These enchanting homes, often called the Comstock cottages, are a hallmark of Carmel's unique…read morecharacter. They were designed and built primarily in the 1920s by Hugh Comstock--initially to showcase his wife Mayotta Brown's popular "Otsy‑Totsy" rag dolls. One of the most famous ones is Hansel and Gretel, created in 1924, and located Torres Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues. Enthralled by the first cottages, Carmel residents began commissioning Comstock to build similar homes. Over time, this blossomed into a small architectural movement--by the late 1920s and into the 1930s, around 21 Comstock cottages had been built across the town. Absolutely stunning!!! Suggested route -- and the route we took is: 1.) Go to the Carmel Visitor Center on Ocean Avenue between Junipero Street & Mission Street. Park your car nearby and do a self-guided walking tour. 2.) Pick up a map at the Visitor Center, take a "fairy-tale cottages" handout or take a picture of the handout. 3.) The walking tour is about 1-1.2 miles only. Very enjoyable walk. Small elevation. Wear comfortable shoes. Enjoy!!!

While in Carmel by the Sea we did a nice stroll into the neighborhood looking for the Hansel and…read moreGretel Cottages. I am giving 4 stars for the peaceful and scenic walk away from the hustle and bustle of the main street tourist area. I would give the walking tour 3 stars as the houses are not clearly marked and difficult to determine what we were looking at. That being said the cottages we stopped to look at were beautiful and very well maintained. Its worth the effort and time to go on this adventure. There are a few dramatically modern homes built in the neighborhood as well which seem out of place considering we were looking for fairy tale cottages. The walk is a bit hilly so plan accordingly. Nice and peaceful, be considerate as people do live in these adjacent homes.

Carmel Mission Basilica (formal name 'San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo') is one of six minor…read morebasilicas in the state of California (five being former Spanish missions). It is the oldest one, founded in 1770, and elevated to basilica status by Pope John XXIII in 1960. My wife, her mom, and I visited it during a late Sunday afternoon during our first day in Carmel, and found it to be a great, worthwhile experience, especially if one is Roman Catholic. The basilica is still a working parish, so parking during non-mass hours was easy to find. A ticket booth was set-up at the visitor entrance, with cost of $15 per adult ($13 for senior). There is an adjacent gift shop that doesn't require admission and sells all the various religious items that one would expect from a religious tourist attraction. We ended up spending about 90 minutes here (there is a lot of information here, along with a lot to see). -- Founding priest was Junipero Serra ("Apostle of California"). He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, and his shrine/remains are interned here. -- Only U.S. church visited by a pontiff during a papal visit: Pope John Paul II in 1987. He paid homage to Father Serra, and laid flowers at the tomb. This visit is clearly commemorated. -- the Munras Family Heritage Museum is worth going to, to see a short movie about the prominent Monterey family, along with early California artifacts from the family. -- the Nativity scene was one of the most intricate -- the large courtyard is a good place to stop and admire the architecture of a California Spanish mission, along with a thick trunk Cork Oak tree By the time we were leaving, the ticket office had closed (last call is at 16:30, to allow everyone to have enough time before official close at 18:00).

So grateful to been able to attend Sunday Mass. Basilica is so beautiful and it has so much…read morehistory and also they have free museum and a small shop. Sunday mass is full but the have lots of extra chairs in the back outside the church. Parking could be crowded so get there early.

Awesome experience and excellent tour guide in Lucas! It was a windy and overcast Feb day and that…read moremade the tour even more cool. Great history and grounds. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike. Take the secret staircase up the tower!

Very beautiful location! We had a very informative tour guide who really seemed to enjoy his job!…read moreThe grounds are very well maintained and all of the staff were very kind! Definitely worth a visit!

First time there. Didn't know there was a separate library for young kids and teens. Now we do. We…read morehappened to pick the week that the kids library was closed for whatever reason and would reopen the following week. So we decided to stay. It was close to 5:30 pm so we thought we would have a good half hour before they closed at 6pm. At 10 minutes to 6 some person walked by and said the library was closing and within seconds turned the lights in the room off. It wasn't completely dark but enough to not be able to see writings clearly. It would have been nice to get a 10 min or so warning that they would be turning the lights off so we could wrap up what we were doing. That's so rude! Our local library is the Monterey Library but since we were in Carmel we thought we would save commute time and use it at the Carmel library. Turns out that was not the case. Our local library gives a 30 min, 15 min, then a 10 (or 5?) min notice of closing time and then even at closing time does not turn the lights off on anyone . I guess the Carmel library staff are all very anxious to get home. Just know if you go there near closing time that you will be rushed out the door very rudely and treated like you are taking up their precious time.

So many communities have libraries - I love to take a look on my travels! Some are all new, some…read morehave 3D printers or "reading caves" for kids.... THIS Library is a gem- beautiful with a fantastic selection, new books quiet reference areas and so well-kept. It has a large reference section and the top floor is fiction. Built in 1923, a memorial for Judge Harrington. WOW! It has a working fire place! A calm place to learn and centrally located.

The Harry Downie Museum, located in the forecourt to the Basilica, houses interpretive displays and…read moreartifacts devoted to telling the restoration story of the Mission and the significance of Harry Downie's efforts in the restoration. Wonderful basilica museum here that serves as the entryway into the basilica grounds!

I wrote several emails to this Chamber letting them know about the dishonest business practices of…read morea business in their community offering services not offered on their website. I told them that they need to revoke the business license of Signature Day Spa because I was charged close to $700 and never got deep tissue massages nor the services I made my reservations for. I was told to contact Monterey County DA's Office and nothing was done to protect consumers who have complained about this woman. I will post my email to them so others are warned.

Carmel's Visitor Center - Chamber of Commerce staff couldn't have been more gracious and helpful in…read moregiving us the information we need to make our Easter vacation in this lovely little town much more pleasant and budget friendly. They have detailed maps of downtown and an assortment of brochures and literatures which will give you a good idea of places to hit and see. I personally asked for the "Wine-Walk" map which showcases the many emerging wineries of the area. The Chamber also have the Wine-walk vouchers which allows you to hit all the participating wineries at a very reasonable cost (9 vouchers for $65.00) You could also use these vouchers to waive the corkage fee in participating restaurants in the area. We had a great experience and a big help from the Chamber of Commerce - Visitor center staff. I highly suggest paying them a visit prior to exploring this picturesque little town. Enjoy!

Don't miss the Convento Museum which you will see right before you exit the Mission complex. The…read morecell used by Saint Junipero Serra and where he died in 1784 is on display here. The other museum rooms present interpretive displays and provide visitors with a historical education of this beautiful heritage site