SIX18 TRAVEL

Nestled on the Carmel Bay, less than 5 miles south from Monterey and Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming oceanfront village that spans just one square mile. The walkable center is home to atmospheric shops and cozy restaurants with enchanting fairy-tale-like cottages dotted throughout town. A picturesque sand beach is steps away, and excellent hiking in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is less than 5 miles away, while Big Sur is around 25 miles south.

With so much pristine scenery and alluring appeal, Carmel-by-the-Sea is the exact kind of place you'll visit and simultaneously wonder why you didn't come sooner, and also whether you might one day be able to live here. Though, realistically, it can be an expensive destination, attracting A-listers like Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper, and in decades prior, iconic luminaries such as Sinclair Lewis, Joan Fontaine and Doris Day. Clint Eastwood even served a two-year stint as the town's mayor in the mid-1980s.

It's the ideal escape for beachgoers who want to lounge on clean white sand, oenophiles in search of tasting rooms, outdoor enthusiasts seeking a base for area hiking, and serious shoppers ready to peruse independent boutiques and luxury designer stores. The town's quaint feel is carefully cultivated. For more than a century, no street lights, parking meters or addresses were used. As a result, the village has maintained an irresistibly unique character, and when it comes to choosing a relaxing coastal California escape, you likely won't do much better.