On Hwy-1, 3 miles South of Carmel. A sanctuary for a multitude of sea creatures and seabirds, the caves, coves and slender beaches of Point Lobos State Reserve also provide a happy hunting ground for humans with half a day to spare and a hankering to discover one of the wildest and prettiest sections of the Central Coast.

The 450-acre promontory, its granite headlands dotted with wind-tortured Monterey cypress and pine trees, is criss-crossed by easy walking trails. The pick of these, the Headland Trail, passes Sea Lion Point, where the honks of sea lions join the sound of crashing surf, and continues to Headland Cove, where sharp eyesight and luck might reveal sea otters feeding from a kelp bed.