the last few times we visited the area. It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors and the gorgeous views. We rode from the Portola Hotel to Lover's Point and it was a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the ocean view!
The two-person surrey is definitely much lighter and therefore, easier to pedal than the four-person. You can put a small child up front and one in the middle. The ride to Lover's Point definitely has steeper grades making it a tougher trip but the trip back is easy. My 10-year old swapped seats with me and he and my husband did most of the work on the way back.
Bring some water and even a picnic to enjoy at Lover's Point. Make sure you travel light though.
The people who work at ABTS are really nice and helpful.
Next time we plan to rent bikes and kayaks! They also do kayak tours which we want to try during summer! -
Review from Casey S.
4/6/2012
When it comes to bikes, it's all about location, location, location. Nobody wants to be situated in the middle of god-knows-where when there are paths to ride.
Adventures by the Sea knows this rule, and has taken it to heart. Sure, the bikes are sound, but they are literally right next to a path that stretches from Lover's Point to Sand City.
Plus, with rentals at the Anton Inn and hourly pricing available, this place is most certainly flexible. You gotta love convenience. -
Review from Jenny G.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Rented a bike here last weekend and biked along the coast with my boyfriend. It's $7 per hour which is pretty decent. Staffing is super nice and friendly.
highly recommend this place for your rental gears :) -
Review from Aaronette K.
Oakland, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
We had such awesome service, the guy running the store was helpful, helped my babygirl and I get a better bike more comfortable for us and gave Ahmad the hookup for the day! It made our family day that much better! We will be back!
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Review from Chellen G.
Hayward, CA
4/16/2012
We decided to rent a large surrey on another one of our Monterey adventures! Lol, it sure was! We rented the larger 4 pedal type and we loved it. My son got a chance to drive it too! Nothing more therapeutic than being one with nature! Lovely views! Very friendly at the front desk. Go early. Be willing to wait as it can get packed. You can also rent bikes and smaller surreys too. We'll definitely do it again. Most likely bring our own bikes on these trails next time.
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Review from S M.
Clovis, CA
12/30/2011
Rented a kayak from this place, it was the cheapest place I could find. The kayak was very comfy (if you could call it that) and service was awesome!
Will continue to come back! -
Review from Mary C.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here three times.
The first time I went here, was on a retreat with some people in my club. We rented out kayaks, and they were extremely helpful individuals. The guy who helped us get settled with the kayaks was super nice about the whole process and explained everything to us in detail. He even rescued a friend who was pushed off at a bad time and nearly got stuck under a dock! The second time I went here, was actually the very next day. Again, they were very helpful and even gave us a bit of a discount since they recognized us when we rented our bikes and surreys.
Most recently, I was here in August with a group of friends and it had been about two years since I had come here. We actually parked about a 10 minute walk from here, and went to the other bike shop, before I told them that we could rent a bike at Adventures by the Sea for significantly cheaper! :P I'm a really poor bicyclist due to having never really learned, but they were really nice about helping me select one for our biking adventure! The guy who helped me with the bike-picking process also tries to adjust my seat for me, even though he had wrist injuries (poor guy :(( ). They even told us what paths we might want to hit up! We were about half an hour to an hour late when we returned our bikes, but they charged us for just the two hour bike ride. That was super nice of them!
I would DEFINITELY will come back again! :)) -
Review from Terra R.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/25/2011
My husband and I went here twice during our visit. Once to rent bikes and another to rent kayaks.
The guys working there are great, very personable and helpful (as neither of us had been on a bike in over a decade and I had never used a sea kayak before). Their recommendations were honest and helpful. And atleast with the bike rentals they were a bit cheaper than their competitor up the road.
We would definitely recommend Adventures by the Sea and would use them again. -
Review from Bev M.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/20/2012
I bought tickets for a kayak tour as a birthday gift for my husband. Our kids are 12 and 19 and we all had a blast. From making reservations through the end of the tour, the folks were extremely helpful and pleasant. The trip was fun, informative, gorgeous, and we saw a lot of wildlife, including sea otters, which is the main thing I wanted to see up close.
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Review from Kristin M.
Marina, CA
10/10/2011
Fun fun fun! They always make a great adventure out of any party and every party a great memory.
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Review from Alexis M.
9/28/2010 1 photo
Talk about fun!
We rented a surrey for a couple of hours to take our kids out and enjoy Monterey.
The surreys are getting a little old...could probably use some updating but they were in perfect working condition.
Evan, was very nice and helpful. He even held on to our stroller for us while we rode around.
Kids loved it, we loved it. We laughed a lot, and what's better than that? -
Review from Radha S.
San Francisco, CA
4/22/2009 1 photo
Thanks again, Yelp.
I found this place on Yelp and have been bothering my hubby for the past 2 months about how I want to go to Monterey and go bike riding. Well we finally went on Saturday, and got there around 1pm and we parked in the public lot.
(sidenote: try to park in a public lot because otherwise parking is $20 for the day at a private lot; as opposed to $10 a day in the public lot)
Anyways, we walked in the shop, it's easy to find. The staff was really friendly and when we were walking to the shop we saw these four people bikes with a cover on them. So I asked the staff if that would be more fun for us or if we should go with the two individual bikes.
The suggested that we would enjoy the individual bikes, and boy were they right! We had so much fun, we rode around on the bikes for 3 hours, it would have been longer had my hubby had his way, but they give you a map, the bike, a helmet, and a bike lock (take it all!)
The staff is really nice and helpful, and the bikes are definitely comfortable to ride. -
Review from Cat Y.
Fresno, CA
10/23/2006
Monterey, California is probably most popularized by Steinbeck's novel, but I'd have to say it is very worth the time you spend there. Cannery row is a hit, but hiding on Cannery Row is a small shop called Adventures by the Sea. It is a must go and check out place.
Here you can rent and kayaks for cruising the beautiful Monterey Bay. My favorite is the kayak rentals. For a good price, you get a quick briefing on how to kayak and a push away and you will float out into the kelp bed and sit among sea otters and sea lions. The price has gone up only $5 since I last been there.
For those of you afraid of the deep blue ocean...don't frett...because I'm alive. (I could not swim the two times I've been out on a kayak.) They've got life jackets and a quick lesson on how to react should the kayak flip over. If you're that afraid...just get a bike and cruise up and down Cannery Row. Whatever you do...this place will not let you down!Listed in: Out and about.
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Review from Stephanie C.
Mesa, AZ
8/31/2011
Staff is beyond amazing!! Never went kayaking before and I was extremely nervous. Ann our instructor and tour guide was beyond wonderful. Got me to a point where I was completely comfortable. She is very knowledgeable on all the marine life and gets you excited about it. Cant say enough good about them! Worth the $! (really reasonable!)
thank you for a wonderful experience! -
Review from Teufy N.
Elm Grove, WI
1/23/2012
I used to rent bikes here before finally buying one of my own. The staff is always super friendly, especially to military members. They always charged me less than the standard rental prices, which I really appreciated on my tight budget. An excellent spots for tourists who want to explore the bike trail.
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Review from Keane L.
8/2/2006
Biking in Monterey was one of the best ideas I never had.
Saw some guy on a Segway do a wicked jump. Actually, I think he was falling over... Is it just me, or does everyone on a Segway look extremely lazy?
The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Prices aren't low, but it's still worth it.
Locks are provided so you can do some walking. Accepts credit cards. -
Review from Tan L.
San Jose, CA
8/25/2011 2 photos
Just came back from a trip to this place. Rented a 6 adult seat bike but only 4 people can pedal + 2 kid seat which was missing a bell/horn. Had a great time until the end when we returned the bike where the male employee tried to milk us money by saying we made the bike pedal crooked/damaged which was false. The funny thing is that he was not the same person who checked us out for the bike. The person who checked us out the bike did not even acknowledge/mention. We were never told about any available insurance options so that we can be protected. Told the dude that his reputation on Yelp was on the line was it made him think twice and did not charge us for the fraudulent claim.
The bike we got was a blue one and it had two steering wheels, but there was only one working steering wheel (left). There is also a chain lock available on the bike so that you can lock up the bike if you decided to park and go shopping or go down the beach/park. The closest parking would be the Fisherman Wharf parking ROW A, where you will park and walk across the overpass of tunnel (lighthouse rd. or street). Overall it was a fun and great experience since it is one of the few places that offer such type of bikes for rent.
Word of advice; take a picture of the bike to protect yourself if you should encounter the money milking employee at the end of your bike rental. Make sure to check out a bike that has a horn and a working one. The rate for the 6 seat + 2 kid front seats was $30/hr. Another thing I notice is that Yelp shows the address as 201 Alvarado Street, but when I was standing in front of the store it said 210 which might be the suite #. -
Review from Uncle Fishbits Aeneas X.
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
9/15/2008
I used to have a friend that worked here. I have had so many endless, incredible, BEAUTIFUL times.... on the water and more.
I love ABTS.. so much. And that four person bike makes me smile every time.Listed in: Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur? TO…
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Review from Anna P.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2011
Cheaper than the bike rental places near the aquarium and very nice/helpful!
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Review from Chris G.
2/2/2009
So we got here really early, a little before 9 AM on a Friday morning. There was a coolness in the air, well fairly cold and it was my first time kayaking. The owner Riggs was nice enough to let us go early and recommend we use single kayaks even though it was my first time, since my friend was a seasoned kayaker. He was so right. Even if you are a newb to kayaking going in a single kayak gives you a compled experieince and allows you to really be one with the sea.
When I first went it, it was little choppy and I soon realized I liked going right into the waves so it did a little jump as I came down. I was a little nervous at first, but once I relaxed it was beyond fun. My friend told me that at one point a dolphin was really close to me and jump but I didn't realize it. Since we have to stay 50 feet from mammals I didn't think I would get to see any close up, but at one point 2 dolphins jumped out of the water about 12 feet from me which freaked me out a little since I though of the 50 foot rule. Paddling through the kelp isn't as hard as I thought. I learned fast after I got myself slightly wet.
One thing I won't forget is when it's time to go ashore once the kayak hits the shore jump out fast. I waited for another wave to push me a litte closer, when my friend hit my kayak turned me sideways and the wave came back and soaked me. I laughed about it, but learned a hard and wet lesson. Salt water is not tasty. -
Review from David F.
San Jose, CA
5/14/2009
Renting bikes couldn't be easier! I made a quick weekend escape to Monterey recently and my wife suggested we rent bikes for a few hours. Adventures by the Sea turned out to be perfect - low key, friendly, bikes in good condition and reassuringly affordable.
We had checked out a few places online that wanted $12+ per hour for each bike, compared to $7 at Adventures by the Sea - helmets and locks included! We had also seen the 2 and 4-person buggies, but the staff described them as the "struggle buggies" so we opted for bikes. The bikes were in good condition - tires inflated properly, gears worked, etc.
This location is about 2 miles from Cannery Row, and while it has a bit less to choose from (they didn't have tandems), it's not nearly as busy. It was a perfect choice for renting bikes for a few hours. -
Review from Tom R.
Cupertino, CA
7/12/2011
Very quick service. $30/person all day. Includes dry bag, dry suit, booties if you want - although I get the feeling that they subtly discourage them.
We have rented through them twice and it has been pretty flawless. -
Review from Kathy M.
Tempe, AZ
11/8/2010
I went on the sunset kayak tour by myself (with one other person) and I had THE MOST fantastic time! Saw otters, sea lions, fish, birds, great tutorial on the area flora/fauna/history. Well educated guide and it was just a beautiful experience all the way around. I definitely will go back and repeat it again. Spectacular!
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Review from Brian S.
Foster City, CA
9/25/2011
We rented a surry from here yesterday. The woman was very helpful and thorough in explaining all the rules and how to operate it. It was fun going from near Portola Plaza to an area a bit shy of Lover's Point; my nise especially loved ringing the bell and I loved the fact that I got 50 minutes of exercise in. We stopped at a beach on the way back so my nise could look around and get some sea shells and it was a work out going back as everything was uphill; I definitely needed a nap yesterday. $30.00 for an hour was well worth it. So, for friendly service and a good time you will never forget at reasonable prices, Adventures By The Sea cannot be beat. Keep up the good work guys.!
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Review from marcel s.
Watsonville, CA
6/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
wanted to spend some family time in monterey so why not on a bike right,well that depends lol!! rented a surrey to accommodate all of us but should have gone for 2 surreys instead since we aint talking about little kids anymore.we still had fun tho since it was the first time riding a surrey but next time were going so separate into 2 groups :p staff was quite helpful and gave good instructions since were total noobs on it.
as a suggestion maybe installing a louder horn would be good for pedestrians walking the bike bath.since it seems like theyre in a trance whenever we encountered one in the surrey so i would love to wake them up and let them know that they are walking on a BIKE path not the beach ;) -
Review from dana c.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2008
we took a two person kayak here. it's $20 for an hour and 15 mins and $30 for a day. the people are really nice. they offer you to change into dry pants and shirt. we came dressed in cargo shorts and sweatshirts so we didn't and our butts didn't get wet anyway. kayaking was definitely the highlight of my trip. i brought my camera and got some cool pictures of sea otters, seals, a crain, and a bunch of kelp.
if you go kayaking you're going to take your shoes off and then walk on the beach so i recommend bringing flip flops, and a sweatshirt because the wind really picks up when you're far out.
its super beautiful and relaxing to be out in the water, and rowing is super fun. -
Review from Bronco B.
Belmont, CA
1/1/2010
I walked into the Portola Plaza location today with some simple questions about renting a surrey. I must say that I had the worst experience of my life not just as a potential customer, but also as a visitor new to Monterey, and more generally as a person. I will never rent anything from them due to this one employee (an African American male - didn't get his name but he was the only person behind the counter at the time) and I have to say that he ruined our day and trip to this beautiful city. We were interested in renting a surrey to ride to Monterey Bay Aquarium, spend time at the aquarium and then ride back later that day. I understand that I would have to pay for the entire day and had no problem with that. Before this employee and I even went into discussions regarding payments, I simply asked if the company accommodates for this plan since others customers in the past might have wanted the same. Here is a fairly accurate recap of his verbal response: "Why would you want to do that? It is DUMB. The aquarium is a 15 minute walk plus there is a $30 charge for..." Not only was he unprofessional at this point, he was outright being rude! I started to ask more (and felt no need to explain to him the details of my reasoning despite his stupid commentary), he started to smile as if to belittle me. At this point, I stormed out of the store, naturally very upset. As I was leaving, he ran out after me and I told him why I became upset and he replied saying that he "..did not mean to offend me...", never said sorry, and turned around and walked back in as if he felt that he was not in the wrong and it was me who over reacted. This is all while other customers stood around watching what took place between us. I did not expect this from a person who I simply expected to treat me with some dignity and respect, a person who regularly deals with tourists to Monterey and know how to provide some level of customer satisfaction. It was customer service at its worst and this company has lost all respect from me and certainly whom ever I speak with about our visit to Monterey. As I have not dealt with any other locations or employees, I can not speak in general terms but I would suggest to stay away from the Portola location if you have any questions that may not seem "normal" to this employee of theirs. To the company, either train this employee or find someone who is able to maintain a healthy relationship with customers without humiliating or degrading remarks. Also, all of their employees should understand that although it might be a "15 minute walk" for some, for others, it is not just a "15 minute walk". I speak from experience since the day before, my wife and I made the round trip walk to Cannery Row with the little kids and definitely did not want to make that trek again - we simply expected that renting a surrey would be fun for the family and a memorable experience...
I wish to stay anonymous since I am not sure what I would get myself into. I will also post my feedback on this experience on other forums. -
Review from Amanda S.
Pacific Grove, CA
8/2/2010
Great place to get your Kayaking gear for a day on the water! I went the other day...Thank You Frank. It was amazing! The staff made me feel like I was a pro. They gave me all the needed gear and then the guy on the beach gave a quick run down of how to do things. Then I was off to the Bay. I saw ottors, seals and about a million snails. I highly recommend using them for your kayaking adventure. Very easy to do with great staff to help you through it. I will be back for sure!
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Review from Mariko T.
Los Angeles, CA
8/16/2011
tandem kayaks come with comfy seat cushions for your back! we saw sea otters and baby sea otters eating crab and plenty of sea lions perched onto the rocks. great route for kayaking, minus the kelp and dead jellyfish/birds caught in the kelp, sadface.
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Review from Joy L.
South San Francisco, CA
8/17/2010
Quick and friendly service. We rented a couple of adult bikes, signed a couple of waivers, and we were off! There are bike trails right outside the door (follow the yellow lines). In one direction, I believe it can go up to 14 miles. The opposite way toward Cannery Row isn't as far. $7 for one hour. Not too shabby!
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Review from Krista C.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2009 2 photos
Adventures by the Sea did a great job in helping us to pull off our post-wedding surrey getaway ride. We hired them for an hour, from 9:00-10:00 p.m., for our ride from our wedding to our hotel. It was such a fun way to leave with everyone surrounding the surrey and waving. Setting up the surrey with Adventures by the Sea was a breeze. Definitely recommended.
Listed in: Steinbeck Country
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Review from Dave B.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2010
Easy, cheap bike rental.
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Review from Alexandra G.
8/29/2010 2 photos
We went here to rent sea kayaks - first time I had ever done that. The shop is a block from the shore, very convenient. You don't rent the kayak per hour which was great so you don't stress about the time - was stressing about being late before. You fill in some paperwork, change into jacket, pants, lifewest, and footwear they give you. The clothes they give you is just for splashing water - if you fall in you will still be soaked. I was with my boyfriend, and was thinking a kayak for two would be fun. But two guys outside that were friends with a guy working in the shop asked us if we were taking the "divorce kayak" - meaning people usually drive each other crazy splashing water on each other and having to decide all paddling decisions together. So we took the kayaks for one. The bigger kayaks are save but slow, the skinnier ones faster - but can flip over. We both got the skinny ones which I wasn't so sure about but the staff seemed pretty confident that I could handle it. Ha! Of course I got soaked from the start, but it was really cause I didn't want to wait for the sea to be flat. So I was wet to my waist and this is pretty cold water. Since I was paddling about I wasn't cold though yay! It was a nice sunny calm day and the ocean was calm so it was a joy to be out there. The kayaks were easy to manever and you can get up pretty good speed so I wasn't regretting my skinny kayak decision even to the detriment of my soakedness :). We paddled along a saw a whole bunch of otters and sea lions. The otters are adorable, the sea lions quite enormous. At one point I got right between two of them and quickly paddled away just in case I was in the middle of a mating ritual (hard to tell with sea lions). It was really nice to be out there, I would definately go again. Highly recommended.
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Review from Melissa S.
Severna Park, MD
1/5/2011
We rented a surrey bike for an hour and it was $20 in the month of December. Pretty reasonable price. I agree with the other in that the bikes are getting old and they could use new ones. Seats ripped, bells broken, rusty... But we did manage to have a good time while getting exercise.
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Review from Carrie S.
Naples, FL
8/10/2010
My husband and I went out on the Stillwater Cove kayak tour. Wow! We were the only 2 in the group so we basically got a private tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable about the area, the history the seals and the sea otters. Seals and sea otters were only feet away from our kayaks. I think it was $170 for the both of us. Pricey...but so memorable it is worth it!! He even took a picture of us and sent it to our email addresses...Nice Touch! Would highly recommend. This was my 2nd time kayaking and it was a breeze.
