About a five-hour drive from Los Angeles, this enchanting town makes a perfect weekend escape. It boasts dramatic coastlines, sweeping ocean vistas, ideal surfing waves, and a downtown officially recognized as one of the nation’s most beautiful, for the second year in a row. Carmel-by-the-Sea recently secured a spot on the latest World Atlas ranking, listing the most beautiful downtown areas in the country.
How to spend a weekend in Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea
Carmel is the kind of town that makes you want to wander without a plan. You can stroll along Ocean Avenue, duck into quirky galleries and tiny boutiques, or grab a snack at local favorites like The Cheese Shop. The Sunset Center might look unassuming from the outside, but it pulls in some surprisingly big-name performances, which is always a fun surprise.
If you like getting outside, there’s plenty to keep you busy. The Scenic Bluff Path above Carmel Beach is perfect for stretching your legs and snapping photos of the Pacific, and just a few miles out, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve has hiking trails, wildlife, and coves that feel straight out of a postcard. Even a quick visit makes you appreciate how gorgeous this coastline really is.
Sure, Carmel’s charm comes with a price tag, but an insider tip is to spend the night in Monterey, where you can find hotels and inns sometimes for half the price of the average place in Carmel, where even the cheapest options can be above the typical visitor’s budget.
A quick look at Carmel’s history
Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea was officially settled in 1902 and quickly grew as an arts colony, drawing writers, painters, and architects who shaped the town’s unique charm. Its fairytale cottages, with storybook roofs and whimsical details, were crafted in the 1920s by Hugh Comstock and remain a defining feature of the village today.
Beyond the cottages, the area’s roots run deeper. Landmarks like the Carmel Mission Basilica, founded in the 1700s, reflect California’s early Spanish colonial history.