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Carmel-by-the-Sea

With borderline fanatical devotion to its canine citizens, quaint Carmel has the well-manicured feel of a country club. Watch the parade of behatted locals toting fancy-label shopping bags to lunch and dapper folk driving top-down convertibles along Ocean Ave, the village’s slow-mo main drag.

Founded as a seaside resort in the 1880s – fairly odd, given that its beach is often blanketed in fog – Carmel quickly attracted famous artists and writers, such as Sinclair Lewis and Jack London, and their hangers-on. Artistic flavor survives in nearly 100 galleries that saturate downtown’s immaculate streets and courtyards, but sky-high property values have long obliterated any salt-of-the-earth bohemia.

Dating from the 1920s, Comstock cottages, with their characteristic stone chimneys and pitched gable roofs, still dot the town, making it vaguely reminiscent of the English countryside. Even garbage cans and newspaper vending boxes are quaintly shingled.

Explore Carmel-by-the-Sea

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
They bark, they laze and bathe and they’re fun to watch – sea lions are the stars in this state park some 4 miles south of Carmel, along with the…
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
Carmel's strikingly beautiful mission is an oasis of solemnity with flowering gardens and a thick-walled basilica filled with Spanish Colonial art and…
Tor House
Even if you’ve never heard of 20th-century poet Robinson Jeffers, a pilgrimage to this house built with his own hands offers fascinating insights into…
C
Carmel Beach City Park
Not always sunny, Carmel Beach is a gorgeous blanket of white sand, where pampered pups excitedly run off-leash. South of 10th Ave, bonfires crackle after…
I
I. Brand & Family
This modern tasting room is a good place to try Californian-, French- and Spanish-style wines. A vinyl turntable and retro board games give it a hip…
L
Lone Cypress
Central California's most famous and photographed tree has been perched precariously on a seaward rock for possibly more than 250 years.
J
Joyce Wine Company
A modern and stylish room showcasing the winery's well-regarded Pinot Noir and rosé.
C
Carmel River State Beach
Migratory birds are attracted to this mile-long stretch of sand bordered by a lagoon formed by the Carmel River.
E
Earthbound Farm Stand
This roadside farmstand offers smoothies, soups and lets you harvest your own herbs in the garden.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
They bark, they laze and bathe and they’re fun to watch – sea lions are the stars in this state park some 4 miles south of Carmel, along with the…
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
Carmel's strikingly beautiful mission is an oasis of solemnity with flowering gardens and a thick-walled basilica filled with Spanish Colonial art and…
Tor House
Even if you’ve never heard of 20th-century poet Robinson Jeffers, a pilgrimage to this house built with his own hands offers fascinating insights into…
C
Carmel Beach City Park
Not always sunny, Carmel Beach is a gorgeous blanket of white sand, where pampered pups excitedly run off-leash. South of 10th Ave, bonfires crackle after…
I
I. Brand & Family
This modern tasting room is a good place to try Californian-, French- and Spanish-style wines. A vinyl turntable and retro board games give it a hip…
L
Lone Cypress
Central California's most famous and photographed tree has been perched precariously on a seaward rock for possibly more than 250 years.
J
Joyce Wine Company
A modern and stylish room showcasing the winery's well-regarded Pinot Noir and rosé.
C
Carmel River State Beach
Migratory birds are attracted to this mile-long stretch of sand bordered by a lagoon formed by the Carmel River.
E
Earthbound Farm Stand
This roadside farmstand offers smoothies, soups and lets you harvest your own herbs in the garden.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Carmel-by-the-Sea.

See
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
They bark, they laze and bathe and they’re fun to watch – sea lions are the stars in this state park some 4 miles south of Carmel, along with the…
See
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
Carmel's strikingly beautiful mission is an oasis of solemnity with flowering gardens and a thick-walled basilica filled with Spanish Colonial art and…
See
Tor House
Even if you’ve never heard of 20th-century poet Robinson Jeffers, a pilgrimage to this house built with his own hands offers fascinating insights into…
See
Carmel Beach City Park
Not always sunny, Carmel Beach is a gorgeous blanket of white sand, where pampered pups excitedly run off-leash. South of 10th Ave, bonfires crackle after…
See
I. Brand & Family
This modern tasting room is a good place to try Californian-, French- and Spanish-style wines. A vinyl turntable and retro board games give it a hip…
See
Lone Cypress
Central California's most famous and photographed tree has been perched precariously on a seaward rock for possibly more than 250 years.
See
Joyce Wine Company
A modern and stylish room showcasing the winery's well-regarded Pinot Noir and rosé.
See
Carmel River State Beach
Migratory birds are attracted to this mile-long stretch of sand bordered by a lagoon formed by the Carmel River.
See
Earthbound Farm Stand
This roadside farmstand offers smoothies, soups and lets you harvest your own herbs in the garden.

Guidebooks

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