Explore
That’s the inn in the photo — and that’s the bay, just beyond it. Park once (free when you book direct) and let the peninsula come to you.
On foot
The sardine street Steinbeck made famous, now packed with waterfront restaurants, tasting rooms, and boutique shops. Walk it in the early morning to have the old cannery buildings — and the sea otters offshore — mostly to yourself.
The world-renowned aquarium at the end of the Row: sea otters, drifting jellyfish, a three-story kelp forest, and live feedings worth planning your day around. Buy tickets ahead in summer.
Chowder in a bread bowl, whale-watching departures, and the resident sea lions providing the soundtrack. The harborside walk there is half the fun.
Day trips
California’s oldest continuously operating parish, in Spanish Colonial stone — a quiet, beautiful half-hour of history downtown.
One of California’s most scenic routes: dramatic cliffs, cypress forests, and viewpoint after viewpoint. Go late afternoon for the light.
Storybook cottages, galleries, wine tasting, and a white-sand beach at the bottom of Ocean Avenue. Dinner here, fireplace back at the inn.
World-famous golf, dramatic coastline, and breathtaking overlooks — even if you never swing a club.
Turquoise coves, cliff trails, harbor seals, and the best easy hiking on the coast. Arrive before 10 AM on weekends — the lots fill.
A good day, from Foam Street
Morning — coffee in the room, then beat the crowds down the hill: the Row is quietest before ten, and the Aquarium’s sea otters are at their most theatrical early.
Afternoon — walk the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf for chowder, or take the car out: 17-Mile Drive if it’s clear, Carmel if you’re hungry, Point Lobos if you need a trail.
Evening — dinner on the Row, then the two-block walk home while the fog comes in. Light the fireplace. That’s the whole trick.
