We watch from shore as a young man, sans wetsuit, repeatedly dives into the roiling, white surf. He pops up each time despite what looks like a strong rip current that I’m sure will carry him away.
The Pacific on this late October day is frigid and frothy, the sky overcast and the air brisk, and yet the swimmer persists. I almost can’t look; I worry about his safety and wonder whether he is a visitor from the Arctic or just plain crazy.
My anxiety sends me on a walk south along the shoreline of the beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea.
During the summer, Carmel’s peak season, the white-sand beach is pristine. In October, it is more interesting. The ocean has cast off driftwood and kelp, which are scattered across the uncrowded sand, and puddles of clear saltwater fill the occasional depression.
Regardless of season, the weather on the Monterey Peninsula is often damp and cool, so chances are that mid-July may not be much different than today. In other words, you won’t miss much if you visit Carmel in the fall or winter.
Offseason may be the best season to visit this tony town where a house described as a “remodel with ocean peeks” (read “tiny glimpse of the ocean from the bathroom window”) lists for $5 million; where two lattes and as many pieces of banana bread costs dangerously close to $40; and where walking Ocean Avenue, you’ll hear languages spoken from around the globe.
This 1-square-mile storybook village also is a place where blossom-loaded vines camouflage utility lines; where high-density succulents sprout from every patch of soil; and where patchwork sidewalks and alleyways lead to secret gardens, galleries and bistros that serve everything from simple soups to haute cuisine.
Carmel boasts no stoplights, corporate hotels or home mail delivery. For decades there were no street numbers, either.
An address might be “Mission 3 NE of 8th” (Mission Street three houses northeast of Eighth Avenue), or “on San Carlos between Third and Fourth,” which is where you’ll find Hofsas House. The Bavarian-themed, family-owned boutique hotel has welcomed visitors since the mid-1950s, ever since Carrie Theis’ grandmother built it.
“Thanks to my grandmother, I get to live in Carmel,” Theis says. “I used to spend my summers here helping out.”
By age 12, Theis was working the front desk. She became general manager in 2000, and in the last quarter-century, she’s seen some subtle changes.
“Some of the shops have changed, and now we have wine-tasting rooms that weren’t here 20 years ago,” Theis says, but “the look and feel of Carmel hasn’t changed.”
Which is the way residents and business owners here like it. Some change, though, is usually inevitable, even at Hofsas House.
Much to the consternation of some, Theis will begin construction in 2026 on Carmel Legacy Hotel, an entirely new lodging on the Hofsas House footprint. It will be the most extensive new project in the town since 1960.
At first, “we wanted to do a big remodel,” Theis says, “but since we were built into a hill, it’s so difficult to upgrade. In 1957, when the hotel was built, we didn’t have to worry about elevators and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), so we are starting over.”
Carmel Legacy Hotel will be constructed in one of Carmel’s popular architectural styles, American Craftsman, “using Carmel stone, low-sloping, metal roofs, and windows delineated with wood-lined borders.”
And like everyone in Carmel who embarks on construction or remodeling, Theis will wrap nearby tree trunks in two-by-fours to prevent damage.
“Our streets are small and narrow, so larger vehicles have a hard time maneuvering. We love our natural beauty, so we protect our trees.”
And that no-street-number policy that makes it difficult for emergency personnel and delivery services?
That’s about to change, too, despite the objections of the Carmel Preservation Association, which strives to maintain quaintness in this “forested village.”
California Fire Code requires building numbers, so “the city staff are working with Monterey County to create a numeric address system,” Theis says. “It’s a matter of health and safety.”
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