Carmel Valley in California is a sublime pastoral river valley nestled into the towering Santa Lucia range, and is one of the finest wine growing regions in California. The main artery is Carmel Valley Road, which starts at Scenic Highway 1 and meanders eastward, winding along Carmel River past endless opportunities for recreation, entertainment, sumptuous food and premier wine tasting. In Carmel Valley you will also find three championship golf courses, several world-class resorts as well as quaint country inns.
Carmel Valley is home to Garland Ranch Regional Park’s 4,000+ acres, open for day-use activities, known for excellent mountain trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding along the willow-lined banks of the Carmel River. In Carmel Valley one sees working horse ranches, many offering clinic English and Western riding, Hunter/Jumper and Dressage, Sulky and Carriage Driving.
Thirteen miles up Carmel Valley from Highway 1 is the quiet country Carmel Valley Village with its fine dining, wine tasting, antique shops and art galleries. This is where folk singer Joan Baez led the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s from her nearby Miramonte ranch. Celebrities galore have visited the Carmel Valley dating back to the 1890s when the Del Monte Lodge used the old Rancho Los Laureles as a guest lodge.
