Travel Channel 

Most Luxurious Hotel
La Playa Hotel and Cottages-by-the-Sea
Where: Camino Real at Eighth Avenue, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 1-800-582-8900; 831-624-6476
Web site: www.laplayahotel.com
Rates: $185 to $355, garden- and oceanview guest rooms; $355 to $695, suites and cottages
Nestled between the beach and the village of Carmel, La Playa Hotel and Cottages-by-the-Sea is a graceful hotel with lots of personal touches. Its luxurious rooms look out on either the village or the hotel's elegant gardens. Five airy and spacious cottages are tucked away below the hotel's main garden and provide the prefect accommodations for discerning family vacationers. These cottages include a full kitchen and a garden patio, and some even have wood-burning fireplaces. Add in the full menu of spa services and the Terrace Grill, which offers al fresco dining on the heated patio, and it's clear why La Playa is called the "Grande Dame of Carmel."

Most Romantic Hotel
Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel
Where:120 Highlands Drive, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 1-800-682-4811; 831-620-1234
Web site: www.highlandsinn.hyatt.com
Rates:$295 to $865
Perched atop craggy cliffs overlooking the pounding surf, the scene is properly set for romance at the Highlands Inn. This Hyatt resort exudes an upscale rustic retreat vibe, making it the perfect choice for honeymooners or travelers looking for an escape. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped with all the best amenities. The splurge for the ocean view is worth the additional cost, as the view of the Big Sur coastline from the balcony or patio is breathtaking. If a room with a view is out of your budget, make reservations for dinner at the Pacific's Edge Restaurant and check out the ocean vistas with some dinner and a glass of wine.

Best Inn
Carriage House Inn
Where: Junipero between Seventh and Eighth, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 1-800-433-4732; 831-625-2585
Web site: www.innsbythesea.com
Email: carriagehouse@innsbythesea.com
Rates: $218 to $438
The Carriage House Inn is so warm and inviting that it's like visiting the home of your favorite aunt or old friend. Rooms are outfitted with classic Victorian décor, whirlpools or deep-soaking tubs, fireplaces and plush beds with cozy down comforters. It's a good thing that breakfast and the paper are delivered right to your room each morning, because it's hard to tear yourself away from all this comfort. The inn is just steps away from the best of Carmel, from the downtown shops and galleries to the beach. Before checking out dinner in town, guests can relax with a glass of wine, and there's always time for an after-dinner coffee treat right back in the inn's lobby.

Best Budget Lodging
Carmel Sands Lodge
Where: San Carlos and Fifth, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 1-800-252-1255; 831-624-1255
Web site: www.carmelsandslodge.com/
Rates:$85 to $199
Finding budget accommodations in Carmel, or anywhere along California's popular stretch of coast, can be quite a challenge. This makes the Carmel Sands Lodge all the more desirable to budget travelers looking for basic rooms at a reasonable price. The lodge is made up of 38 no-frills rooms with options for a balcony or fireplace for those looking to splurge. This small hotel may be short on luxurious style, but it makes up for that with a friendly staff and a great location just a short walk to town and the beach.

Best Deli
Lenny's Deli
Where: Carmel Plaza on Ocean Avenue between Junipero and Mission, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-624-5265
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily This deli seems more New York lunch style than it does California healthy, but that's all part of the appeal. The menu boasts Big Apple specialties like chopped chicken liver on rye, turkey pastrami and brisket. There is also an extensive list of specialty sandwiches named for famous New Yorkers and movie stars. Blend the best of both coasts by packing a New York-inspired lunch and heading to the beach for a laid-back picnic.

Best Seafood
Flying Fish Grill
Where: Carmel Plaza, Mission Street between Ocean and Seventh, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-625-1962
Hours: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday to Thursday; 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday to Saturday
Foodies looking for a seafood fix should look no further than the tranquil dining room at the Flying Fish Grill. Owner Kenny Fukumoto puts his own spin on Asian-fusion specialties. For starters, there is a selection of sushi and an Asian-inspired salsa served with wonton chips. Entrees incorporate local fare from the sea, including scallops, oysters, rock shrimp and sea bass. In addition, the menu features the Japanese staple of rare ahi tuna; this version is served blackened with a mustard-sesame-soy sauce.

Best Brunch
The Restaurant at Mission Ranch
Where: 26270 Dolores Street, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-625-9040
Web site: www.missionranchcarmel.com
Hours: Opens at 11 a.m. for lunch and dinner daily
The restaurant at Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch is a Carmel institution, revered for its great views, comfortable atmosphere and tasty food. The Sunday Jazz Brunch is packed every week with locals and tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the man himself. But there's no disappointment if Clint isn't in town. Get there early to get a table - the restaurant does not accept reservations.

Best Mexican
Club Jalapeño
Where: San Carlos between Fifth and Sixth, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-626-1997
Web site: www.clubjalapeno.com
Hidden in a cozy courtyard, Club Jalapeño is home of Carmel's hottest Mexican cuisine. Diners can kick off their meal with chips and homemade fire-roasted tomato salsa while perusing the menu. It might take some time to choose from the extensive list of mouth-watering entrees, including specialties like Oaxacan enchiladas and Baja fish tacos with a lime cilantro dressing. A sweet and salty margarita is a must, and real tequila connoisseurs will be impressed by Club J's bar, which is stocked with some of the best tequila around.

Best Nature
Point Lobos State Reserve
Where: Three miles south of Carmel on Highway 1
Phone: 831-624-4909
Web site: pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us
Email: pointlobos@parks.ca.gov
Rates: $8, passenger cars; $4, vehicles with senior citizens; $3 for the disabled
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., April to October; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November to March
This 1,225-acre reserve features more than 350 plant species and 250 kinds of animals and birds. The stretch of water is home to some of the region's most famous residents, including playful sea otters, fast-moving harbor seals and barking sea lions. During the late winter to early spring , visitors might even catch sight of migrating gray whales swimming along the coast. And that's not all - kelp forests and the eerie Monterey cypresses mark the reserve as an unique natural wonderland.

Best Winery
Chateau Julien Wine Estate
Where: 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-624-2600
Web site: www.chateaujulien.com/
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Napa Valley may be California's most popular wine region, but many of the small towns along the coast get in on the action. Chateau Julien Wine Estate is the prefect place for visitors to create their own wine-tasting adventures. Pack a picnic and head to the tasting room to give your nose and tastebuds a workout distinguishing between the Chateau's varietals. Once you find your favorite wine, pick up a bottle and enjoy an outdoor picnic. Want to learn more about the wine-making process? The staff offers complimentary tours of the vineyard during the week (10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday), but reservations are required.

Best Golf
Pebble Beach
Where: 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Phone: 1-800-654-9300
Web site: www.pebblebeach.com
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Rates: $8, adults; $3, children; $6, seniors
Some visitors are content to simply stop the car and take a peek at Pebble Beach while looping around the windy, scenic 17 Mile Drive. But serious golfers aspire to making a tee time and playing a round at this legendary golf course, which is a quick drive from Carmel. This challenging coastal golf course provides some of the best greens - and views - in the world, with wide stretches of green leading to fairways built right along the rugged cliffs. The best part is that amateur golfers can putt away on this celebrated site, which has been home to countless tournaments, including the U.S. Open Championships in 1972, 1982, 1992 and 2000. It won't be an easy round and the prices are steep, but the experience for a die-hard golfer is well worth the cost.

Best Gallery
The Weston Gallery
Where: Sixth Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln, Carmel, Calif.
Phone: 831-624-4453
Web site: www.westongallery.com
Rates: $425, including the cart for resort guests; $425 for non-resort guests and a cart fee of $25 per person; caddie fee, $65 per bag
California's north central coast, and Carmel in particular, has been home to many artists. Thus it's no surprise that there is a wealth of galleries in this small town. The Weston Gallery was one of the first photo galleries in the country and continues to display vintage and contemporary photography today. Their collection includes works by Ansel Adams and the Weston family, including Edward, Brett and Cole. The gallery also features rotating shows by emerging artists following in the footsteps of Carmel's artistic greats.