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.

Carmel

• Carmel

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