Carmel (California)

Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called just Carmel, is a beautiful oceanside town on California's Highway 1, complete with dramatic views, white beaches, friendly locals and great food.

Understand
Carmel is five miles south of Monterey city in the Monterey Bay region of California. A mostly upper-class destination for adults, the town itself is small – you can walk across the main part in five minutes – but filled with art galleries, cafes, restaurants and inns. Every evening, visitors gather on the pristine beach to watch colorful sunsets. Carmel's rocky coastline is picturesque but dangerous for boats, so unlike most coastal towns in California, it was never a good base for fishing. After the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, it became famous as an artist colony, and there are still several dozen art galleries in town.

Temperatures in September are perfect: 70-80°F (21-27°C) during the day and 50-60°F (10-16°C) at night. Bring sweaters and dress in layers for all-day activities.

Ocean Avenue is downtown's main street, sloping from the highway down to the beach, with many shops, coffee houses, and galleries.

Scenic Drive meanders along the curve of the beach. A packed dirt path along the roadside is a favorite with local joggers and dog-walkers. The town is especially dog-friendly with many lodging and dining accommodations welcoming the canine guests.

Carmel Valley is formed by the Carmel River, flowing some 20 miles from the Santa Lucia mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The town of Carmel Valley is located 12 miles inland from Highway 1, on Carmel Valley Road. Quite often when Carmel-by-the-Sea is fogged in, Carmel Valley is sunny and warm.

By car
By Highway 1 south from Monterey or northwards via Big Sur.

By train
Amtrak's Coast Starlight stops in nearby Salinas. Amtrak runs a bus service from the station to Carmel with stops in Monterey in between. The train can be slow and is often delayed. The food is okay, but sometimes limited so you might want to bring your own food or snacks.

By plane
Nearby Monterey Airport offers connecting service through a number of different airlines. The airport also handles a large volume of private air traffic. San Jose Airport is about a 90-minute drive away, but it is larger and usually has much cheaper flights.

Get around
There are no street numbers for homes or businesses in the main part of the town. Directions are given by street name and the nearest intersection.

There are almost no street lights at night, and the signs for restaurants and other businesses are not brightly lit.

The downtown area and nearby beach can be seen on foot, but a car is needed to explore the coastline. Street parking is generally free for a couple of hours at a time. There is also a garage at Carmel Plaza (Ocean and Junipero). Many hotels offer parking spots to guests, but be prepared for a tight squeeze. Scenic Drive sometimes yields surprisingly convenient (and free) parking spaces.

Bicycling is an option but should be undertaken with care, as many of Carmel's streets can be hilly or windy, or leave little room to pass.

There are a few local buses, but routes run primarily between Carmel and Monterey, rather than around Carmel, except for bus 24 which continues through Carmel to Carmel Valley.



Buy
The village of Carmel is locally famous for art galleries boasting a variety of art. Openings are held frequently and often open to the public. Unique clothing and jewelry also represent a large portion of shopping in Carmel.



Eat
Carmel restaurants tend to be on the fancy side – eight of them are listed in the Michelin Guide, and one has a star – which means it's a delightful place for the foodie, but also that they tend to be on the expensive side. Many of the bigger restaurants serve lunch and dinner, so if you have your heart set on a fancy meal but don't relish the accompanying price tag, then consider making reservations for lunch, and plan a sunset picnic or a more reasonably priced restaurant for dinner.

Mid-range




Drink


Most Carmel drinking revolves around local wines; be sure to indulge in a bottle, available at almost any food shop and every restaurant or stop into any winery's tasting room.

Several restaurants also offer bar areas; but an honest-to-goodness "pub crawl" would be hard to come by in this town.

Sleep
Additional lodging options can be found just to the east in Carmel Valley, or to the north in Monterey. Many hotels are less expensive during the rainy winter months (approximately November to March) than during peak tourist months.

Go next

 * Point Lobos State Reserve and the State Parks comprising Big Sur make for an amazing afternoon drive and hiking session.
 * Monterey - Four miles north of Carmel, Monterey was founded in 1770 and served as the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico, was a bustling fishing port until the 1950s, and is now a major tourist destination. Attractions include a pier filled with seafood restaurants, a world-class aquarium, a harbor that is home to an enormous number of seabirds, sea lions, sea otters, seals, and other marine life, the historic Cannery Row, and opportunities for whale watching, kayaking, or other excursions into Monterey Bay.
 * Big Sur - The Big Sur region can be loosely defined as the stretch of coastline between Carmel and San Simeon, and the steep cliffs, rocky coast, churning waves, abundant wildlife, redwoods, and remoteness make it one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Big Sur Village lies at its heart, 20 miles south of Carmel, and offers amenities for travelers.
 * Carmel Valley - Located thirteen miles inland from its seaside namesake, this tiny village is home to quaint inns and upscale resorts, but is best known for the wineries that fill the valley. The area is also excellent for hiking, biking and horseback riding, with miles of trails through the mountains and along the Carmel river.
 * Pacific Grove - Located six miles north of Carmel, Pacific Grove is a beautiful town that is home to the oldest continually operated lighthouse on the West Coast, and more Victorian homes per capita than anywhere else in America. It is also the northern gateway of the scenic 17-Mile Drive. The town's rocky coastline is filled with tide pools that are easy to explore, seals, sea otters and sea lions are commonly seen in the waters, and adding to its bounty of natural riches, in the winter thousands of monarch butterflies gather in a grove at the town's center.