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Garrapata Cove |
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On Scenic Routes · John Evans Relax. Recharge. Renew.
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Garrapata Cove |
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WHEN THE WINTER STORMS LASH the coast, Garrapata Cove is a cauldron of angry surf. The combers send off streamers of spray as they toss and leap headlong toward the granite headlands. The sea heaves and falls in the midst of the battle of sea and land, and everywhere there are bursts of white foam sent skyward. Garrapata Cove is located on Highway 1 just south of Carmel Highlands, and only seven miles from Carmel. It’s part of Garrapata State Park, on the northernmost portion of the Big Sur coast. Approached from north or south, the cove appears suddenly, beyond a bend in the road. Several turnouts offer fine views. Perhaps the best is at the bend in the cove, where rows of cypress line the road. From here, a benchland clothed in the gray-green of coastal scrub extends to bluffs rising about 100 feet above the water. A trail starts at an opening in the fence, branching into more trails which unobtrusively wander through the scrub. One trail follows the bluff in a general way. Another scales Whale Peak, a minor hill (despite its name) at Soberanes Point, for a commanding view of the coast down to Point Sur. |
[Click on any picture to see a larger image.]
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ALONG THESE TRAILS, it’s just you, the sea and the land. In winter certainly (and typically on any day the rest of the year) the sea breeze is chilly, brisk, sometimes blustery. There is the steady roar of the surf, punctuated by the burst and boom of waves close in. After spending some time here you may begin to notice the little delights of the place – the lavender blossoms of iris and ceanothus, and the white of alyssum fringing the trail; the pungent fragrance of sage leaves crushed in the fingers; the echo of the surf in the narrow chasms that extend deep into the land; and the shades of turquoise and blue in the water. You may even find your own special place with its own special view – a place to return to, to share with friends on a coastal afternoon. |
[Click on any picture to see a larger image.]
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1522 Constitution Blvd. #178, Salinas, California 93905
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