Carmel-By-The-Sea

Officially incorporated in 1916, Carmel-by-the-Sea has long exerted a magnetic pull on artists and authors. Carmel-by-the-Sea's rugged coastline, featuring both sandy beaches and rocky, cypress-covered outcroppings, has provided inspiration for artists. It is home to nearly 100 art galleries and some of its earliest residents included writers Mary Austin, Sinclair Lewis, and Jack London, who fled post-earthquake San Francisco for the enclave’s bohemian appeal. Poet Robinson Jeffers, arriving with his wife in 1914, called the town “our inevitable place,” and built his stone Tor House overlooking the ocean, now open on weekends for tours.

On any evening, visitors will find town residents enjoying the beauty of a Carmel-by-the-Sea sunset at Carmel Beach, while watching surfers ply the waves. Just a mile south, Carmel River State Beach is a popular spot for diving, kayaking, surfing, and birding.  Point Lobos State Reserve, "the crown jewel of the State Park system," is much-photographed by artists and tourists intent on capturing its astounding beauty.