Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is a tourist destination, known for its natural scenery and artistic history.

The Spanish founded a settlement in 1797, when Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was relocated by St. Junípero Serra from Monterey.

The settlement was largely abandoned by the U.S. Conquest of California in 1848 and stayed undeveloped until Santiago J. Duckworth set out to build a summer colony in 1888.

The first Europeans to see Carmel were mariners led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542, who sailed up the California coast without landing.

Another sixty years passed before Spanish explorer, Sebastián Vizcaíno landed in what is now known as Carmel Valley in 1602.

It is thought that he named the river running through the valley Rio Carmelo in honor of the three Carmelite friars serving as chaplains for the voyage.

[9][10] From the late 18th through the early 19th century most of the Ohlone population died from European diseases (against which they had no immunity), as well as overwork and malnutrition at the missions where the Spanish forced them to live.

Simple buildings of plastered mud were the first church and dwellings until a structure was built of wood from nearby pine and cypress trees to last through the seasonal rains.

In the 1850s, "Rancho Las Manzanitas", the area that was to become Carmel-by-the-Sea, was purchased by French businessman Honoré Escolle.

Escolle was known and prosperous in the City of Monterey, owning the first commercial bakery, pottery kiln, and brickworks in Central California.

[17][18] Abbie Jane Hunter, founder of the San Francisco-based Women's Real Estate Investment Company,[19] first used the name "Carmel-by-the-Sea" on a promotional postcard.

[26] The Carmel Arts and Crafts Club held exhibitions, lectures, dances, and produced plays and recitals at numerous locations, including the Pine Inn Hotel, before purchasing a lot on Casanova Street, where they built a clubhouse in 1907.

[27] In 1911, Carmel began a tradition of presenting plays by Shakespeare with a production of Twelfth Night, directed by Garnet Holme of UC Berkeley and featuring future mayors Perry Newberry and Herbert Heron.

[21] In 1915, during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, various items showcasing Carmel were featured in the Monterey County exhibit within the California Building.

[28] As part of Carmel's involvement in the Exposition, the Junipero Serra or The Padres performance from the Forest Theater took place on July 30–31, 1915, within the Court of the Universe.

This pageant, written and directed by Perry Newberry, was a tribute to Father Junipero Serra and featured prominent citizens of Carmel in its cast, such as Frederick R. Bechdolt and Grant Wallace.

[citation needed] Carmel-by-the-Sea is situated in a moderate seismic risk zone, the principal threats being the San Andreas Fault, which is approximately thirty miles northeast, and the Palo Colorado Fault which traces offshore through the Pacific Ocean several miles away.

[citation needed] September and October (Indian summer) offer the most pleasant weather of the year,[35] with an average high of 72 °F (22 °C).

Kuster, who had previously bought out the Arts and Crafts Theatre, moved his operation to the older facility and renamed it the Golden Bough Playhouse.

In 1972, a new Forest Theater Guild was incorporated and continues to produce musicals, adding a film series in 1997.

[47] In 1906, San Francisco photographer Arnold Genthe joined the Carmel arts colony, where he was able to pursue his pioneering work in color photography.

Of his new residence, he wrote, "My first trials with this medium were made at Carmel where the cypresses and rocks of Point Lobos, the always varying sunsets and the intriguing shadows of the sand dunes offered a rich field for color experiments.

"[21]: p88-90 According to the Library of Congress, where over 18,000 of his negatives and prints are on file, Genthe "became famous for his impressionistic portrayals of society women, artists, dancers, and theater personalities.

[49] Weston had traveled extensively with legendary photographer Ansel Adams, who moved to the Carmel Highlands in 1962, a few miles south of town.

[52] Elected councilmembers are Carrie Theis, Jeff Baron, Bobby Richards and Jan Reimers.

These neighborhoods are officially parts of unincorporated Monterey County, which provides most primary services, including law enforcement, street repairs, and public transit.

Campbell backed zoning ordinances that limited the business district and restricting the size of residential houses and lots.

No sidewalks in the residential area, no streetlights, no commercial development on the beach, preservation of the native trees, one or two stories height limitation, no chain restaurants, and no billboards.

[64] The Carmel Pine Cone is the town's weekly newspaper and has been published since 1915, covering local news, politics, arts, entertainment, opinions and real estate.