Carmel-by-the-Sea: Fairy Tale Houses Walking Tour

California's charming coastal village of Carmel-by-the-Sea feels as if it were plucked from the pages of a European fairy tale. On this enchanting walking tour, you'll discover the whimsical fairy tale cottages designed by Hugh Comstock in the 1920s that helped establish the village's distinctive architectural character. Wind through tree-lined streets as you explore these storybook homes with their signature features—steeply pitched roofs, hand-carved details, and imaginative stonework.

You'll begin near Ocean Avenue and make your way into the Comstock Historic Hill District, a small area naturally forested with Monterey pines and coastal live oaks. As you stroll past the first cottage built by Comstock in 1924, you'll learn how an untrained builder created these fanciful structures originally designed to house his wife's collection of handmade dolls. You'll see how these modest structures, originally built for just a few hundred dollars, have become cherished landmarks worth millions today.

Along the way, you'll discover how Comstock's unique architectural style—with signature elements like uneven chimneys, wavy wooden details, and exaggerated rooflines—influenced Carmel's distinctive aesthetic. You'll explore other architectural curiosities like the Ship House, complete with authentic portholes salvaged from a shipwreck. The tour ends at Devendorf Park, named for one of Carmel's founding developers, where you can enjoy the shade of majestic coastal live oaks.

On this 40-minute walking tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Visit Hansel and Gretel, the first fairy tale cottages that launched Comstock's unexpected career as Carmel's most influential builder
• Discover Birthday House, Fables, and other homes in what might be considered Carmel's first planned subdivision
• Explore the unique Ship House with authentic portholes salvaged from the Aurora, a ship that ran aground in 1935
• Learn how Comstock, with no formal architectural training, created a style that defines Carmel to this day
• See the Comstock Residence and Studio where the self-taught architect developed his signature features
• Admire the Grant Wallace Cottage, designed by an eccentric writer who claimed to communicate telepathically with beings from other worlds
• Appreciate how Carmel's early artistic community shaped the village's distinctive character and aesthetic

Take a step back in time as you wander through this picturesque coastal village where fantasy architecture and natural beauty blend to create a truly magical experience.

If you would like a physical map of this tour with pictures of the houses you will be seeing, please download or print out this PDF.

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