Activities at Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

See the Pacific Ocean while vacationing in Carmel-by-the-Sea.l'oc??an pacifique vue de carmel, california image by s??bastien marassoglou from Fotolia.com

Carmel-by-the-Sea is located in Monterey County in California. Area attractions include the Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel Beach, the Court of the Fountains and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. The town and its surrounding area offer a wide variety of activities for individuals and families, ranging from art gallery tours, water sports, hiking, wine tasting and scuba diving.

Carmel Walks

Carmel Walks Tours offers guided tours throughout the Carmel-by-the-Sea area. Participants tour sites that include the 1914 Golf House, the home of Mary Austin, historic art galleries and a variety of architectural attractions. The tour is two hours in length, takes place throughout the day from Tuesday to Saturday and private group tours can be arranged in advance.

The Chateau Julien Wine Estate is situated on 16 acres near the Carmel Valley mountains. The estate is open to the public every day for wine tasting, vineyard tours and private picnics. Both private and group wine tastings are available. A certified expert in wine introduces visitors to the fundamentals of wine production, aging and more. Guided tours of the estate introduce visitors to the history of the vineyard and wine making, and participants can taste up to six different wines made at the estate.

The Forest Theater is an outdoor amphitheater that was built in 1910 near downtown Carmel, is surrounded by open fireplaces for nighttime lighting and is shrouded by gigantic pine trees. A variety of theatrical productions and events is hosted at the Forest Theater throughout the year. The Golden Bough Theatre and Circle Theatre are indoor performing arts venues that host productions, such as "Twelfth Night," "The Country Wife" and the Monterey Bay Fallfest Arts and Craft Faire. The parent company, the Pacific Repertory Theatre, offers long- and short-term classes and workshops in the theatrical arts, such as the Adult Stage Combat program and the Acting Shakespeare teen workshop.

The Point Lobos State Natural Reserve offers visitors the opportunity to photograph the surrounding landscape, picnic, go hiking, jogging or scuba diving at Whalers and Bluefish Coves to see lingcod, seals, sea otters and the occasional whale. The reserve offers scheduled guided walks throughout the area and during the summer months, the park hosts a children's program for kids between 9 and 15 years of age. The day camp involves hiking, sand-castle building and cultural discovery with an intellectual exploration of the Rumsien people, the area's first inhabitants. Each summer, the reserve is home to the California State Parks Monterey Junior Lifeguard Program, throughout which children between 9 and 16 learn about water hazards and emergency response while taking part in surfing, sailing, swimming and skin diving.

Tor House was built in 1918 by Robinson Jeffers, who later built the Hawk Tower on the same property. Every weekend, tours are conducted throughout the buildings and the surrounding landscaped gardens for adults and children 12 and older. A variety of events and activities is hosted at the house each year, including the Sunset Celebration, with evening wine, hors d'oeuvres, music and poems written by Jeffers.