Best Surf Beaches in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Main Carmel-by-the-Sea surf zone with several shifting beach-break peaks along the white-sand beach. Better for research as the core local spot, but conditions can change quickly with sandbars, tide, and wind.

A hazardous Carmel-area rivermouth and sandbar zone at Carmel River State Beach. Include for research completeness, but this is not a casual surf recommendation.

Remote, exposed beach-break zone on the north Big Sur coast. Garrapata is a coastal state park surf zone with meaningful rips, undertow, rocks, and shark risk.