There are many cool places in California, but Carmel-by-the-Sea? This is considered one of the coolest towns in California. It’s just two hours by car from San Francisco and it’s a charming and bohemian town that has captivated writers, artists, and Hollywood stars. Why? Because Carmel has a unique appeal that lies in a mix of history, European architecture, and romantic environment; that makes this town unforgettable.
With this description I’m sure you are so curious about finding out more about Carmel, right? So, let’s not waste more time and let’s get started!
The history of Carmel
To learn about its origin we need to go back to 1603, when Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno reached Monterey Bay. During his journey, he found a beach at the mouth of a river and he named it Carmel in honor of Carmelita friars who accompanied him.
The key element of the history of the town was the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. This disaster made many artists, poets, and writers to look for refuge in Carmel. Figures such as George Sterling, Jack London, and Robinson Jeffers settled into its cabins, transforming the town into a bohemian paradise.
By 1916, Carmel became ‘’the city of literary authors’’ with only 450 inhabitants. After 8 years, in 1924, the designer Hugh Comstock built a cabin with a fairytale style to keep his wife’s dolls. This design marked the architectural legacy of the area, which still maintains that charming style.
Curious data about Carmel
The culture of this town has remained almost untouched with the passage of time. According to the 2020 census, the current population is just 3,220 people, but it doesn’t matter how small this place is because many fascinating stories and curiosities have taken place here. Let’s see some of them:
- The novelist Robert Louis Stevenson would have been inspired by Carmel for writing Treasure Island while walking through the beach near Point Lobos.
- The poet Robinson Jeffers built his famous Tor House with stones he picked up in this town. Its outer wall contains materials from all over the world: rocks from Beijing’s Temple, lava from Hawaii, and even a piece of the Great Wall of China.
- The actress and singer Doris Day purchased part of the historic Cypress Inn, a landmark hotel located at Lincoln and Seventh.
Carmel and Hollywood celebrities
The charm of the town has been noticed by Hollywood stars, actors and artists like Betty White, Alan Silvestri, Charles Chaplin, and Kim Novak have been also captivated by this magical place.Maybe this name sounds even more familiar to you: Clint Eastwood. He is very connected to Carmel since he was elected mayor with 2,166 votes, surpassing the then-incumbent Charlotte Townsend, who received 799. As you can imagine, this event made the town gain more international recognition.
That’s not all! Another admirer of this town is… Brad Pitt! In 2022, the actor purchased the mansion of the writer D. L. James for $40 million. The property is located at the top of a cliff in Carmel Highlands and it was built with locally sourced sandstone and granite. Featuring Mediterranean-style tiled roofs, arched windows, and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, the house is considered a true architectural treasure. I mean, he did a pretty good purchase, don’t you think?
This is how you can get to Carmel
After all this information, it’s probable that you want to visit this town now, right? So, to get to Carmel from Los Angeles, the journey lasts about 6 hours by car. First, take Highway 101 to Salinas, and then west on Highway 68. However, if you start the journey from San Francisco, the trip is much shorter, only two hours by car. Will you go and spend a weekend there?