Just about an hour and a half south of us here in San Jose lies the world famous Carmel-by-the-Sea. Just down the coast from Monterey is an astounding example of California’s beautiful west coast. This is a great Carmel-by-the-Sea day trip for anyone near the bay area.
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h2 style=”text-align: center;”>Map of Our Carmel-by-the-Sea Day Trip From San Jose
The picturesque location of mountains meeting the seashore gives no wonder to why it’s such a popular day trip for many in the Bay Area. We had been back in California for a couple months at this point, and I was really itching to get a good coastal hike. After some research, I decided I wanted to go to Point Lobos State National Reserve and Briana planned a couple other stops for our time down there such as Mission San Carlos Borromeo del río Carmelo (better known as Mission Carmel).
We arrived at the Mission just after noon on a very clear and somewhat warm Sunday. It was pretty busy, as it is an operating mission, but we managed to get parking easily enough and made our way in to see the site.
The campus is large, and a perfect example of a classic Spanish Mission: adobe plaster, warm colored brick, and ceramic tile roofs. Mission Carmel had a distinct charm and personality to it, one that I find perfectly characterized by its crooked window above the entrance to the church.
The grounds were well landscaped with numerous flowers and fountains. Throughout the compound, there were also numerous rooms that we could visit that held various histories and artifacts related to the Mission and surrounding area.
The mission was established June 3, 1770. The mission served primarily to baptize the native Ohlone population. It reached a peak of 927 members in 1794 but had dwindled back down to 381 by 1823.
The mission was secularized in 1833 by the Mexican government and slowly fell into ruin and disrepair until the Roman Catholic Church regained authority of the mission in 1863, with extensive restoration beginning in 1931.
Today the mission serves multiple roles as a museum, working mission, and minor basilica.
We also planned on visiting the Carmelite Monastery on our way to Point Lobos. I had thought this would make a good starting point to our Point Lobos excursion. I was wrong – but it was still a nice stop.
The Monastery is mostly closed off to visitors. While you can visit, you will need to set up an appointment first. With that being said, you can walk around the grounds and enjoy the sea breeze.
Having parked at Monastery Beach, which sits across the street from the Carmelite Monastery, we made our way along the beach in search of the trail into Point Lobos. The maps online are very misleading, because it appears that you can enter the park via a trail at the far end of Monastery Beach – you cannot do this. As such, we walked about a mile up the road to the main entrance to the park. It also turns out this is the only entrance to the park.
Parking costs $10, however, there is no charge for people just walking in as we did. When you enter the park, you are a little bit away from the actual coast. Because of this, we set off for Whaler’s Cove via the Carmelo Meadow Trail.
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Whaler’s Cove is the largest cove in Point Lobos, and it offers stunning views the seashore. Upon arriving, we were treated to a fresh breeze and picturesque landscapes. We slowly made our way around the top of the cliff sides until we reached a boat launch.
Here at the boat launch, we were treated to a great surprise: a Sea Otter with her pup, eating crabs. We sat here and watched for nearly a half hour before proceeding on. It was mesmerizing to watch the wildlife here, and we managed to snap a few other pics of the local sea life.
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From here, we proceeded up a trail along the cliff edge and continued on the trim around the coastal trail. Here you can find a small whaling museum to visit. The museum features stuff such as the equipment used by whalers, whale bones, and baleen.
Cannery Point offered a great view of the ocean (as did most spots). Artists sometimes will take advantage of the location.
We kept on, passing through Big Dome and Cypress Coves before beginning to head back. While we only saw half the park at this point, we were beginning to get tired and the sun was beginning to go down, and we wanted to get back home before dark (we didn’t).
So when we came to a trail junction near Headland Cove, we turned inward back towards the park entrance. The park was very well maintained, so these trails in the interior were well-manicured, paved, or had wooden walkways.
The southern half of Point Lobos is considered phenomenal as well. We plan to return to see the rest of the park. For those interested, you can also go scuba diving here in the Point Lobos Marine Reserve. Visit the park December through February and you might see migrating gray whales.
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