Carmel River State Beach


Migratory birds are attracted to this mile-long stretch of sand bordered by a lagoon formed by the Carmel River.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

0.42 MILES

Carmel's strikingly beautiful mission is an oasis of solemnity with flowering gardens and a thick-walled basilica filled with Spanish Colonial art and…

2. Tor House

0.44 MILES

Even if you’ve never heard of 20th-century poet Robinson Jeffers, a pilgrimage to this house built with his own hands offers fascinating insights into…

3. Carmel Beach City Park

0.79 MILES

Not always sunny, Carmel Beach is a gorgeous blanket of white sand, where pampered pups excitedly run off-leash. South of 10th Ave, bonfires crackle after…

4. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

1.71 MILES

They bark, they laze and bathe and they’re fun to watch – sea lions are the stars in this state park some 4 miles south of Carmel, along with the…

5. Lone Cypress

2.91 MILES

Central California's most famous and photographed tree has been perched precariously on a seaward rock for possibly more than 250 years.

6. Earthbound Farm Stand

4.28 MILES

This roadside farmstand offers smoothies, soups and lets you harvest your own herbs in the garden.

7. Old Monterey Jail

4.31 MILES

Featured in John Steinbeck’s novel Tortilla Flat, this small granite prison was built in 1856. Over a century of use, not one prisoner ever escaped.