Carmel-by-the-Sea: Fairy Tale Houses Walking Tour
![]()
Walking Tour
Walking Tour
30 mins
1mi
![]()
About the Tour
About the Tour
One of the most frequent questions we hear from visitors to Carmel-by-the-Sea is, “Where are the Fairy Tale Houses?” This walking tour will address this question, as we will lead you on a walk that will take you by eleven of the more famous fairy tale style cottages in Carmel. You will learn the history behind these homes and their builder, Hugh Comstock.
Our walking tour is less than one mile, will take under one hour. It will begin at the Getaway Inn located at the northeast corner of Junipero Street and Ocean Avenue near the Carmel Plaza and end at Devendorf Park across from the Carmel Plaza. This tour does have some steep hills so please take this into consideration.
If you have arrived in Carmel by bus, your bus undoubtedly is parked at Carmel Plaza. If you came by car, look for parking as close as possible to the Carmel Plaza. Note that most of these parking spaces have a two hour limit. There is longer term free parking outside the downtown area but be sure to check the signs.
Before we begin the tour, please note that the Carmel Visitors Center is located on the second level of the Carmel Plaza. They can help answer any questions you may have about your visit to Carmel and also have a flyer with pictures of the Fairy Tale Houses. If you are looking for a restroom, they are located on the third level of Carmel Plaza. In need of cash, the ATM is located on the second level. Desire a cup of coffee, this may be found on the first level at Carmel Coffee & Cocoa Bar.
Please note: Gretel is currently undergoing renovation, so unfortunately for the time being, the view of both Hansel and Gretel is blocked by fencing.
![]()
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Lynn Momboisse
Map
![]()
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
-
Carmel Plaza
-
Bruno's Market & Deli Carmel
![]()
Directions to Starting Point
Directions to Starting Point
The starting point is The Getaway hotel sign at the northeast corner of Junipero and Ocean Avenue. If you arrived by bus at the Carmel Plaza you will be near the southwest corner of Junipero and Ocean Avenue directly across from Devendorf Park. Carefully cross Ocean Avenue to Devendorf Park and then turn right and cross Junipero Street. You will be in front of the blue and white "The Getaway" hotel sign where you will start your tour.
![]()
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Bruno's Market, Devendorf Park, Carmel Plaza
Best time of day
Daytime hours.
Precautions
The homes that you will be viewing are privately owned so please respect their privacy and stay behind fences and close to street.
Carmel’s streets are narrow and there are no sidewalks. Walk as close to the side of the street as possible, pay very close attention when you cross the street, and watch for uneven ground when walking. When you come to the corner, make sure that any cars coming your way see you and have stopped. The hills you will be climbing on Torres and on Sixth Avenue are short but they are quite steep. Also watch out for low hanging tree limbs. Just be mindful of your surroundings as you enjoy your tour of the Fairy Tale Houses of Carmel by the Sea.
When using VoiceMap with ear buds, it is not necessary that you have your phone out of your bag. But we have found that having your phone in front of you during these tours helps visitors stay on track. In map mode, there will be a blue dot on the map showing your location at all times. If you venture off the course you may use the blue dot to assist you getting back on the tour path. The blue dot will show your position in relation to the tour as well as upcoming stops that will trigger related audio content.
Continue with Facebook
Very interesting information about our favorite little town. I do wish there was even more info given though. So quaint!
Thank you so much for taking the tour and taking the time to leave a comment. It is greatly appreciated. You may find out quite a bit about Carmel in my blog www.carmelbytheseaca.blogspot.com - Happy Adventures! Lynn
Lynn was great! We had so much fun on this tour!
Thank you so much for taking the tour and taking the time to post a comment!!! Happy Adventures!
The directions were not great and this tour serves better as a car tour tour. many of the roads do not have sidewalks and the streets are already so small. so not great with kids or if youre pregnant.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. I appreciate your feedback. Please let me know which directions were not great, this will help me improve the tour experience. And yes there are no sidewalks in this area and there are hills, I mentioned that in the written description of this tour. Happy Adventures!
Thank you for the fairy tale house tour in Carmel by the Sea. It was definitely worth it. We enjoyed learning details about these quaint and beautiful buildings.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are so glad that you enjoyed the tour and the lovely Village of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
This was an incredible and interesting tour! Highly recommend.
So glad you enjoyed the tour. And thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We greatly appreciate this. Happy adventures!
Great information, directions and ease of use. Will look for these wherever we go.
Thank you for your kind words. Happy Adventures!
This was very well done. Thanks! I would like a picture for every stop, though, since I listened to the whole thing at home before heading to Carmel.
So glad you enjoyed the tour. It is such a joy to produce these audio walking tours. Though we do not have pictures on each stop, we do have companion written tours that do have pictures. They can be found at www.carmelbytheseaca.blogspot.com. Thank you for taking the time to comment. Happy adventures.