Local Attractions

our favorites

Restaurants – With over 65 restaurants in little Carmel-by-the-Sea, you will never be short of food or drinks! Here’s a few of our favorites:

La Balena – Beautiful Florentine style Italian food just a block from us. Holly’s pick for her birthday.

Flying Fish Grill – Intimate asian restaurant specializing in seafood. Mary’s favorite when she’s in town.

Anton & Michel – Local’s favorite for decades. Curtis loves the rack of lamb.

L’Escargot – Our choice for our anniversary or a romantic date night. The Beef Wellington special is worthy of poetry.

Akaoni – Super locals-only style tiny sushi bar, reservations are must, not kid or dog friendly: totally worth it.

Carmel Belle – Our pick for the best takeout for a beach picnic lunch. They also do a fantastic golden latte for foggy morning walks.

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Only fifteen minutes from the Carmel Garden Inn on Monterey’s historic Cannery Row.

Wine Tasting – Some of California’s finest wines are grown here in Monterey County. Monterey, Carmel, and Carmel Valley have many wine tasting rooms to tempt your taste buds. Carmel alone has more than 16 wine tasting rooms for you to enjoy. We would love to help you arrange a tour. Talk to our staff about the Carmel Wine Walk.

Carmel Mission Basilica – California’s second oldest mission, founded in 1771 by Father Junipero Serra.

Tor House – Built by the famous poet Robinson Jeffers on beautiful Carmel Point.

Carmel Beach – At the foot of Ocean Avenue, Carmel Beach has a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, and to the left Pebble Beach and to the right Point Lobos. Our beach is also a leash-free beach for your pets!

17-Mile Drive – This beautiful drive, with world-famous golf courses and mansions, is recognized as one of the most scenic drives in the world - and only 5 minutes from the Carmel Garden Inn.

Other adventures. A little farther afield.

National Steinbeck Center – John Steinbeck is a world-famous author, with novels such as Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat and many others. The Steinbeck Center is located only 20 minutes from Carmel in Salinas.

Refuge Spa – Thermal cycle pools and massage in Carmel Valley.

Henry Miller Library – A wonderful place to do absolutely nothing in Big Sur.

National, State and County Parks

Pinnacles National Park – America’s newest National Park. Travel to the Pinnacles National Park is approximately two hours one way. If you are planning on visiting the Pinnacles, be prepared to spend this as the entire day.

Big Sur – The magnificent Big Sur coastline is less than a one hour drive south of Carmel. Plan on spending most of the day exploring this most beautiful meeting between land and sea. Some of the more popular parks and attractions in Big Sur are: Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Point Sur Lighthouse, and Nepenthe.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve – Only 10 minutes south of Carmel on Highway 1. Point Lobos is a spectacular natural reserve that is home to many marine and terrestrial plants and animals. Sea otters and whales are often seen at Point Lobos. Plan on spending at least 3 hours to get a feel of the beautiful Central California Coast. Hiking trails are easy and the scenery is worth many photos. Since it is a nature reserve, dogs are not allowed at Point Lobos.

Garland Ranch Regional Park – A 20-minute drive from the inn to beautiful Carmel Valley. You’ll find the terrain and flora very different from that of the Big Sur coastline. Great hiking trails for those avid enthusiasts and also the perfect place to take your pet on a long hike. You can easily spend two hours or the whole day at Garland Park.

Hearst Castle – Travel to Hearst Castle is approximately 3 hours south of Carmel on Highway 1. It is recommended to see Hearst Castle before your trip to Carmel if traveling northbound or after your trip to Carmel if traveling southbound.

golf and other sports

Pebble Beach Golf Links – Only a 15-minute drive from our inn to the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and Lodge.

The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach – A 20-minute drive to beautiful Spanish Bay along the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific Grove Golf Links, Pacific Grove – A 20-minute drive to Pacific Grove along the tide pools of the Pacific and the longest operating lighthouse in California at Point Pinos.

Del Monte Golf Course, Monterey – A 15-minute drive to the oldest golf course on the west coast.

Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Courses, Seaside – A 20-minute drive north on Highway 1 to the old Fort Ord Army installation.

Rancho Canada Golf Course, Carmel – A 10-minute drive east of Carmel on Carmel Valley Road.

Other sports.

Tennis – Carmel Valley Athletic Club is nestled next to a trickling river where the fog line stops and the sun shines brightly.

Bicycling – Bay Bikes has 3 convenient locations on the Monterey Peninsula.

Horseback Riding – Pebble Beach Equestrian Center and Molera Horseback Tours in Big Sur.

Kayaking – Explore Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Elkhorn Slough with Monterey Bay Kayaks and Adventures by the Sea.

calendar of events

We have put together a list of some of the yearly events to help you plan your stay in the Carmel area. For more information, give us a call or go to visitcarmel.com

January: Carmel Culinary Week

February: AT&T Golf Pro-Am Pebble Beach

April: Pebble Beach Food & Wine Event

Big Sur International Marathon

July: Carmel Bach Festival

August: Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula

Concours on the Avenue, Ocean Avenue in Carmel

Tour d’Elegance on Ocean Avenue, Carmel.

Concours d’Elegance, Pebble Beach

September: Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey Fair Grounds,

Sandcastle Contest at Carmel Beach

Poodle Week (Call For Poodle Week Specials!)