The Ultimate Guide to Carmel

Carmel by the Sea is rated a top travel destination in the United States. Carmel is a charming European style village nestled above a picturesque white sand beach where everything is within walking distance from each other. The village is known for its luxury style shopping, exquisite cuisine and wine tasting by the sea. In addition, there is the 17 mile drive where you can visit the world-famous Pebble Beach golf resort.

Where to Stay:

La Playa Carmel

La Playa Carmel is a lovely resort located steps away from the beach. The rooms offer scenic ocean views and charming decor. Upon check in the hotel offers home-made sangria available in the afternoon daily. The welcoming staff also informed us that fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and milk would be available each evening. One of our favorite amenities of the hotel is the daily complimentary champagne breakfast buffet.

Accommodations: The rooms are charming and absolutely beautiful with scenic ocean views. The bedding is luxurious and comfortable and each night the staff left Ghirardelli chocolates on our pillows. The bathroom was generously spacious with fabulous towels. The wi-fi was consistent and fast and the hospitality of the staff at the hotel was wonderful. Every face of the hotel, concierges, doormen, waiters, etc. was very kind, generous, and helpful.

  

 

 

Planning your Day:

Start your morning with a delicious champagne breakfast buffet, catch some rays at the pool, and treat yourself to a game of life-size chess. After stopping by the front desk for some fresh sangria, you can either utilize the complimentary shuttle service into town or take a five-minute stroll three blocks up. Once you’ve made it to town, it’s tme to start your wine walk by the sea. We recommend buying your wine passport in advance either online or at the resort.

Wine Walk by the Sea:

The Wine Walk by the Sea is a self guided and self-paced wine tour to the tasting rooms which are all within a few blocks of each other along Ocean Avenue. The wine tasting Wine Walk by the Sea passport is $100 which includes one flight at ten of the fourteen tasting rooms. It can be used in one day or spread out over time. The Wine Tasting Passport is available for purchase at the Carmel Visitor Center located in Carmel Plaza, 2nd floor, on Ocean Ave. between Junipero & Mission. 

During our stay, we had the opportunity to participate in the Wine Walk by the Sea and let us tell you, it is well worth getting the passport. The wineries were a blast! Everyone was very friendly and the convenience of how close they were to each other was great.  We won’t forget our favorite part of the tour to; (the WINE)!! We were able to walk to and from the La Playa Hotel in about five short minutes. 

Please visit the following link to learn more about the Wine Walk by the Sea and to book your passport!

https://www.carmelchamber.org/store/wine-walk-by-the-sea

14 Wineries Included in the Passport: 

Blair Estate Artisan Wines

Caraccioli Cellars

Carmel Road

Dawn’s Dream Winery

De Tierra Vineyards

Figge Cellars

Galante Vineyards

Manzoni Cellars

Scheid Vineyards

Silvestri

Shale Canyon Wines

Smith Family Wines

Windy Oaks Estate

Wrath Wines.

Additional Activities We Recommend:

Pebble Beach 17 Mile Drive: Discover one of the most scenic drives in the world. Admission to 17-Mile Drive is $10.25 per vehicle, cash only.

Historic Cannery Row: Named in honor of the legendary John Steinbeck novel, Cannery Row offers more than 25 restaurants, shopping, and luxury hotels. Here you can also visit The Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

Old Fisherman’s Wharf: One of our favorite things to do here was to taste the clam chowder. By the time you get to the end of the pier, trust us, you will be full! In Old Fisherman’s Wharf, you can also go whale-watching, explore unique shops, and experience the sights and sounds of Monterey’s past.

After a relaxing day and wine tasting, cuddle up to your significant other at one of the elegant restaurants located in the village, Although there are many to choose from, we’ve listed some of our personal favorites.

Little Napoli – Italian (Try a real Italian Aperol Spritz!)

Grasings- Californian (known for their steak, it’s delicious!)