Carmel Meadows Beach

Located below the blufftop Carmel Meadows housing community, Carmel Meadows Beach is a wide west-facing beach that is a part of a state park called Carmel River State Beach. The beach has light brown sand and the water near it has strong waves and frequent rip currents. 

Carmel Meadows Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except some walking trails, so prepare your visit accordingly. The beach allows dogs on leash. 

Carmel Meadows Beach offers many activities including beachcombing, hiking, sunbathing, and wildlife watching. The water near the beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including surfing, swimming, and kayaking as it has a strong undertow, dangerous waves, and frequent rip currents. The water near the beach is home to many animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales between December and April. The blufftop area above the beach has a hiking trail called the Carmel Meadows Trail through which you can explore the beautiful grasslands and lichen-covered rock formations around the beach. This trail also offers incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. If you like birdwatching, you can walk north of the beach via the Carmel Meadows Trail to a lagoon formed by the Carmel River before meeting the ocean, which is a popular bird-watching spot.

Getting to Carmel Meadows Beach is easy - the access trail to the beach is located near 2575 Ribera Road, where street parking spaces are also available. 

There are many attractions near Carmel Meadows Beach. If you like golfing, the famous and beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links offers a challenging and fun golf course. In addition, the golf course also hosts the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament. Sunset Center hosts many interesting events including dance and music performances, plays, concerts, and stand-up comedy performances. In addition, the center, along with the Carmel Mission Basilica hosts the annual Carmel Bach Festival which sees a variety of exciting events being organized here including recitals, concerts, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and lectures. If you are looking for another attraction near Carmel Meadows Beach, Piccadilly Park was designed by landscape architect Walter Guthrie and has some unique plant species rarely found anywhere else in California. The park also has restrooms, a fountain, and benches.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Carmel Meadows Beach. The upscale Aubergine at L’Auberge Carmel offers delicious gourmet dishes and has a daily changing menu. In addition, the restaurant has been praised by the MICHELIN Guide and has also won Wine Spectator’s Best Award of Excellence. Mission Ranch Restaurant in Mission Ranch Hotel and Restaurant offers a dining area with a pleasant view of the nearby meadows and the Santa Lucia Mountains and serves excellent steaks, seafood, burgers, and breakfast dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Carmel Meadows Beach, the modestly priced Cafe Luna offers amazing sandwiches, pastries, salads, and ramen noodle bowls.

If you are looking for a hotel near Carmel Meadows Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star The Inn at Spanish Bay offers many amenities including an 18-hole golf course, a pool, a fitness center, tennis courts, two bars, and two restaurants. As another upscale option, the 4-Star Carriage House Inn offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and evening wine and appetizers, and a library. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Comfort Inn Carmel By The Sea which offers complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Carmel Meadows Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Svendgaard’s Inn offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and homemade cookies, a garden courtyard, and a pool with a patio.