Carmel, CA Hotels, Vacations, Tourism

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 … more »