Montara had 2,833 residents at the 2020 census. Montara Mountain, part of the Santa Cruz Mountains, rises to 1,898 feet behind it. Its state beach is a nearly one-mile stretch of sand that drops steeply into the surf, making it hazardous for swimming, though experienced surfers use it, and winter swells of 10 to 15 feet are common.
The name is thought to be a misspelled interpretation of a Spanish word such as montuoso (mountainous), montaraz (wild) or montaña (mountain). Open land around it includes Rancho Corral de Tierra.
The Point Montara lighthouse, established in 1875, has a tower that was first built in 1881 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts and rebuilt at Montara in 1928.
More on this site: the beaches