The beaches in Carmel River State Beach offer many fun activities, including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, and scuba diving (only at Monastery Beach and the main beach in Carmel River State Beach). San Jose Creek Beach, also popular with scuba divers, offers another excellent diving location near Carmel. Aquatic recreational activities including swimming, surfing, and kayaking are highly unsafe in the water near Carmel River State Beach as it has a severe undertow and dangerous currents. The water near Carmel River State Beach is home to many marine mammals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). The main beach in Carmel River State Beach is a perfect spot for sunbathing due to its wide sandy area. In addition, the beach is located adjacent to Carmel River Lagoon and has wetlands near it, which are a part of the Carmel River Lagoon and Wetlands Natural Preserve. This lagoon and the wetlands near it can be explored via hiking trails and are a great bird-watching spot - you can watch a variety of birds around this lagoon, including waterfowl and songbirds. In addition, there is a hill near the lagoon that has a cross commemorating the Portolá expedition, which was the first documented European land exploration of northern California and was led by Gaspar de Portolá. The expedition had camped near the Carmel River Lagoon in the 18th century.

In addition, the water near the northern part of the beach is a great diving spot in spite of the dangerous water currents. Divers can explore the kelp beds present here that are home to a large array of underwater fauna, including fish, shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, and sponges. The water here also has unique underwater rock formations. Another popular diving spot in Carmel River State Beach is Monastery Beach - the water near this beach has a unique underwater topography and biodiversity. The water here is home to many animals, including rockfish, bass, lingcod, perches, scallops, anemones, urchins, and abalone. However, we recommend these diving spots only for experienced divers as beginner divers can have difficulty handling the rough water conditions here while diving. If you like hiking, the blufftop area above Carmel Meadows Beach has beautiful grasslands and lichen-covered rock formations around the beach, which you can explore via the Carmel Meadows Trail. This hiking trail also offers incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.