Carmel by the Sea
Why is Carmel the best dog friendly town in California?
Are you looking for some amazing dog friendly activities in Carmel, California?
I totally understand why people love Carmel so much! This quiet sleepy town on the California coast is so dang cute. A little backstory.. during the pandemic, my office, much like most other offices, switched to remote working. While initially I thought we were going to be back in the office in a few weeks, once I realized that I would be working from home for several months, I decided to make the best of the remote working situation and work remotely from Carmel-by-the-Sea while we waited for the world to settle down. I rented a house in the Golden Triangle region of Carmel-by-the-Sea so that we could walk to the beach in 5 minutes, and Pokey could soak up as much beach time as possible!!
Reflecting on our amazing time there, I put together this dog friendly guide to Carmel show you some of the best things to do with your dog in what is undoubtedly California’s most dog friendly coastal town!
Carmel-by-the-sea or Carmel is a charming little coastal “village” in the Monterey Peninsula next to the Pacific Ocean and is only one square mile but it packs a huge punch. With fairy tale cottages, art galleries, and gorgeous ocean views, Carmel truly does feel like a storybook.
Carmel is is known to be one of U.S.A.’s most dog-friendly towns. Downtown Carmel-by-the-sea is perfect for exploring over a weekend with your dog, with secret alleyways, charming courtyards and many dog friendly businesses.
Here’s how I spent my time with Pokey
DOG FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO IN CARMEL
Dog Friendly beaches in Carmel:
Carmel Dog Beach
Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921 (MAP)
Carmel-by-the-sea has probably the most dog friendly beach in California. We absolutely love the off-leash dog beach at the very end of Ocean avenue and Pokey always has a blast here. Pokey almost immediately starts doing zoomies.
Somewhat similar to the San Francisco climate, Carmel experiences foggy mornings and with temperatures rising in the afternoon. It can also get quite windy, even in the summer. Layering is always best!
There are public restrooms and free parking available at the beach. You can easily find a parking spot in the mornings, but anytime after 11 a.m. will be difficult to find parking since there aren’t that many spots available. Luckily, Carmel is a small town, so you can easily walk to the beach from your hotel (or VRBO house), which is what we did.
Dog Friendly hikes in Carmel:
If you are in the mood to hike in Carmel with your dog, may I suggest Mission trail park and Nature preserve? This is a dog friendly hiking trail in Carmel which meanders through miles of green wherever the eyes can wander. We hiked for only a mile or so of the five miles, but this is definitely one of those non tedious, beginner level dog friendly hike that everyone can enjoy at a relaxing pace! The trail head is close by to downtown Carmel and is either a 20 min walk or 7-8 min drive.
Exploring downtown Carmel:
Downtown Carmel is super dog friendly to boot and dogs are allowed in almost all stores (unless they sell food/edibles) and as a result you can explore most of downtown Carmel with your dog without any problems! Every corner that we turned too was beautiful and charming with flowers or secret paths/tiny green Shangri-la like gardens tucked in! Not to mention the extremely cute and quaint store signs, unexpected red doors (my favorite) , cute boutiques and art galleries strewn everywhere!
Simply enjoy strolling around in downtown and take in the pretty sights of flowers blooming, tiny little shops and quaint, delightful signs everywhere. Carmel is such a tiny town with residential areas adjacent to the business center/heart of the city, that everything can be covered within a day on foot if you are simply wandering around, making it an excellent Bay Area day trip from San Francisco.
Downtown Carmel has many hidden gems that you will stumble upon as your walk around. One of them is a delightful secret garden tucked away in an alley (next to Carmel bookstore) or beautiful flower lined cobbled pathways in small lanes adorned with local shops and restaurants.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT CARMEL WITH DOGS
Carmel is a popular destination year around for Bay Area locals, so it is hard to escape the crowds even in off-season. The best way to beat the crowds is to arrive during weekdays (Monday-Thursday) when it is pretty quiet all around. Carmel is an excellent place to escape the July 4 fireworks, especially for sensitive dogs like Pokey since fireworks are banned in the city.
Because of its mild weather, Carmel is also the perfect winter getaway in California and is the gateway to Big Sur, one of the most scenic stretches along Pacific Coast Highway. The stunning 17 mile drive, one of the best dog friendly road trips in California, also passes through Carmel and is one of the many reasons to visit Monterey county.
HOW FAR IS CARMEL FROM THE BAY AREA?
Carmel is 125 miles south of San Francisco and is a 2.5 hours drive along the scenic route of Highway 1 (2 hrs if you take the inland route). It is only 1 hr 20 mins away from San Jose and can easily be a day trip from the Bay Area.
HOW CAN YOU GET TO CARMEL?
You will need to get your private vehicle and drive if you’re coming in from the Bay Area or flying into SFO or SJC airports (SJC/San Jose International airport is the closest major airport to Carmel). For those visiting from abroad, you need to rent a car to drive to Carmel. You can easily rent a car at the SFO or SJC airports or any major city in the Bay Area. The
Monterey regional airport (MRY) is minutes away from Carmel and serves limited destinations with a handful of Airlines (Alaska and United are the two prominent ones). It might get really costly to fly into MRY from most parts of the country, so it is best to fly into SFO or SJC and drive down to Carmel.
WHERE TO STAY WITH YOUR DOG IN CARMEL: DOG FRIENDLY HOTELS
I found my future home while we were in Carmel… It was even for sale! I just need a hundred more years to save for it!! But until I can afford a house there, there are dog friendly hotels
Cypress Inn:
One of the most memorable one undoubtedly the boutique hotel Cypress Inn, owned by yesteryear actress and animal activist Doris Day. No surprises that the Inn is the best dog friendly hotel in Carmel with everything geared towards the comfort of your canine companion.
The hotel has its own restaurant (Terry’s lounge) with both indoor and outdoor seating welcoming dogs, but advance reservations are recommended in this dog friendly Carmel restaurant since it is super popular due to its delicious cuisine (Californian American focusing on fresh catch) and because it welcomes dogs.
Our room, although a tad small, was beautifully decorated and came with a plush blanket and water bowl for Pokey (things that make traveling with your pup easier). Plus attendants make the rounds in the evening handing over complimentary chocolates to every room, so what could be better than that?!.
Breakfast is your typical continental fare and is complimentary, but the best part of the restaurant is its lounge with a fireplace (nesting a real, crackling fire in its hearth) that seals the deal. The lounge is open to all visitors for a drink or for guests to cozy up with their dogs as they listen to live music. On Saturdays, there is a live musical performance by a Liza Minnelli-esque lady who will charm you with her soulful crooning.
Briarwood Inn:
Cypress Inn is the most popular and definitely pricey dog friendly hotel in Carmel, and gets booked very quickly, specially for the July 4th weekend. Another pet friendly Carmel hotel, where we have stayed repeatedly, is Briarwood Inn bed and breakfast, a cute little inn minutes away from downtown which welcomes dogs and also has complimentary breakfast.
They do have some restrictions based on your pet’s size, so please enquire before you book! Both times we arrived to spacious, well kept rooms (larger ones can accommodate up to three people) with a fireplace and they had thoughtfully laid out a doggie treat on our bed! We loved our stay there both times and highly recommend it to pet parents looking for more economical options for budget dog friendly hotels in Carmel.
Green Lantern Inn:
Green Lantern inn is another of the many dog friendly hotels in Carmel allows up to two pets per room (an additional charge of $35 is applied per pet) and is located a mere 5 blocks from the popular Carmel beach. The inn not only has a charming lobby where freshly made hot complimentary breakfast is served but also equally dainty cottages that are spacious on the inside.
We stayed at the “Carmel Hideaway”/Laurel cottage which is a little more secluded since it is kind of at the back of the inn and is accessible by a flight of stairs. This inn is possibly the most economically viable option of the three places that we’ve stayed at in Carmel and thus recommended for visitors who want something more than the bare-boned Motel 6. Parking is also included but arrive a little early for check-in since the parking lot is tiny.
DOG FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS IN CARMEL:
Carmel was definitely built for dog-lovers and offers plenty of dog friendly restaurants to choose from. Almost all restaurants here are very welcoming to dogs with outdoor seating areas or beautiful patios. That is not all, many businesses (those not selling food items) welcome dogs in their establishments and also keep a bowl of water outside for thirsty pooches.
We explored quite a few dog friendly Carmel restaurants during our repeat visits and loved our dining experience at all of them. Before I start, I must warn you that advance reservations are a very good idea at these pet friendly Carmel restaurants if you are visiting with your dog over a busy holiday weekend because all outdoor spots are taken by similar pet parents who are visiting.
Lunch at a charming dog friendly Carmel restaurant named Casanova, which is closest to Ocean avenue. We loved the mediterranean/french fare and the tiny courtyard where we could relax and enjoy our meal with lots of dogs near tables all around!
Breakfast at Village Corner, another dog friendly Carmel restaurant with a welcoming fire-pit to keep you warm on chilly Carmel mornings, which is also one of the very few restaurants open on 4th of July. Breakfast was omelette for S and buttermilk pancakes for me and then we headed off north, back to the city!
For those interested in some sweet indulgence, Carmel Bakery (open on July 4th as well) , Little Swiss Cafe selling Cheese blintzes (serving breakfast), and Patisserie Boissiere with fresh baked good and french pastries (plus savories for lunch) offer the perfect opportunity to do so and must not be missed. As of August 2020, Patisserie Boissiere has commenced outdoor seating that welcomes dogs.
Dog-Friendly Tasting Room Options:
Dog friendly Carmel-by-the-sea has lots of wine tasting rooms and Galante Vineyards has the oldest of them all. This tasting room serves five pours of red and white (for a very reasonable $20) and all the wines are from their estate grown grapes. Outdoor tasting welcomes well behaved dogs gladly! I also highly recommend Dawn’s dream winery which is a cute little dog friendly wine tasting room in downtown Carmel.
The third dog friendly wine tasting room that you must visit, for their excellent service, wine and addictive breadsticks is none other than “Scratch wines”. The winemaker has several chickens, which is why the name “scratch” and the wines are grown from grapes sourced all over the central coast. Here too, five pours cost $20, the fee being waived upon purchase of a bottle.
Albatross Ridge Tasting Room - Dolores between Ocean & 6th
Holman Ranch Tasting Room - Hampton Court on 7th between San Carlos & Dolores
Scheid Vineyards Wine Tasting - SE corner San Carlos & 7th
Final Thoughts
When it comes to four-legged travelers, Carmel knows that pups are part of the family too. Pets are welcome nearly everywhere, with water bowls, biscuits, and biodegradable bags throughout the town.
