Things to Do in Carmel Valley
Visiting the Monterey Peninsula anytime soon? You may be in the process of planning activities, so we wanted to give you a guide on things to do in Carmel Valley. Carmel Valley is a sunny part of the Monterey Peninsula with a wide variety of activities that range from golf to wine tasting, casual and fine dining, hiking, exploring, and shopping just to name a few.
Things to Do in Carmel Valley | Golf
If you want to spend a day golfing, check out Quail Lodge and Carmel Valley Ranch. Quail is much more level, while the back 9 of Carmel Valley Ranch undulates through the mountains and valleys. Both are nothing short of breathtaking when it comes to scenery.
Carmel Valley Ranch Golf Course
Things to Do in Carmel Valley | Wine Tasting
The Carmel Valley Village has an incredible array of tasting rooms featuring local wines with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands. Bernardus, Georis, Talbot, and Boekenoogen are a few of our favorites. Ben gives us a great tour of the Carmel Valley Village in this video.
Things to Do in Carmel Valley | Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
The Trailside Cafe, Roux, and Wildgoose Cafe are three of our favorites for an early bite to eat, both located in the Carmel Valley Village. Wildgoose has one of the best lattes in town. For lunch, you might consider Corkscrew and Cafe Rustica in the village, or Baja Cantina and Edgar’s closer to Mid Valley.
Things to Do in Carmel Valley | Hiking and Exploring (bring your dogs!)
Garland Ranch is a state park loaded with trails for novice and seasoned hikers alike. There are maps that show your current location with the various routes to take. If you hike to the top of the ridge, you will be rewarded with a beautiful pond and a bench to have a snack before heading back down. Garland can get very warm, so pack light!
Another fun activity is to visit the Carmel River. Here’s Ben at one of his favorite spots!
August 7 on the Carmel Valley River
Posted by Ben J. Heinrich on Monday, August 7, 2017
The Carmel Valley Village has many shops to explore. Combining a few of these activities with a shopping day in the village would make for a great afternoon. If you go on a weekend there are usually a few open houses with signs for you to follow. There is no shortage of adventure in Carmel Valley, and we encourage you to take a look! Do you have other fun ideas for things to do? We would love to hear your input in the comments below.