What To Do, Where To Stay: Carlsbad California Hotels and Inns

Romantic Carlsbad Hotels

The charming and romantic Inn At Moonlight Beach is just 3 miles south of Carlsbad via historic Pacific Coast Highway 101 along the Pacific Ocean coastline in next-door Encinitas. Visitors love the European French-seaside style suites and the smell of the fresh ocean breezes for $75 to $110 a night less than the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort, a hotel in Carlsbad. Your stay at this small Inn by the Sea (only 4 suites) includes free beach gear, free home-made breakfast including warm-from-the-oven pastries and free fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee every morning. Meet your hostess, Ann Dunham.

The Pasadena Weekly calls the Inn At Moonlight Beach one of the most charming inns in the San Diego area and the Inn receives #1 ratings from both BedandBreakfast.comand Trip Advisor and FIVE STARS from Google as having the finest accommodations of typical hotels in Carlsbad or Encinitas - warmer and more intimate than all except the most expensive ($300 per night and up) Carlsbad California Hotels.

 

The 4-suite boutique Inn At Moonlight Beach is known as San Diego's Pacific Coast Inn.  We are situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Moonlight State Beach, in the quiet "lost in time" beach community of Encinitas that Mens's Journal calls "SoCal's Last Sleepy Surf Haven."

Fun Things Every Visitor Must Do
While Visiting Carlsbad California

Carlsbad has some of the finest beaches in the world. The main beach - Carlsbad State Beach - stretches more than a mile from Tamarack Avenue to downtown Carlsbad. The beach is wide and sandy along the ocean with a sidewalk along the bluff above, perfect for sunset strolls and people watching. South Carlsbad State Beach is two miles south (the locals call it South Ponto). A state campground here is very popular with wonderful views from the bluffs overlooking the ocean.  The hotels in Carlsbad are mostly located along Interstate 5.

Looking for a fun adventure? We recommend a combination San Diego whale watching & history attraction - nature cruise to the Coronados Islands in Mexican waters. The trip departs San Diego harbor (a 40 minute drive from most Carlsbad hotels) from November through June aboard the comfortable Bright and Morning Star with Captain Ben Griffith explaining the history and natural wonders that make San Diego "America's Finest City." Be sure to dress warmly - it can be chilly on the ocean even while it's hot inland.

Surfing is an institution in Southern California. There are many surf instructors and schools. An icon in our region is Kahuna Bob's Surf School giving both group and individual lessons. We highly recommend Bob. If you're staying in one of the hotels in Carlsbad, allow 20 minutes to get to Beacon's Beach where Bob gives lessons.

When surfing was being discovered in our area in the 1960s, Swami's Surf Beach in Encinitas was forever immortalized in the Beach Boys' Surfin' USA, Swami's is still a "surfer's heaven" where you can watch the greatest surfers in the world practice their skills every day. Swami's is a delightful 15 minute walk on the beach from the Inn at Moonlight Beach. If you're staying in a Carlsbad hotel, drive south down Pacific Coast highway through the little town of Encinitas and look for the gold onion dome temple - Swami's Beach is right next door.

Avid bird watchers (birders) will enjoy the pelagic boat adventures coordinated by the Buena Vista Audubon Society. These boat trips travel ten to 100 miles out to sea to find life zones that attracts birds and marine mammals. The Audubon society has an information-packed website detailing their Southern California pelagic bird trips. They coordinate these exploratory seabirding and sea mammal trips with the Los Angeles Audubon and Orange County Audubon Societies. Allow 45 minutes from Carlsbad hotels.

Six Things Visitors To Carlsbad
MUST Do Before Going Home

The moment you arrive in Carlsbad, you feel the rest of the world magically fading away. Is it the beach and the sound of the waves? Is it the gorgeous sunsets over the Pacifica Ocean? Is it communing with Mother Nature? There is so much to do in this wonderful village by the sea that we had to work hard to identify the six things that every visitor MUST do before returning home.

1. Located on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Flower Fields have become one of Carlsbad's most cherished and waited-for traditions.  Famous throughout California, each spring this 50 acre farm bursts into a dazzling rainbow of color. The annual display is an important part of Carlsbad's heritage & nature's way of announcing the arrival of spring. The Flower Fields are located at 5704 Paseo de Norte Drive in Carlsbad and are visible from Interstate 5 near the Carlsbad Holiday inn and other Carlsbad hotels.

2. 600 acre Batiquitos Lagoon is a nature preserve rimmed with more than 2 miles of walking trails -- The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation maintains and staffs a small but specimen-packed interpretive center on the north shore. Trained naturalists lead interesting walks pointing out many of the flora, fauna and unique characteristics of the lagoon -- home to more than 180 species of birds. The lagoon is treasured for its diversity of native plants.  A lovely Carlsbad Resort Hotel - the Four Seasons Aviara Resort, overlooks Batiquitos lagoon.

33. If you have kids, don't miss Legoland. This unique theme park provides a very pleasant experience for both children AND parents. The park is clean, pleasantly landscaped and alive with color. Adults enjoy "Miniland" where entire city skylines are recreated with Legos. Attractive cafes with reasonable prices offer tasty yet healthy choices for hungry kids (try the apple fries). Lines to ride the attractions are short compared to Disneyland, especially first thing in the morning.  There are some inexpensive hotels in Carlsbad along the 5 expressway catering to families with children going to Legoland.

4. Downtown Carlsbad has the charm of a European village. Its wide tree-lined streets and sidewalks make it a great place for walking and exploring. Visitors will find cute boutiques, rare antique shops, unusual gift stores, delightful restaurants and cafes, picturesque hotels, stunning art galleries, quaint pubs and architecturally significant historic homes and a Carlsbad Bed and Breakfast . A well-known landmark is the Alt Karlsbad House, site of the first mineral water spa in Carlsbad, built in the 1880s.br>
55. The Carlsbad Farmer's Market in the Village is a fun and lively bazaar. Visitors and locals alike flock here to buy local fruits and vegetables and other unique and hard-to-find products. The market is open every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon and is located on Roosevelt between Grand and Carlsbad Village Drive.

6. Agua Hedionda Lagoon and its surrounding wetland is an Ecological Reserve under the care of the California Department of Fish and Game. The 3,800 sq. ft. Discovery Center celebrated its Grand Opening on Earth Day, April 22, 2006 and showcases exhibits portraying the wetlands, including the native Indians that once inhabited the lagoon. Visitors enjoy spectacular views overlooking the lagoon below and Pacific Ocean. Under the direction of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, the Discovery Center's mission is to promote the environmental protection of the lagoon. Friendly docents are present to answer question and guide you through the exhibit.  The Discovery Center is only a few miles from the famous LaCosta Resort and Spa, a famous resort hotel in Carlsbad.

Carlsbad California Hotels and Inns

Carlsbad California and the surrounding beach towns of Oceanside and Encinitas have a good selection of hotels, inns and resorts. There are dozens of lodging choices in Carlsbad. The big chains are all represented, including Motel 6, Hilton, Days Inn, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Marriott and Regal 8. Many vacation time-share condos serve as Carlsbad resorts. Very pricey spa resorts are also in Carlsbad. The more upscale Carlsbad hotels and lodging accommodations are wonderful, albeit expensive.

A very prestigious and well-known upscale resort is La Costa Resort and Spa. The ambiance of this resort surrounds you from the moment you enter the gates. While it does not have ocean views, the grounds and facility are lovely and picturesque. La Costa guests enjoy many amenities a dazzling spa, a world-class golf course, informal sophistication and extraordinary service.

Of all the Carlsbad Hotels and Inns, the only one that is (1) intimate and (2) charming with (3) views of the ocean for (4) under $170 a night is the Inn at Moonlight Beach. More romantic than other Carlsbad Hotels, the Inn At Moonlight Beach features lovely European seaside-style suites for under $149 and was named on the Twelve Best Travel Destinations in California by the Pasadena Weekly.

Following are some link to Carlsbad hotels and accommodations:

Holiday Inn
Days Inn
Marriott
San Diego Beach B and B
Econolodge
Best Western
Hilton Hotels
Lovely Inns and Hotels in North County San Diego
http://www.del-mar-hotels.com
Doubletree
Del Mar Beach Hotels
Cardiff By The Sea Lodging and Accommodation
Carlsbad Four Seasons

The 4-suite boutique Inn At Moonlight Beach is known as San Diego's Pacific Coast Inn. We are situated on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Moonlight State Beach, in the quiet "lost in time" beach community of Encinitas that Mens's Journal calls "SoCal's Last Sleepy Surf Haven." So much more romantic than any Carlsbad hotels.

Inn at Moonlight Beach

105 N. Vulcan Ave, Encinitas, California 92024
Telephone (760) 561-1755



© 2008-2010 Inn at Moonlight Beach