California’s Rugged Central Coast
When I found out I was being sent to San Jose for a work conference last October, I couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to explore somewhere new. Carmel marks the starting point of the Big Sur coast which continues down to San Simeon. Bordered to the east by the Santa Lucia Range and to the west by the Pacific Ocean, Carmel is a small beach city on the Monterey Peninsula. It’s known for historic Carmel Mission and the fairytale cottages of its villagey town centre.