Set on gently rising headlands above a sculpted rocky shore, CARMEL’s biggest crime is its unmitigated cuteness. Were it not for ridiculously inflated prices, the neat rows of quaint shops and miniature homes, which run along either side of Ocean Avenue towards the largely untouched coastline, might seem almost charming. Carmel Beach is a tranquil cove of blue water bordered by soft white sand and cypress-covered cliffs; the tides are deceptively strong and dangerous, so be careful if you chance a swim.
Point Lobos State Reserve (daily: summer 9am–7pm; winter 9am–5pm; $7 per vehicle), two miles south of Carmel on Hwy-1, has plenty of natural justifications to support its title of “the greatest meeting of land and water in the world.” There are over 250 bird and animal species along the hiking trails in the area, and the sea here is one of the richest underwater habitats in California. Gray whales are often seen offshore, migrating south in January and returning with young calves in April and early May. Because the point juts so far out into the ocean, chances are good of seeing them from as little as a hundred yards away.
CARMEL-BY-THE- SEA
Once a stop along El Camino Real, Carmel became an artists colony-beach resort around the turn of the century, which it remains today. Padre Junipero Serra, the Franciscan whose energy forged California's chain of missions, headquartered at Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo (3080 Rio Rd. 408-624-3600. Adm. fee). Crude frontier materials and a sublime vision created the sandstone church with a Moorish tower and graceful star window.
Another historic structure, poet Robinson Jeffers' Tor House (26304 Ocean View Ave. 408-624-1813. Fri.-Sat. by reservation; adm. fee), a granite cottage begun in 1916, stands near the coast that inspired his work. His desk, books, and bed beside the window remain as they were in his day.
CARMEL VALLEY
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