With boutiques, craft stores and galleries selling everything from the chic to the antique, shopping literally gives golf a run for the money on a Pebble Beach golf vacation, and the single best place make a charge is in the quaint village of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

This bohemian-based beach town on Carmel Bay occupies only one square mile and maintains a resident population of less than 5,000, yet it boasts hundreds of stores and 40 art galleries, including the venerable Zantman and Carmel Art Association.

Despite the multitude of merchants, the town maintains a controlled and cozy atmosphere, thanks to a preservation-minded planning board that keeps storefronts small, well-maintained and from encroaching on its prolific Monterey Pines.

So, whether you’re into aviation memorabilia, Louis Vuitton leather goods or unique, hand-made crafts, you can stroll the streets looking for that perfect keepsake from your Pebble Beach golf vacation while enjoying the natural surroundings at the same time.

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