California may be best known for its famous northern and southern cities (SF and LA, anyone?), but California’s central coast, and Carmel, in particular, is a well kept (or maybe not so well kept) secret by California natives. Thousands of California residents flock to California’s central coast for easy and stunning getaways throughout the year. Whether it’s to take in the ocean views, admire whales making their way to and from Mexico, or indulging in fabulous dining and shopping, California’s Central Coast has it all.
The most well known cities on the California central coast, are the towns of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, Pismo Beach and Morro Bay (recently of the movie Finding Dory fame!). My family and I chose to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea for a milestone birthday for my father a couple of weeks ago, because Carmel-by-the-Sea has the most small-town feel of the cities on the central coast, while also having plenty of classy accommodation and dining options. A fun fact about Carmel-by-the-Sea, its also well known for its very famous former mayor, Clint Eastwood!
See previous post for outfit details!
To Do
17-Mile Drive: There is plenty to do in Carmel, but the most famous thing to do and which brings most of the tourists to the area is the 17-mile drive. The 17-mile drive passes through parts of pebble beach and the famed golf course there as well as other parts of Carmel and neighboring Pacific Grove, CA. You could spend hours doing this drive if you take advantage of, and stop at, many of the designated stops and viewpoints along the way (which I highly recommend). If you don’t the drive can be done in approximately 30 minutes. My favorite part of this drive is pebble beach, which truly lives up to its name and is one of the most beautiful and unique beaches I’ve seen in the world.
Kayaking: Another popular activity in Carmel and the central coast in general is kayaking. You will often see kayaks out in the water, especially in the mornings and early afternoons when the waves are calmer. Neighboring Monterey in particular has many kayak rental options and a lovely bay which is ideal for kayaking.
Animals: Finally, on the 17-mile drive and elsewhere, animal and bird watching is a must! You can rent a boat specifically to see whales during the right season, and sea lions and otters are generally lounging on rocks and in the oceans year-round. The 17-mile drive even has a stop titled “bird rock” which is full of birds and sea lions. You will hear them as soon as you get out of the car!
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve: Scuba diving, snorkeling, tide pools and sea lions are all popular driving forces for visitors to this reserve south of Carmel. The waters are stunning shades of blue and green and nature is the show stopper here. Take a hike, walk alongside the ocean or lounge around in this natural reserve for a day well spent.
To Eat
With the three cities of Carmel, Pacific Grove and Monterey right next to each other and all within a 15 minute drive of one another, it’s not hard to find a good place to eat while in the area. Here are some of my recommendations for delicious food and breathtaking views.
Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar: The views here make this place a must visit but on top of that, the food and service are outstanding as well. We picked this restaurant for my father’s birthday brunch and they were able to easily accommodate a group of 30, including a few vegetarians in the mix. They alleviated all of our concerns and made the birthday planning a breeze.
La Bicyclette: This restaurant, in downtown Carmel, is everything you would expect from a restaurant in Carmel – great food with locally sourced ingredients, charming and unique decor and friendly staff. The pizzas were delicious, as were the entrees and especially the desserts. Reservations were not difficult to obtain for a Friday night and the restaurant also accepted walk-ins.
Katy’s Place: For brunch in Carmel, this is an absolute must! Simply decorated but adorable, Katy’s Place has anything and everything you could think of for a brunch menu. Everything we ordered was exquisite and tasty, and walk-ins are welcome, but if you go there during peak brunch times you may have to wait. There is a reason Katy’s Place has received numerous accolades for its brunch in the area. One note of advice, if you go on a Monday like we did, the restaurant may be running out of one or two of its most popular items because it closes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mission Ranch: Mission Ranch sits on 22 acres, with views of Point Lobos and the Pacific Ocean, setting the tone for how fabulous it is. The restaurant also has a piano bar, a great place to grab drinks even if you can’t stay and dine here. Supposedly, Clint Eastwood, who restored the ranch to its current glory, likes to stop by the piano bar from time to time and mingle with the guests. On Sundays, the restaurant also has a jazz brunch!
To Stay
The Carmel area exudes luxury, with numerous retired and vacationing Silicon Valley workers settling in the area. There are many top-notch hotels in the area, like Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa and The Lodge at Pebble Beach. This trip, however, my extended family and I wanted a place where we could all have a home away from home, to mix and mingle in close proximity at all times. For this reason we wanted to rent a big house for all of us. I started with the usual home/vacation rental websites but didn’t find anything I loved at a reasonable price. Luckily, I came across Carmel Realty‘s website, and our problems were solved. I found the most magnificent house that was ocean front (!) and we absolutely LOVED it! Carmel Realty had a whole section of vacation rentals on its website. The site was easy to use in finding our special home for this special trip.
Hope you get a chance to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea or any of the other great cities of California’s wonderful Central Coast! XOXO
Leave a Reply