China Rock Vista Point

"This was the site of a small Chinese fishing village in the late 1800s. You can still see century-old cooking smoke caked onto the rocks from the early settlement. Allow about three hours to explore 17-Mile Drive, especially if you stop to take photographs or eat along the way. You can enter 17-Mile Drive through the four gates, where you pay the $10.50 fee and can pick up a map of the road's iconic sites."

"The Monterey peninsula is beautiful, this stretch of the 17 mile drive is gorgeous. Great place to wet your feet among the pointy rocks or watch the sunset, too wild to swim, also great for bird watching. Parking on site."

"Nice pull off opportunity along 17-mile drive — great for sitting and enjoying the sound of the water across the rocks or exploring the rocky terrain by foot."

"One of the most scenic drive in the west coast in California! The 17 miles drive is always a great place to enjoy around even if you are not going for a round of golf. The walk by the sea is highly recommended - it is a pleasant and memorable one for sure. Wind is strong and weather is ever-changing. A great place to be for a few days."

"This #8 stop along 17 Mile Drive was our favorite one. Historically, it once was a part of a Chinese fishing village. We parked and got out to explore the China Rock Vista Point. It's also a cool place to find sea life surrounding the rocks. We find and release. My two boys love exploring around the rocks at the viewpoints and various beaches. We saw a ton of hermit crabs, tiny fish, purple shoreline crabs, starfish, mussels, and other crab species. The rocks help catch the waves so it stays calm. Be careful climbing and walking around as it may be slippery and dangerous. The endless views of the Pacific Ocean is so relaxing. The weather was perfect and it was not too windy at all. Be sure to pull over and check out this stop. We also saw lots of deer around during our drive. A few of them crossed the road too. Enjoy this pit stop because my family and I most certainly did."