When the idea of taking a 12 hour road trip from San Diego to Carmel-by-the-sea with my fur babies and my best friend came to my mind, “a magical moment” was not the first to enter my thoughts. The plan itself stressed me out, yet we decided to move forward with embarking on our first road trip in California together. After spending a weekend in June exploring and relaxing in this charming city, I am so happy that we committed to the long road trip.

If you’re hoping to learn more about traveling in Carmel-by-the-sea and desire to maximize your upcoming trip, then keep reading for a thorough guide to a weekend in Carmel-by-the-sea. For those of you who want to travel with your pets and bff, I promise to disclose how to conquer traveling with fur babes, and two distinct personality types in a later blog post (many stories to tell there lol).

To be completely honest, I was shockingly surprised with how much I enjoyed exploring Carmel along with Monterey Bay and the Central Coast. Both my best friend Nastacia and I believe that Carmel has to be one of the most underrated places and one of the best places to take your vacation while in California. Its charming city is filled with many reasons to book your next weekend girl’s trip. If you’re hoping to wander off in more cities within California, save this to your “California” Pinterest board for the best girl’s trip in Carmel-by-the-sea.

What to Do:

The lovely thing about Carmel is that you can squeeze in the thrill of adventure and the need for relaxation all in one trip. If you are connected with me on Instagram, then you know why I think that this is important. I am personally an avid believer to both relax and explore while on a vacation.

Due to the very quiet and quaint atmosphere within Carmel, you will very naturally have a slower pace which encourages you to relax. Scheduling in time at Carmel beach, going shopping in downtown, stargazing at night (YES, you can see the stars!) or visiting an art museum welcomes the moments that cause for you to just enjoy yourself. Not to mention, that the visitors and residents of this city like to call for an early night, so you will not run the risk of your sleep being interrupted.

If your girl’s trip in Carmel is planned for a weekend, then knowing exactly how we were able to maximize our weekend trip will be super helpful for you. We spent a lot of the time on the road, and truthfully had about a day and a half to explore the central coast.

Prior to visiting Carmel, Monterey Bay, or Pacific Grove, you want to make sure that you schedule in your reservations ahead of time if required. Most of the restaurants fill up quickly, and require a reservation on the weekend. We were intentional with doing this ahead of time, but we also did get blessed with an opening to one of the BEST places we have ever eaten at (this means a lot because Nastacia is a cook).

Featured in the right picture, dining at The Pocket made our experience much more enjoyable than it already was. Aside from the incredible and delicious food, the owner & chef, Federico Rusciano, checked on our table and gave us a warm welcome while dining there. To add to this hospitality, the food is authentic Italian, with all of the food being brought from Italy to Carmel every Wednesday. I started off with a glass of wine, the burratina, and ended with a braised short rib along with the best chocolate desert that makes you feel like you’re eating a chocolate cloud. To sum it up, the food, service, and the experience are next level at The Pocket. If you want to add a luxury dinner to your travels, please make sure that you add this to your vacation plans (thank me later).

Unfortunately, we discovered this restaurant towards the end of our trip. If it were up to us, we would have spent every evening here, because the food was that impressive. However, we also enjoyed the Village Corner for brunch plans, and the Carmel Bakery for our sweet tooth cravings. These two places do not require a reservation, but plan for a wait ahead of time.

I can’t write about Monterey Bay or Carmel-by-the-sea without bringing up one of my favorite shows, ‘Big Little Lies’. While traveling in Carmel, we learned that while one of the popular scenes was shot at the Fishermans Warf in Monterey Bay, the show was filmed in Pacific Grove. If you are desperate to find the house that Celeste stayed in, you will want to find it in PG.

Due to time not being on our side, we chose against this adventure and instead decided to add a few more things on our list. Thanks to our vacation rental, we received a free wine tasting for two at Scheid Vineyard wine tasting room and eventually agreed to get the 2016 Pinot Noir Clone 115, a red wine that we both enjoyed.

Two of the activities that were more of my favorite and on the spontaneous side of our trip include stargazing at Carmel beach and taking the 17 mile drive along Pebble Beach. It is the most scenic drives that you will get in California, with a blue ocean awaiting you and a clean ocean breeze.

Where to Stay:

You have this wonderful desire and idea for your girl’s trip in Carmel-by-the-sea, or for your weekend trip, but now you need to know where to stay. There are PLENTY of beautiful places to stay when visiting Carmel, but your trip will not make sense if you don’t stay at a cottage during your trip.

Carmel is know for having the most fairytale like towns, with cute cottages throughout each street. Not only was I able to live out my Snow White dream while staying here, I was also extremely comfortable with the cottage The Artist Way by Sanctuary Vacation Rentals

Not only is this cute cottage was conveniently located to so many shops, restaurants, and art galleries, it is also one of the cleanest and coziest places I have ever stayed in while traveling. The attention to detail that the team at Sanctuary Vacation Rental adheres to is beyond imaginable. We were able to check in using their app, which also provides the weather, fun things to do, and thorough instructions for a seamless check in and check out process.

The next time that I am visiting Carmel, I plan to stay for a longer trip and will absolutely spend an entire day in the cottage because it was peaceful, neat, and invited relaxation into my trip. It is also fully equipped with a kitchen, so if your planning a work-staycation, this is the perfect cottage to work remotely.

Overall:

Transportation: Book your car rental to get around and explore the central coast, but know that you can walk around downtown Carmel if you are staying there. Once getting to our cottage, we walked everywhere (change of shoes will come in handy), and only drove when leaving and driving the 17 Mile Drive.

Friendliness: Carmel is known for people that have old money with a few younger people emerging. Historically speaking, artists relocated to Carmel, and you can still see this within the culture here. I share this history lesson because it helps you understand the residents more when visiting. Both my best friend and I felt welcomed here, and everyone was SO friendly. Both the visitors and residents engaged in conversations with us (not that it is an expectation), and this made our experience here way better.

Solo Travel Safety: Totally safe to travel here by yourself, although I do recommend bringing a friend that enjoys cute, quiet and quaint vacations. This is a place that you’d want to enjoy with someone that you love and bringing your friend on a girls trip to Carmel is a must!

Final Thoughts: I loved being in Carmel and plan to come back one day. I feel this way about a few other locations, but I could totally see myself buying a nice home in Monterey Bay and using it as my own vacation rental in the future. This town is charming, entertaining and peaceful all in one. I highly recommend experiencing Carmel-by-the-sea for next weekend trip or girls trip 🙂