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Set on gently rising headlands above a sculpted
rocky shore, CARMEL is well known for its ridiculously
inflated real-estate prices, neat rows of quaint shops and miniature
homes along Ocean Avenue, and a largely untouched coastline. Unfortunately,
the town also has a thick air of stultifying pretension, peppered
with tacky galleries and mock-Tudor tearooms, and lacking any
authentic sense of small-town culture. Even so, Carmel
Mission Basilica , 3080 Rio Rd (Mon-Sat 9.30-4pm, Sun
10am-4pm; $2), provides a rare hint of genuine historical interest,
with Moorish bell towers, a sandstone facade, three small museums
featuring antiques and memorabilia, and an eerie cemetery containing
the graves of over 3000 Native Americans.
The area's natural appeal is much greater than its
cultural offerings. Carmel Beach , for one, 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 , two miles south of Carmel on Hwy-1 (daily:
summer 9am-6.30pm; winter 9am-5pm; $3 per vehicle; ), has plenty
of natural attractions to support its title of "the greatest
meeting of land and water in the world." Spread along 1250
acres, and with more than 250 bird and animal species along the
area's hiking trails, 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.
