Attractions & Things To Do

The “Lone Cypress,” a Monterey Cypress tree, stands on a granite hillside in Pebble Beach located along the 17-Mile Drive and is one of the most photographed trees in North America.

Possibly as old as 250 years, the tree has been held secure with cables for over 65 years.  Monterey Cypress trees grow naturally on the Monterey Peninsula and are believed to have been brought here originally by the Chinese hundreds of years ago.

Mission San Carlos de Carmelo, first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored California Missions. Located in Carmel-by the-Sea, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Monument. Father Junipero Serra, the Father of the California Missions, died at the age of 70 in August 1784 and is buried under the sanctuary floor. Saint John Paul II beatified Father Serra in 1988.

In 1917, Jack Neville co-designer, wrote in Pacific Golf & Motor that “The seventh is a little gem of a mashie shot, only 106 yards and a drop of 40 feet from tee to green” 101 years later, this green remains the same and is still challenging golfers.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at the oceans’ edge on Cannery Row. Your window to marine life, at the aquarium you can visit jellies, sharks, penguins, sea otters and thousands of other marine life and plant life.

If you only have one day to hike in Big Sur, we recommend the Ewoldson Trail hike. This trail takes you into an amazing redwood forest with stream and trails starting from the same parking lot as the McWay Waterfall Trail.

This is the second of two trails that we recommend for hiking in Big Sur. The McWay Waterfall Trail takes you to the most dramatic and well-known lookouts on the Big Sur Coast. This trail starts from the same parking lot as the Ewoldson Canyon Trail.

A rich feeding ground, Monterey Bay is home to a variety of summer whales including the largest creature on earth, the Blue Whale, the Humpback, Orca (Killer Whale) and Minke Whales, all of which migrate April through November. A few miles off the coast, the “Gray Whale Highway” runs along the third deepest marine canyon in the world. Gray Whale migration is December through April. Multiple tours depart daily from Monterey Bay Warf.

Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Ocean Avenue shopping wants for nothing except for more time to explore it. Explore the town’s stone-paved alleyways for exquisite original works of art, jewelry, and fabulous clothing, and discover the few and rare Comstock Cottages.

Whether you choose to go on a picnic on the beach or be seated at a table in an outdoor, ocean-view restaurant with a glass of local wine, take a moment to shut your eyes, lift your face to the sun, and breathe deeply. These are moments that count.

The “Off-Leash” area of this park is a great place for you and your dog to explore.

Located just 5 minutes west of the Lodge on Carmel Valley Road, this pristine natural park offers almost 4,500 acres of beautifully landscaped and untouched terrain with hiking trails suited to every ability level. With awe-inspiring views of the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Valley, Garland Ranch Regional Park Off-Leash area is both relaxing and inspiring.

Whether you opt for a picnic on the beach, a knowle overlooking the ocean, or a table in an outdoor restaurant with a glass of local wine, take a moment to shut your eyes, lift your face to the sun, and breathe deeply. These are moments that count.

Driving and walking around Carmel-by-the-Sea you’ll find architecture of pure enchantment. The most enchanting are the “Fairytale Cottages” built in the 1920s by Hugh Comstock.

Hugh Comstock’s wife, Mayotta, made and sold rag dolls that she called “Otsy-Totsys.” When the many dolls threatened to outgrow their home, she asked Hugh to build her a “Doll House” where she could showcase and sell her dolls. Hugh built and kept building…Hansel, Gretel, Obers, Snow White’s Summer Place, The Tuck Box, Our House, The Birthday House, The Doll House, The Fables and many more. Take some time to drive around Carmel-By-The-Sea and discover how many you can spot.