Beach house holiday rentals in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Amazing views and a peaceful location—waking up to the ocean and wildlife was unforgettable. This was our hub for exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur. A short 30-40 minute drive to Big Sur for hikes, and just 10 mins to downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea for great dinners. There’s also a handy general store at the bottom of the hill. A couple of notes: This is one of 4 units on the property. While listed as “entire home,” there’s a unit attached at the rear with a door that opens directly into your space through a hallway (for my wife’s peace of mind, we kept our bedroom door locked at night). Another unit is above, and one more is detached in front. That said, everyone keeps to themselves, and interaction is minimal besides maneuvering past their parked cars in the driveway. Also, screenshot the address and key code—cell service drops near the hill and the turnoff into the property is easy to miss in the dark the first time around. Thanks for hosting us, Emily & Mason! We loved it.

I can’t boast about this place enough. Holly went above and beyond to communicate with me. She gave lots of recommendations for food places. We tried Manuel’s, Venus, Pizza my Heart, and The Hideout. Hands down, hideout was my favorite! The home was BEAUTIFUL! Literally, a dream! Our kids (12 & 7) loved it too. We celebrated my son’s 7th bday there. We beached every single day! Their home was beautiful, clean, and magical. The hubby and I slept with the doors cracked open upstairs and literally fell asleep and woke up to the crashing waves. Walk across the street and you’re on the beach! It was heaven. I told my family I was depressed coming back home. HA! The backyard was darling! The lights were my favorite & I didn’t realize there was a little sandpit. Such a great gem. We were welcomed with a basket too. Filled with local bread, taffy (my fav), cookies, wine and coffee; Even with a hand written note. I can’t wait to book their home again. It was a dream. Thank you for having us!!

We loved staying in Susanne’s place. It felt so homey and welcoming. We especially loved the family photos and real live plants. 😊 It’s in a great location with easy access to the beauty of Santa Cruz’s nature.

The place is beautiful and only steps away from a beautiful spot on the beach. Two of the rooms have a beautiful patio that provides an look into the ocean. The parking was a little bit difficult just because it is street parking and if you go on a crowded day you may have to circle around a couple times to get an open spot. The host was very kind and answered texts very quickly. I would stay here again in the future for sure.

Megan’s home is an absolute gem. Do not hesitate to book this accommodation. You will be delighted you did. The views, in particular are second to none!

We had a wonderful stay at Theresa’s place. Great location and very well maintained. We’d love to stay there again.

Evan's place provides the best views of the ocean and is located close to multiple beach waves points. The electric bikes made for great fun, as we rode all over town. It was a great place, for a great price. A true million dollar view, especially from the decks. Highly recommend to people of all ages.

Mimi and Alan’s is a wonderful home base in Monterey/Pacific Grove. This was a last minute trip for us & we really lucked out that it was available. The home itself is beautiful, with everything you need in walking distance. We walked to the aquarium, the grocery store, the cute restaurants up the street, & the trail along the ocean to Lover’s Point - so many seals and otters visible along the way! The only little blip that we had, & it’s no one’s fault, is that the kitchen breaker had tripped before our arrival. This wasn’t obvious to us as we hadn’t used anything in the kitchen, except the microwave which remained unaffected. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon the following day that my husband decided to investigate because the fridge was not cold. We did end up having to throw away some of our groceries that we bought upon arrival. If helpful, there are green lights on the outlets that let you know they’re working & breaker box info is thoughtfully included in the house guide.

The place was very clean, comfortable and well located to do lots of fun stuff, near the village/ downtown and near a great walking / view area at Los lobos, as well as 17 mile drive.

Beautiful location. House is amazing. One afternoon a family of 3 owls were resting on the house roof. We saw a dolpine swim by, courtesy of the excellent binoculars provided by the house owners and lots of wildlife in the really colourful sand dunes. Very happy to recommend.

This place was exactly what my family needed for our beach getaway! The layout of the house is so cozy and it felt like a home away from home. The 180’ of ocean views was truly amazing. We watched a pod of humpback whales go back and forth throughout the day and got to watch a feeding frenzy of thousands of birds all from the balcony! We drove 20 minutes to Henry Cowell Redwoods State park and walked around Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz. From the spot we walked to the beach (with all our boogie boards, sand toys, towels, umbrella, etc.), took advantage of Venus’ happy hour and really didn’t need to use our car for two days! This will definitely be a spot we stay at again!

Beautiful location, very clean and place was perfect for me and my family. Will be booking again

The heated pool and hot tub were the focus of this very successful vacation. There were 8 of us: a family of 4 from Oakland, (Mama, Papa, girl 7, girl 3), from Chicago - a couple 37 & 40, and from Martha's Vineyard, us, 75 & 79. The 3 bathrooms were great, and the kitchen was well equipped. We ordered out mostly, from Hawaiian and Mexican restaurants. We spent a day on the boardwalk, and another on the trail at Wilder Ranch, where cliffs overlook ledges with MANY sunning sea lions, The house is easy walking distance from a couple of beaches. During our winter stay, there were high tides, wind and surf warnings. The views were spectacular. Also instructive. The father took his daughters an early morning walk; they saw a woman swept from the beach across the pavement. She had bloody knees, but was otherwise fine, but she and her two equally insane friends came off the beach. I hope the girls will remember this vivid lesson when they grow up to be invulnerable teenagers. Doubt it.

Love this place! Will definitely come back!

Wonderful host and an ideal place in a very quiet neighborhood with friendly and helpful neighbors. The provided area guides and home instructions were extremely helpful and the provided beach supplies were ideal to keep our personal packing nice and light! Would definitely stay here again ⛱️👍🌊

The decor was delightful! Very well outfitted with everything you need.beds super comfy. Really good size. We had more than enough room. I appreciate that Crystal saw no issue with my service dog joining us. I was a bit disappointed that you had to be on the balcony to see the beach. There was a complex in the front blocking most of the view from indoors. I also had issue with parking. The garage was only for small cars and the street parking was inconsistent and required several steps. My handicapped daughter found it a bit difficult. The area was not easily walked being on a very very steep hill. I wish there were more info in the description. All in all, it was a gorgeous place and really clean, highly recommend for non handicapped folks.

This house is awesome for family adventures. It had every possible amenity for a vacation getaway you could need. The house was spotless upon our arrival and well-organized, with a detailed list of items available to ensure you had a great time. The Pacific Ocean is viewable from the second floor porch which seated six comfortably around the propane fire pit. There were many toys available for families traveling with children. Our toddler granddaughter really enjoyed playing with the many toys. The kitchen was well stocked with modern appliances. The location was just a few minutes' drive to downtown Monterey and Fisherman's Wharf. We absolutely recommend this Airbnb house in the Monterey area. Our host Meli was awesome. She communicated with us from the time we made the reservation until we left. Her instructions for the house were clear and concise. We contacted her twice while we were there and she responded to our questions within minutes. Meli is a top-notch host.

We loved our stay in this cute house! The yard was a dream! Peaceful and beautiful but only a 10-12 min walk to downtown. The house was stocked, clean and comfy. We had a family of 4 and it was a little tight but we made it work. We'd definitely recommend this home!

The home is beautiful inside and out! Loved all of the private patio spaces the home offered and natural light brought in through the design and decor. The home grounds are beautiful and peaceful! Our family of 8 enjoyed the home and all it had to offer! The kids loved the pool table and beach toys offered for use. The flowers at the entrance of the home smelled amazing and the hammock was a nice touch surrounded by unique succulents! Truly a gem! Very close to shopping, restaurants and site seeing! A must stay for your Carmel by the sea vacation! The hosts were very friendly and responsive! We accidentally left behind a gaming device and the owners reached out to us. Thank you for sharing your home with us!

Great location. Walkable to beach & Mission. Only really good for 2 adults - not 2 adults & 2 kids. The Futon sleeper was very small and not in good shape. Pillows need replacing! Nice outdoor area for relaxing.

My family and I spent a fantastic week at Jackie's house. Sunny, comfy, and well-equipped with everything visitors might need, the house is a perfect spot to start and end a day of exploring beautiful Santa Cruz. We hope to return!

Kyle’s place was absolutely stunning! Me and my partner stayed there for 2 nights for my birthday, it was the perfect spot. The views were amazing and location was excellent, only a 10-15 min walk to the high street, also close to the beach! We also loved that it felt like our own little retreat as it was private as facing the gorgeous woodland and sea! Definitely recommend

We love this cozy little house. We had great experience at this kid and dog friendly place. The fenced backyard is amazing and you have an ocean view there. Definitely recommend.

Fabulous place. Would highly recommend to everyone. Dominique provides everything you could need and is always on hand to answer questions. The place is gorgeous and perfectly located. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else in Santa Cruz!