Best of 2000: Best Walk For House-Gawking

Camino de la Costa, La Jolla

Some neighborhoods have grander, even more expensive mansions. But what's nice about a stroll along Camino de la Costa (particularly the stretch between La Canada and Palomar Streets) is the density of the megabucks dwellings. Cape Cod concoctions adorned with cupolas and fussy weathervanes cram in next to bulging Mediterranean villas. They, in turn, abut Santa Fe adobes, elegant haciendas, modernist retreats. Some of the waterfront palaces hide their opulence, but on the inland side of the street, most flaunt it.