Carmel Mission

Built in 1797
A brief tour around this beautifully kept Mission ( still operating as a Catholic Church), then on to Los Lobos national park.
You could hear the Sea Lions as soon as we left the car park. Beautiful rugged coastline and we saw Sea lions, seals, sea otters, Pelicans, herons, gulls, and probably thousands of cormorants . .  . And a pod of whales.
I don’t think I have ever visited an area with so many birds. The rocks were covered in guano and the sometimes overpowering smell definitely added (or maybe not) to the experience!