Carmel Shopping and Districts

(Carmel - Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California - CA, USA)



Picture of Plaza MallThis is a good shopping vibe present within Carmel-by-the-Sea, with a really rather large and extensive selection of stores awaiting travelers. A number of shops are spread around central Carmel, along stretches such as Dolores Street, 7th Avenue, Ocean Avenue and San Carlos Street.

Close to the center, several large and popular shopping centers have chosen to base themselves along the Big Sur Coast Highway Route 1 (Cabrillo Highway). Further shopping opportunities await just a short stroll from the coastal stretch of the Carmel Beach City Park, along Scenic Road and the intersecting streets, such as Santa Lucia Avenue, and also the 13th Avenue.


Photo of central street and shops

Where to Shop

Catering well for locals living around Carmel, there are a couple of good 'shopping villages', which reside on Highway 1. Next to the Carmel Valley Road and the Ranch Boulevard, and around 1 mile / 1.5 km to the south of the town center, the Barnyard is one of these shopping villages. The Crossroads is the other and lies off the Rio Road, just a short stroll from the Barnyard complex itself.

Visitors to the Barnyard will find that this 'village' is a spacious open-air mall and comprises around 40 different outlets, including a number of popular fast-food eateries. The Barnyard offers luxury shopping in pleasant surroundings, with a good choice of boutiques and unusual one-off local shops.

Image showing local shops, taken in the summer seasonCarmel's very comparable Crossroads Shopping Village is slightly larger and is home to a number of larger stores, such as Safeway (groceries) and also a banking branch of Wells Fargo. The Monterey County Visitor Bureau is also located within the Crossroads village.

Situated at the intersection of Mission Street and Ocean Avenue, the Carmel Plaza is a convenient shopping center, just a few blocks away from the actual beachfront. These upscale shops include many familiar brand names and fashion labels, with an underground car park being available if required.