Larkin Valley: Locals know it as one of the most desirable settings in a County renowned for its plethora of pleasing micro-climates and geographic diversity. This broad sunny valley runs parallel to Highway 1 on the Southern edge of the Aptos Hills protected from white noise and any impacts from the freeway by a high Southwest ridge that insures is pristine character. A small extension of Harkins Slough called Larkin Creek meanders through its low lying areas and provides sensitive wetlands habitat for a host of migrating birds and interesting, rare plant species. It also invites the fresh scents and cooling ocean breezes of the Monterey Bay to visit in the afternoons and bestow their welcome gifts.  There's a quiet two lane road running through its serene environs -  gently rounding past spacious open meadows and finely fashioned pastures, clean white fences, well-tended barns,  magnificent horses, and a series of quaint country lanes that lead back into the privacy of rolling green hills, oasis' of redwood forests,  intriguing secret valleys, a wealth of blue sky, distant mountain views and a handful of custom homes that have evolved into gracious estates.  There is a pervasive  sense of being close in but oh so far from the madding crowd here. Something timeless and soulful in all the ongoing leitmotifs of Larkin Valley.   And yet there you are - only five minutes from some of the best stretches of sand and surf along the entire California Coast.