This Hotspot includes that portion of Monterey State Beach, locally known as Del Monte Beach, that stretches east from the Monterey Harbor to the Hotspot called "Monterey--Del Monte Seawatch," about 1.3 mile (2 km) of sandy beach. The extent of the beach changes with the tides, but there is still some sandy beach to walk even at high tide. The beach is very popular with tourists and locals, dog-walkers and beachcombers, and can be crowded on warm or sunny days, especially on weekends. While there are flocks of shorebirds and gulls strung out along the beach, they move about quite a bit due to dogs and people. The Hotspot also includes the dunes behind the beach, which become higher and more rugged as one walks east, and also the grassy "window on the Bay" open space north of Del Monte Boulevard. It, too, is heavily used by people, and there are benches and picnic tables. Restrooms are on the Monterey Harbor wharves.

There is paid parking at Monterey Harbor, numerous parking spots along Del Monte Beach, and (to the east) a free parking lot next to a large eucalyptus grove (also part of the Hotspot). 

On the sandy beach, look for Long-billed Curlew among godwits, Willets and Whimbrels; Sanderlings are common in season. In winter, just offshore, there will be loons, grebes, Surf Scoters, and sometimes Brant or alcids. Search  the scoter flocks for rarer sea-ducks — White-winged and Black Scoter (rare but regular), Common Goldeneye (regular) and Barrow's Goldeneye (rare) among Bufflehead; or Long-tailed Duck (rare) or Harlequin Duck (quite rare). Also check for Clark's Grebe (small numbers) or Red-necked Grebe (uncommon) or Yellow-billed Loon (very rare) among the regular Eared and Horned Grebes, and among the regular Common, Red-throated, and Pacific Loons. In summer Pigeon Guillemot occurs among more regular Common Murres.

The sand dunes have resident "Nuttall's" White-crowned Sparrow (a darker, yellow-billed subspecies) plus Bewick's Wren, California Towhee, and other residents. Migrant passerines may be found in beach scrub; flocks of Cedar Waxwing are sometimes in the eucalyptus grove. Turkey Vultures routinely patrol over the beach (one is in the headline photo), and watch for Osprey or Peregrine Falcon.