Carmel River State Beach is a one-mile beach with a lagoon formed by the river, in a 297-acre park established in 1953. The lagoon attracts migratory birds, and south of it you can spot great blue herons, pelicans and many gulls, terns and egrets. Fall and winter are the best times for birding.
The park includes Mara Beach and Monastery Beach, which is popular with scuba divers. The Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno landed here in 1602, and a cross on the beach commemorates the landing.
Swimming is hazardous: currents are strong, and the steep drop-off can make waves look calmer than they are. Dogs must be leashed here.