Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming seaside town off the coast of central California.
As you walk down the narrow leafy avenues lined with cottages, it feels as if someone has turned back the hands of time.
It’s the perfect destination for a girl’s weekend, so keep reading to discover the best things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea including the best places to eat, stay, and play!
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase or book a reservation through the link provided then we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We really appreciate your support!
Weekend Guide to the Best Things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Table of Contents
- Interesting Facts about Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Best places to stay in Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Best Places to Eat in Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Best things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Interesting Facts about Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small and intimate little town that spreads across only 1.06 square miles.
It gives off European vibes and is bursting with character.
There are a few interesting tidbits that make this town so unique.
For starters, fast food restaurants are banned in the city. You won’t find a McDonald’s or even a Starbucks anywhere within the town limits.
Instead, enjoy one of the many local cafes and restaurants all within walking distance.
There is no shortage of dining options in Carmel. In fact, it has more restaurants per capita than any other small town in America.
The Carmel Planning Commission also originally insisted that service stations would not be permitted to be built in town.
However, in the early 1960s they approved the construction of the Shell-by-the-Sea gas station as long as it followed the architectural guidelines.
This included tasteful wood trim, trellises with greenery, planter boxes, white brick columns, and a custom wooden carved sign.
It may just be the prettiest gas station you’ll ever see!
The houses also don’t have street addresses. Instead, houses are known by the names that were given to them by their first residents.
Since there are no house numbers, the mail can’t be delivered. The solution is a central city post office where neighbors gather each day to collect their mail. As a result, the city post office has become a bit of a social hub in the community!
They also have some interesting city ordinances, such as that you must obtain a permit if you want to wear shoes with a heel taller than 2 inches.
This ordinance was put into place back in the 1960s to avoid lawsuits if someone tripped over uneven pavement wearing heels.
While a violation of this ordinance isn’t cited, you can pick up a free permit at City Hall just for fun.
Back in the 80s, Clint Eastwood also served as the mayor for one term. Doris Day also lived here and made it her personal mission to make Carmel-by-the-Sea one of the most dog-friendly cities in the US.
It is evident as you walk around that everyone LOVES their pooches here! You’ll see water bowls outside almost every store and our hotel even had complimentary dog strollers for guests to use.
Best places to stay in Carmel-by-the-Sea
There are over 40 hotels and inns in Carmel-by-the-Sea, so it can be hard to narrow down the best place to stay.
We booked a room at Carmel Country Inn and had a great experience. The cozy inn has planter boxes in the windows and feels like something you would find in the European countryside.
They offer one and two-bedroom suites, each with a sitting room, fireplace, and spa tub. The 2-bedroom suites sleep up to six, which is perfect for a girl’s weekend.
Carmel Country Inn is a bed & breakfast that serves a fresh and tasty breakfast buffet each morning.
The spread includes a variety of quiches, freshly baked pastries, hot oatmeal, seasonal fruit, yogurt, cereals, juice, coffee, and tea. They also have pre-packaged snack bags that you can take with you before heading out to explore for the day.
The inn is located only a few blocks from Ocean Avenue and less than a mile from Carmel Beach. It’s the perfect spot to rest and recharge while on a road trip from San Francisco to Big Sur.
A few more of the best places to stay in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Best Places to Eat in Carmel-by-the-Sea
The Forge
If you’re a fan of Big Little Lies, you may recognize this restaurant as it makes an appearance several times throughout the series.
The outdoor patio seating with string lights and a fireplace create the perfect cozy ambiance for intimate conversations with your friends.
The Forge first began as a blacksmith shop back in 1944.
Many of the hand-wrought hardware that was produced in this building, such as door hinges, signposts, and latches, can still be found on many of the historic buildings in Carmel today.
You can even see the original hearth and tools on display inside the bar at The Forge.
Many of Carmel’s early residents would gather at The Forge to shoot the breeze and catch up over a drink.
John Steinbeck just so happened to be one of those locals, and it is rumored that The Grapes of Wrath was inspired by a conversation he had inside The Forge.
In 1970, The Forge became a restaurant and saloon (called Forge in the Forest) and it has been a fixture in the community ever since.
You’ll find delicious comfort cuisine and the setting is perfect for a dinner with girlfriends!
Dametra Cafe
Not only is the food delicious at Dametra Cafe, but the atmosphere is so fun!
This family-owned Greek restaurant serves up the freshest Mediterranean dishes with a side of love. I know that sounds cheesy, but they really do make you feel like family.
Don’t be surprised if at some point during your meal, the waiters bring out instruments and the whole restaurant starts dancing around the tables.
It’s like a scene straight out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and will most likely be the highlight of your trip.
The food is absolutely delicious. Do yourself a favor and order the homemade hummus with warm pita bread, it’s the best you’ll ever have!
Dametra Cafe was voted TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice winner for the Best of the Best Award in 2020. This means that they have been ranked in the top 1% of restaurants in the world.
I would definitely recommend stopping in for a meal during your weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea!
The Tuck Box
Carmel-by-the-Sea is known for its fairytale cottages that are scattered throughout the town. Many of the original cottages are private residences, but a few have been converted into shops or cafes.
The Tuck Box is one such cottage. It was built by Hugh Comstock in 1927 and is believed to have once been his office.
It was converted to Sally’s Restaurant in the 1930s. In the 1940s it was purchased by two sisters from England and turned into a small tea room called The Tuck Box.
This English tea room has changed hands over the years, but still maintains the same storybook charm and even some of the same recipes.
The Tuck Box is open for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, try the Tuck Box Benedict, Spanish omelet, or waffles made from scratch.
The lunch and afternoon tea menu offer soups, salads, sandwiches, and homemade pies. The scones with whipped butter are also divine.
A few more of the best places to eat in Carmel-by-the-Sea:
- La Bicyclette: A darling European-style cafe that serves delicious wood-fired pizza, gnocchi, and pasta.
- Pangaea Grill: An elegant steakhouse that is also known for its seafood and breakfast dishes. I’ve heard their breakfast burritos are legendary.
- The Tree House Cafe: The menu offers a variety of dishes including Mediterranean, Italian, and Thai. Try the Chicken Pesto Pasta, Greek Burger, or Gyro Platter.
- Little Napoli: Delicious Italian food, try the Truffled Gnocchi, Grilled Artichoke, and the Abbruzzese Pizza.
Best things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Visit the shops on Ocean Avenue
Ocean Avenue is the main thoroughfare that runs right through the center of town.
Even though this is the main street in town, you won’t find any street lights or parking meters, per the city’s obscure ordinances. This is also the only street in town that has sidewalks.
This walkable street is lined with darling shops and cafes straight out of a storybook. It almost feels like you’re walking down Main Street USA in Disneyland.
Grab a cup of coffee at Cafe Carmel, pick up a souvenir sweatshirt at Coast Carmel, choose your favorite bath soap from The Soiled Doves Bathhouse, and be sure to find the hidden alley that leads to the Xocolatl (Chocolate) Garden.
Relax on the shore at Carmel Beach
After making your way down Ocean Avenue, you’ll find that it dead ends at Carmel Beach.
The convenient beach access and serene setting have earned Carmel-by-the-Sea the title of “One of America’s Top Beach Towns”.
Pick up some sandwiches in town to have a picnic at the beach, or just soak in the sun and the views.
The wide sandy beach has plenty of space to spread out and it doesn’t feel too crowded, even during peak season.
You can also take some time to walk along the Scenic Pathway. The trail is accessed from Scenic Road and stretches for almost one mile from 8th Avenue south to Martin Way.
The trail follows along the bluff and offers spectacular views of the bay. There are also nine different stairways along the trail that lead down to the beach so you are sure to find a secluded area.
You can even see across the bay to Pebble Beach by Monterey. If you are planning to visit Monterey, we have listed our top recommendations in our Monterey Travel Guide.
Beach fires are also allowed on Carmel Beach in the city-provided fire pits. Unwinding around the fire at sunset on the beach is the perfect way to end any day.
Take a tour of the Fairytale Cottages
Perhaps the one thing that Carmel-by-the-Sea is most known for, is its enchanting fairytale cottages.
Hugh Comstock was a self-taught architect and builder that lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
It is his unique architectural design that sets Carmel apart from its neighboring towns.
He used illustrations from children’s fairytale books as his inspiration for designing many of the homes and buildings throughout the city.
In 1924, Hugh built the whimsical Hansel Cottage as a studio and showroom for his wife’s “otsy-totsy” collectible felt doll business.
The tiny doll house cottage is 244 square feet and was built with a mere $100 in supplies. A year later, he built the Gretel Cottage next door as her office.
He then went on to build several dozen similar cottages that can still be found sprinkled around the town today.
You can spot them by their signature steeply pitched roofs, arched doors and windows, rolled eaves, and irregularly stacked stone chimneys.
The cottages are a mix of cafes, shops, and private homes. You can even sleep in a cottage at the Lincoln Green Inn.
Stop by the visitor information center on Mission Street just south of Ocean Avenue. Here you can pick up a free brochure for a self-guided walking tour to view 23 of the remaining cottages.
You can also purchase a guided audio tour. The cost is only $8 and it dives deeper into the history of Carmel and the cottages.
Just be respectful of the private residences and don’t trespass onto the yards.
Sample homemade fudge at the Cottage of Sweets
The Cottage of Sweets is housed in a 1920s fairytale cottage that was designed by Ted Kuster. It first opened as a sweet shop in 1959.
A visit to the Cottage of Sweets is like a visit to the Cotswolds. The shingled cottage is filled floor to ceiling with British sweets.
If you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you’ll recognize many of the candies as they are imported from the UK.
It’s fun to pick out treats that you can’t find in the US, but the biggest draw is the homemade fudge.
The Cottage of Sweets has been making homemade fudge fresh in the shop since 1981.
They also specialize in handmade caramels, creams, and truffles, as well as a wide variety of licorices that are imported from around the world.
Take a hike at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve
Point Lobos is often referred to as the “Crown Jewel of California”. It is considered one of the prettiest state parks along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
Point Lobos translates to “Point of the Sea Wolves” and was given this name by early Spanish explorers due to the overabundance of sea lions.
The gates are open from 8 am to 5 pm. Plan to arrive early as the small parking lots fill up quickly.
There is a $10 entrance fee per vehicle, but the pass is good for any other state park that you visit on the same day.
The 5-mile Point Lobos Loop Trail follows along the entire perimeter of the coastal reserve where you can take advantage of every lookout point along the way.
However, if you do not want to do the entire trail, there are parking lots that allow access to certain portions of the trail.
If you only have time for one hike, I would recommend parking at the parking lot by Hidden Beach and then taking the S. Shore Trail to connect to the Bird Island Trail. This is arguably the most scenic portion of the trail.
The loop is only about 1 mile, and along the way, you’ll be able to see Hidden Beach, China Cove, Bird Island, and Gibson Beach.
China Cove is a picturesque cove with a sea arch, jewel-toned water, and a sliver of white sandy beach. In the spring, this cove provides a haven for nursing harbor seals and their newborn pups.
Continue along the trail to a boardwalk that leads to Pelican Point, a lookout point for the best view of Bird Island.
Bird Island is aptly named for the massive seabird colony that inhabits the island.
In the spring and summer months, you will see hundreds of nesting Brandt’s Cormorants, Western Gulls, and Black-crowned Night Herons.
From the boardwalk, you can also see the crescent-shaped Gibson Beach.
This secluded beach with its wide stretch of sand and calm water is considered the best beach in Point Lobos.
To access the beach, follow the Bird Island Trail until it connects to the South Plateau Trail. From here, you will see a sign directing you to a steep staircase that leads down to the beach.
I would also recommend the 0.8-mile Cypress Grove Loop Trail. There are only two wild groves of Monterey cypress trees left in the world and this trail leads through one of them.
Whalers Cove is also a historical location worth visiting at Point Lobos. In 1851, a group of Chinese fishermen from the Pearl River Delta were shipwrecked in this cove.
They settled in the cove and built a fishing village with a whaling station, an abalone cannery, and a granite quarry.
The original 1850s Whalers Cabin is still intact and has since been turned into the Whaling Station Museum.
This is a great place to learn more about the somewhat tumultuous history and see artifacts on display.
Point Lobos is the gateway to Big Sur. If you are planning to drive along the coast of Big Sur, we have listed the Prettiest Stops on a Big Sur Road Trip.
Grab some pastries at the Carmel Bakery
The historic Carmel Bakery was established in 1899 when Ocean Avenue was still a dirt road rumbling with horses and buggies.
It is considered the oldest bakery, the oldest running business, and the oldest standing building in the entire town.
This family-owned bakery has only had 4 separate owners in the past 100+ years. The most recent, the Pรจpe family, has been running the bakery since 1986.
Rich Pรจpe grew up working in his family’s Italian bakery and has brought his passion and talent here to Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Try the cinnamon flat crisp pastry, blondies, macaroons, almond horn, or pistachio cannoli.
There is very limited seating inside, so take your pastries then walk down the street to enjoy them on the beach.
And if Carmel is a stop on your California coast road trip, be sure to see our guide to Santa Cruz if you’re heading further up the coast!
I hope this guide will help you discover the best things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea on a girl’s weekend!
Pin it for later:
[…] And if you’re planning to visit the neighboring town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, see our guide for the Best Things to do in Carmel-by-the-Sea. […]