About 8 blocks from the quaint, gingerbread
house, cottage filled town of Carmel by the Sea, is “Carmel City
Beach,” or better known to the locals as “Ocean Street Beach.”
If you are looking for a pristinely kept beach, Carmel City Beach doesn’t
get much better. Looking to the North, the world famous Pebble Beach
Golf Course, makes it’s way to the sea, while surrounded by white,
powder fine sand dunes, and cypress lined streets only add to its incredible
ambiance. Thanks to the efforts of famed actress Doris Day, it is an
extremely “dog friendly” beach. If your pup is under voice
control, it is allowed to wander off the leash and free.
SURF TIDES, CLIMATE, WATER TEMP: While
other parts of the Monterey Peninsula are more apt to a heavy marine
layer and foggy beaches, Carmel does not have near the amount of fog
issues and is known for it’s unbeatable climate. This beach is
surfer friendly and at any given day one might see a stream of local
board surfers enjoying the classic consistency seen in the surf all
year round. Wet suits are advised.
BEACH ACTIVITES: Walking or jogging, either
on the beach or along the carefully paved dirt trails, lined with artistic
cypress across from multi-million dollar beach estates. The trail goes
from 8th, 10th 11th, 12th, 13th, Santa Lucia and Martin Way, where stairs
in various spots along the path lead directly to the beach. Contained
fires are allowed south of 10th Street, and 25 ft. the cliffs. Making
it fun to barbecue during the day and enjoy the warmth of a cozy fire
in cooler evenings. The weekends and holidays tend to be a magnet for
tourists, and sometimes parking requires a bit of a walk, but the walk
is doable and the scenery exquisite, making up for the shortage of parking
spaces.
LOCAL FLAVOR: Carmel City Beach is safe,
clean, extremely scenic and easily accessible from the Pacific Coast
Highway. The beach is walking distance to town, where you will find
an array of quaint cottages; famous to the area, a world-renowned selection
of art galleries, higher end restaurant dining, and the general ambiance
that makes Carmel by the Sea a world famous seacoast attraction. During
the summer months, the famous Bach Festival is exceptional, or the Pacific
Repertoire Theatre performing at Carmel’s “Forest Theatre,”
designed after the Globe Theatre in England. It has been noted that
the Pacific Repertoire Theatre performs first rate Shakespeare and is
well worth seeing.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
-The Carmel Mission/San Carlos Borromeo
de Carmelo
-The Monterey Bay Aquarium/Open year round
-Golf courses: Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Rancho Carmel, Quail Lodge, Poppy
Hills, Spanish Bay; to name a few.
LODGING: Given the fact that Carmel by
the Sea is so widely visited year round, there is a wide variety of
lodging to choose from.
by: Carla Iacovetti
©2006Carla Iacovetti
