Welcome to the Official Travel Site for Carmel-by-the-Sea
The Official Travel Site for Carmel-by-the-Sea, California offers you exclusive specials on hotels and inns, restaurants and bars, shopping, art galleries, spas and salons, and arts and entertainment. Plus, watch online videos to get an insider’s view of Carmel’s rich history, culture, lifestyle, accommodations, arts, entertainment, and stunning natural beauty.
World-renowned for its European charm, beautiful white-sand beach, performing arts, and hundreds of shops, art galleries, and restaurants, Carmel-by-the-Sea was rated a top-ten destination in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler.
Visit California’s jewel city for an unforgettable getaway and save with specials and incentives available only at CarmelCalifornia.com.
Carmel-by-the-Sea Is California’s Jewel
The vision of Carmel-by-the-Sea began in early 1903 as “a seaside town on Carmel Beach in the pine forest alongside Carmel Mission.” Roads were built to curve around the trees to ensure the natural beauty. California teachers and professors from Stanford and UC Berkeley were attracted to Carmel as well as artists, poets, musicians, and actors. Today, Carmel is as inspiring and beautiful as it was more than a century ago.
In 1910, the Los Angeles Times ran an article entitled “Hotbed of Soulful Culture, Vortex of Erotic Erudition: Carmel in California, Where Author and Artist Folk are Establishing the Most Amazing Colony on Earth.” Today, Carmel continues to attract artists, photographers, writers, and art enthusiasts to its inspiring natural beauty, culture, art galleries, and performing arts theaters.
The Carmel Mission podcast takes viewers back some 240 years to a time when Carmel was a vital religious center rather than a world-famous tourist destination. Founded in 1771, Carmel became headquarters for California’s 21 missions, and was home to their founder, Father Junipero Serra. At one point, the mission was like a small, self-sufficient city, with several thousand people living on the premises. Now, through the use of modern technology, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea makes this important portion of California history more accessible to 21st-century students and their families, and to travelers in general.
World-renowned for its European charm, beautiful white-sand beach, performing arts, and hundreds of shops, art galleries, and restaurants, Carmel-by-the-Sea was rated a top-ten destination in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler. Like a jewel found along California's Central Coast, Carmel-by-the-Sea has the sophistication of San Francisco and the glamour of Hollywood nestled into one of most beautiful landscapes in the world.
Seasoned celebrities come to Carmel to blend like chameleons into this community by the sea. It’s where movie stars can have a romantic getaway, talk-show hosts can join girlfriends at a spa, writers can hang out at a local pub, and dignitaries can make reservations for dinner. It’s a place with charm and sophistication that makes everyone feel like a celebrity.
Imagine a girlfriends getaway where boutique shops, spas, art galleries, world-class food and wine, picturesque white-sand beach, charming hotels and inns, and a host of salons are all within one square mile. Welcome to a Carmel Girlfriends Getaway, where every personal desire is within walking distance. So park your car, grab your girlfriends, and prepare for a weekend of indulgence in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Certainly, Carmel-by-the-Sea is one of the most pet-friendly towns in the United States. No one is exactly sure when it began or how, but thanks to celebrities such as Doris Day and Betty White, pets get the limelight in Carmel. Many restaurants, shops, art galleries, and inns are pet-friendly. What’s more, dogs can enjoy fresh running water at Carmel Plaza’s “Fountain of Woof” and pursue stardom in the Official Carmel Dog Calendar Casting Call.
Since its inception at the turn of the last century, Carmel has been a stage for performing arts. Within walking distance, you can enjoy a four-star dinner followed by a world-class performance at the historic Golden Bough Playhouse, the intimate Circle theaters, famous Forest Theater, and spectacular 700-seat Sunset Center, worthy of top national performances.
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