Family-friendly vacation rentals in Carmel-by-the-Sea

This is our favorite place to stay in Santa Cruz. There are little markets walking distance, some restaurants but the best part is the ocean is right there 2minute walk! Also, if the ocean is too cold for us adults to get in, the house has a jacuzzi for us to enjoy in the evening. In the mornings, I enjoy sitting on the balcony listening to the birds and smelling the ocean breeze while I enjoy my hot cup of coffee. Great place to take the family. The host is very responsive.

Sun was very helpful and communicative. Sun’s place is a short drive to some lovely beaches, close to a nice park, and centrally located for all the activities we had planned. We had 4 young kids with us (ages: 1, 3, 6, and 9), and it was very family and kid-friendly. Would recommend highly!

Tranquility Base…surely lived up to its name. So comfortable, so charming we felt like a part of the forest. The whole place had so much personality we felt right at home Magical and enchanting getaway Highly recommended We’ll be back

The Sea otter Cottage was such a dream! It was beautiful, cozy and was everything we wanted for a relaxing family vacation. it was very family friendly-the backyard was my toddlers dream. Would recommend 100% and definitely will book again!

Pamela’s place is absolutely perfect - stayed here for a weekday getaway from the Bay Area during our son’s daycare spring break. The place is very comfortable and there is so much to love: all the natural light, the fireplace, comfy couch & bed, wide array of board games, fluffy robes, the hot tub, beautiful porch, two guest passes to the aquarium (huge perk!), the book collection, reading nooks…I could go on and on. Pamela is so kind and greeted us upon arrival and has a great list of local recos and books about the area. If this is available, look no further!

Erin and all other Co-Host’s were certainly kind and helpful. The place was beautiful and the decoration made it feel like home. Our stay was wonderful and we cannot wait to do it again!

Joyce’s place was clean and had a really great location. We thought we were right on the Cliff so that was kind of a bummer to have a house in front of our ocean view. But the place was really nice, and very clean! The space was really cool and had great decoration. Beds were comfortable. Kids were happy. We loved playing in the hot tub and in the garden in the backyard.

We enjoyed our stay and the peaceful surroundings of the location. It was the perfect location for an anniversary party we attended in Aptos.

We cannot save enough good things about Lisa's place- we didn't want to leave. The place had the best location! Described as 28 steps to the beach, it really is that! I was looking for a beachfront property, and this was just that. The beach was also easy to get to, unlike some of the other listings. The home was very clean and comfortable- it had a lot of high tech items, like the Lululemon exercise mirror, the table that is a high/low, standing or sitting, the sleep number beds, the restroom mirrors/shower. Lots of items were included to ensure an amazing stay-- binoculars for whale watching, sand toys on the patio, and aquarium passes. So very thoughtful! Lisa was very responsive, and I really appreciate the later checkout upon request. I wasn't feeling well that last full day and was really grateful. We were also lucky that we got to be here when the heated pools were available! My absolute favorite part was the views and proximity to the beach!

This was the most peaceful and beautiful space I have ever been to. The view from the balcony was gorgeous. All the greenery and the deers and random dog was super gorgeous and felt really at home. The hot tub was amazing and super relaxing. Robert was very kind and responsive, Received a phone call about all the lights, hot tub, close trails, and recommended spots!! Super helpful and very kind gesture. Would 100% go back to this place

We had a wonderful short getaway at Sue’s place! The condo is just steps from the beach, pool, and jacuzzi. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves was relaxing, and the ocean breeze was very refreshing. It was exactly what we needed to reset and recharge. Everything was just as described, and we would stay here again! Thank you, Sue!

The lodging is in the back, in a garden and near the swimming pool and tennis court. The backdrop is beautiful, and the host and hostess were friendly and accommodating. There is privacy and the area offers much in terms of restaurants and shopping. The internet is broadband, so one can work in the lodging. Amy and Lou are wonderful people----worthy of friendship in any circumstance.

We loved staying at Shelli’s home in Monterey Dunes Colony. Every room was set up nicely and clean, and you could tell Shelli has put a lot of care into the home. There were 7 of us and each family member enjoyed their stay. We love staying at Monterey Dunes Colony because the location can’t be beat. Every home has their quirks but honestly we didn’t find any at Shelli’s. It was comfortable to hang out and enjoy the beach and scenery, and close enough to outdoor activities and the aquarium. The living room is set up comfortably for a big group, while offering privacy too. It was a restful and rejuvenating getaway! We plan to book again.

Himani has been very responsive to answer all questions and give good local recommendations. More importantly, the living area is well designed that you can stay so comfortable as like your home. You won’t feel cold to take shower during midnight and the comfortability of the bed is so great. It’s a very comfortable stay. I recommended this place well suited for family travel.

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).

We loved every moment spent in this house ,especially the cats , the house was very comfortable, clean and cozy, I would definitely recommend this house .

This is by far the perfect beach getaway house! My husband had classes in the area so during the day my daughter and dog could walk right to the beach! There is even a museum right in walking distance I took my daughter to twice. And the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk is only a ten minute walk which we did another day! The Airbnb itself was beautifully decorated with a wonderful shower and a clawfoot tub. The outdoor area was so great to relax in as well. This place was stocked with beach chairs and toys and extra towels and even sunblock. Everything we could need. In fact we loved it so much we extended our stay. Yvonne was SO responsive and friendly and really made our vacation just completely hassle free and perfect. I can see why this place is always booked!

Place was great--fit our needs perfectly. Recommend opening windows at night to bring in that beautiful fresh air. Our 4.5 yo was absolutely over the moon by all the activities outside in the yard-- very well equipped area for adults and kids alike! The sand toys were also a hit--we loved walking to the beach and appreciated how well written the instructions were. Just took a photo of them and went on our way. Only bummer is the lack of sidewalks in Aptos, but most cars do seem to watch for walkers. Marianne's ice cream is great, and tamales across the street also fantastic. Weather cooperated and the easy access to Santa Cruz and Monterey made this location ideal. Colm was a great host--responded immediately to any questions I had. Very thankful for this spring break trip--we truly feel rejuvenated!

We had a wonderful stay at Troy’s clean and comfortable beach house! Our 11 month old baby slept very comfortably in the loft room. The grill & kitchen had everything we needed to cook meals. Can’t wait to come back!

Absolutely gorgeous place! Extremely clean and well maintained. Kathleen's instructions were spot on and she quickly responded to any questions that I had. It was nice to stay here for my kid's birthday weekend. I highly recommend this beautiful home. ☺️

Our stay was short but exactly what we needed! Very quaint property complete with backyard chickens and rabbits.

House was easy to find with clear instructions on getting inside and locking the door. Liangliang was friendly and responsive during our stay with many great amenities. House was as in the pictures. 5 minutes walk to a park and the store were near by. Highly recommend it.

The house was perfect for my family and I for a long weekend. If we come back to Monterey we’ll definitely stay there again.

We had a great stay at Nonnie’s cabin. The beds were very comfortable, with soft white sheets. Owner checked in via the app to see if everything was okay. I mentioned that I couldn’t find paper towels & she left a roll on the porch for us. She was quick to respond. The living space, kitchen & rooms are all good sized. The porch overlooks the trees. It is at the top of the hill, so we didn’t walk from the cabin anywhere bc it would have been a trek back to the cabin, but that’s our own personal preference. The location is close to town, hiking trails & Santa Cruz. It was really convenient for going to those places. The trickiest thing is the main street only allows you to go one direction to turn in or out, so you have to U turn often. The kitchen had everything we needed for cooking meals. Bathrooms were stocked with shampoo & shower gel. Overall our family of 4 had a wonderful relaxing time.