Beachfront vacation rentals in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Blue Diamond was just what we needed for this special trip. Super peaceful location, beautiful scenery, and the house was great. Deb was obviously thoughtful about everything in the house. It was the most completely livable and comfortable place we’ve rented. We had every kitchen tool, plenty of games, comfy and clean beds and bathrooms. We hope to be back!

We had a lovely stay at Evan’s home! The location is amazing as it’s just steps from the beach. The home was clean, comfortable and larger than I expected! We loved the hot tub as well! Would definitely stay here again!

Lovely BNB! Would highly recommend!

We loved our time at this Airbnb. The house was very clean and homey, but not cluttered. We used the bikes, surfboards, boogie boards, and sand toys every day. Riding around town on the bikes was so fun and easy. They have 6, including 2 smaller ones for kids. There’s racks to carry surfboards to the beach! They also have 3 helmets and 2 bike locks so you can safely take the bikes to restaurants or the beach without worrying. We also enjoyed the hot tub and large safe backyard for kids to play. The house has a fabulous washer and dryer (with accessible detergent) and well stocked kitchen. Probably the best pans of any rental I’ve stayed in (very much appreciated!). The beds are comfortable and the linens are cozy. Erin was incredibly communicative and offered early check in and late check out. We weren’t able to capitalize on either option, but it’s rare for a host to offer out of the blue and I thought that was generous. We had a fabulous time and would love to come back one day!

Location was great, walkable to Capitola pier and beach. Beautiful decor and comfy beds. The outdoor space was cool, we mostly used the hot tub which was so nice after chilly surfing afternoons. We would recommend this home. Veronica was wonderful to work with, very responsive, and even sent a thoughtful Thanksgiving surprise to use during our stay.

Jody was a wonderful host! Our family loved our stay! The house was warm and comfortable! And you can't beat the spa with ocean view and how close you are to the beach! Thank you!

Theory of Color was a perfect space for my wife and I to spend a week working remotely. The neighborhood was perfect, the surroundings were gorgeous and it was the perfect location.

A group of 4 of us stayed at Luke's place—we had a blast! A lot of our exploring was done in Big Sur and Pinnacles, and it was just so convenient to come back and jump in the hot tub for a couple hours. This place is perfect for a tight knit group, the beds were super comfy and Luke would always make sure we had what we neeeded. We would definitely go back :)

We booked this beach cottage for a girl's weekend and it was PERFECT! Clean, plenty of cozy couches, lots of linens to get your bed just right, stocked kitchen to prepare food and drinks, private little gardens bursting with amazing plants, relaxing hot tub, and so on!!! Perfect location on quiet street. Thank you!

We had an amazing week staying at this cozy beachside home over Thanksgiving! The location was perfect—just steps from the beach, with gorgeous sunsets and easy access to everything in town. The space was clean, comfortable, and thoughtfully equipped, making it a great base for exploring my old college town and creating new memories 🌊

We felt right at home. We loved walking across the street to the walking path along the ocean. Pacific Grove is very quaint and relaxing. The house was the perfect size for our family of 4! We would love to come back another time!

I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to stay in Santa Cruz or Capitola. The place is found in a beautiful location and there is a lots to do. The host was kind enough to give us recommendations as well which was helpful. The house was beautiful and clean. The hosts are responsive and helpful. Overall me and my family loved the place and would rent this place again!

This home in Carmel is a gem. We tear down too many memories with new construction. This beach cottage is so comfortable from beds, eating area, garden, fireplace and a stroll to the beach is only a block away. And Sean is so helpful with such a light touch. Book this beach cottage if you can.

We loved our stay at the Gorgeous Bungalow! What a great location - a short walk to a variety of beaches, the iconic E. Cliff Drive for miles of strolling and watching surfers. Close to coffee shops, restaurants, with nearby Capitola and all it has to offer. We walked everywhere. And the house itself is bright and inviting! Fully outfitted kitchen even includes a coffee grinder. The outdoor shower and bathtub were novel and fun, and everyone enjoyed watching the koi and turtles in the pond. We are so glad we found this place; exceptional in every way. Jeremy is the perfect host, always available and responsive, yet gave us plenty of space. So grateful we found the Gorgeous Bungalow!

We had a wonderful stay at Philippe’s beautiful place. The guest house and garden are stunning and well maintained, and the amenities were exactly as described and more. Philippe and his wife are true hosts and created a traditional “B&B experience” for us, stocking the kitchen and bathroom with snacks, breakfast items and bathroom essentials. They even offered us some homemade cake, which was delicious. 5 stars through and through.

Laura’s place was spot on for our short stay. Beach was a stones throw away, which is where the kids wanted to spend their time. The place was perfect, it was clean, spacious, and well equipped. Detailed instructions for the apartment to go alongside the stay and useful local information.

We rent places often for family trips and David’s property was one of nicest places we have rented. It is clean, quiet, very modern, but still beachy, and the beds are the most comfortable!! It has an elevated beachfront with easy access to the beach. We felt at home the moment we got there, and the views were stunning!! You don’t need to bring much as the property has anything and everything you need, David has thought of it all from beach toys and chairs to convenient charging stations, all the necessities, it is turn key. He is an extremely pleasant host, responds quickly and provides great recommendations of places and things to do. We would most definitely recommend this property to anyone, especially for a family getaway.

We stay at Seascape a couple of times a year, we love the location: beautiful beach walks, pools and hot tubs, walk to the market, and then just a quick drive to Capitola, downtown Santa Cruz, or even the boardwalk. This particular rental was lovely and very homey. The beds are comfortable, the bathrooms are clean, the kitchen is well appointed, there are two nice balconies- one with a great table that is perfect for cocktails or coffee. There are two pullout couches, which made the living room so fun to watch movies with the teenagers. More than anything, we appreciated the very accommodating host, who was kind enough to let us check in early so that we could leave our bags while we went shopping downtown. It was really a lovely stay. I recommend both Seascape, and this particular rental, very highly.

Janiece’s place was great! Loved the peace and quiet neighborhood. Love how there were shops close by. The place was really clean, I would love to stay here again. I only wish we were able to have a late check out.

We had a wonderful time at Erin's home. This is an excellent location for families with comfortable layout to relax and watch the waves. We would love to come back again!

Staying at Seascape was the perfect kid-friendly vacation. The pool was easy to access from our condo and the views were beautiful. The condo's set-up with two bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs and a half bath downstairs was great for our family of 5. The private beach was beautiful - we saw otters, whales, and my son found two perfect sand dollars walking down the beach. It was a little bit of a trek to get down to the beach with three little kids and all the beach gear, but once we were there no one wanted to leave. Several near-by restaurants were delicious, especially the newly opened Dos Pescados. It was fairly easy to get into Santa Cruz too, but we did have to time traffic or it would double the drive time (to almost 45 minutes).

The room had a great view of the water and trees. Because of the mild weather, we spent more time on the private balcony than I had originally planned. The resort had friendly staff and the BnB management company was great.

Lovely condo! Loved the view and layout great- nice view from inside and also nice private view from large patio.

Very lovely place to stay near the beach. The condo is beautiful and updated. We enjoyed it very much. Host was very helpful and the unit had everything we needed.